The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM), in partnership with the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC), announces the availability of funding through the Meat Processing Expansion Grant Program.
Donor Name: New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
State: New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/23/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Meat Processing Expansion Grant program will fund projects to support the expansion/retention of existing licensed meat processing facilities and the establishment of new licensed meat processing facilities in the state to increase opportunities for beef, pork and other meat farmers to process meat within the state and to increase the market viability of NYS sourced meat. The Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC) is administering the NYS Meat Processing Expansion Grant Round 2 Program for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. This program addresses the nationwide shortage of affordable meat available to consumers, including the availability of protein sources for schools and institutional facilities in the state. In addition to capital improvements at processing facilities, the MPEG Round 2 program also supports increased meat processing and market access through the development of the labor force and support of food safety upgrades at facilities. MPEG Round 2 funds extend this opportunity to 5-A licensed processors, 20C processors, and USDA processors.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is the department of the New York state government that enforces laws relating to agriculture, weights and measures, and the production,processing, transportation, storage, marketing and distributing of food. NYS Meat Processing Expansion Grant Program.
Priorities and Objectives
- Project approaches must focus on producing meat products for institutional, wholesale and/or retail markets. The program will provide capital funding to continue to equip the State to meet the demands of local sourcing initiatives, such as Farm-to-School/NYS 30% Initiative, Nourish NY and Executive Order 32. Processed products developed through the grant must contain a minimum of 51% raw agricultural ingredients grown or raised in New York State. Projects that will expand output capacity and business revenue will be most competitive.
- Funding is available for projects related to the following activities:
- Expansion of meat processing and processed product creation
- Aggregation and storage, as part of a larger processing expansion project
- Operational efficiency improvements
- Improving food safety standards for processing facilities in order to access new markets, with a focus on institutional sales
- Increase/retain processing capacity through job training
- Funding Priorities:
- Projects focused on products marketed to Nourish NY, Farm to School, or other institutional markets
- Businesses with USDA-Inspected facilities
- Further geographic diversity of NYS meat processing capacity
Funding Information
- At least $4,714,511 will be available to eligible applicants.
- Maximum award is $250,000.
- Minimum award is $50,000.
Grant Period
Projects must be completed by October 31, 2029.
Eligible Expenses
Eligible project costs relating to building construction, building renovation, and/or equipment that exceed $5,000 must be supported by a current quote or estimate. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Renovation of buildings or facilities
- Rehabilitation of buildings or facilities
- Purchase, shipping and installation of equipment
- Equipment that increases the safety of processed meat products, such as metal detectors, is eligible
- Acquisition of equipment or pre-fabricated facilities
- Expansion of buildings or facilities
- Professional Services: design, legal, permitting and other professional services related to assessing, designing, or approving the proposed project after grant award (pre-award costs are NOT allowable)
- The cost of training requirements for 144 annual hours of Related Instruction for Apprenticeships as required by the NYS Department of Labor.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include the following entities:
- For-profit businesses currently operating under USDA-Inspected, NYS 20C, or NYS 5A 20,000 Bird Small Enterprise Exemption licenses or who will secure such licensure during the grant period
- Start-up enterprises; applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and land resources and technical knowledge at the time of application.
- Nonprofit organizations that are currently generating revenue through the listed licensed meat processing-related activities
For more information, visit NYSDAM.
