The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Meat Processing Train & Retain Grant.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/25/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
This grant provides funding for partner organizations to assist small- to medium-sized meat and poultry processors with hiring and training new employees.
Funding Information
- The Minnesota State Legislature appropriated a total of $544,000.
- The minimum award is $10,000 and the maximum award is $250,000. Any single processor may not receive more than $50,000 from this grant. Any individual employee may not receive more than $10,000 through this program.
Priorities
This grant program will prioritize:
- Partner organizations whose efforts would target or serve meat or poultry processing operations owned by individuals in historically underserved communities, businesses that directly serve historically underserved communities, or individuals from historically underserved communities with an interest in working in meat processing.
- Historically underserved communities include businesses owned by women; veterans; persons with disabilities; American Indian or Alaskan Natives; members of a community of color; young people; and people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+).
- Partner organizations working in cooperation with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
Eligible Projects and Expenses
Projects must:
- Aim to increase or incentivize new employee training and retention at small- to medium-sized meat or poultry processing businesses in Minnesota. For the purposes of this grant, “small- to medium-sized meat or poultry processor” means a meat or poultry processor licensed by the state of Minnesota or the federal government that has fewer than 150 employees.
- Be conducted in Minnesota.
Eligible expenses include but are not limited to: - Tuition reimbursement for programs at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
- Sign-on or retention bonuses for new hires
- Employee relocation assistance
- Employee housing cost reimbursement
- Childcare stipend
- Employee transportation cost reimbursement
- Up to 20% of the grant may be used for direct services to employees, including but not limited to translation services
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be considered a partner organization (one of the following
- Foundation engaged in economic development
- Community development financial institution
- Federally recognized economic development district
- Community development corporation
- Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota, including but not limited to:
- Acceptable performance on past MDA grants.
- Be registered with the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s Office, as applicable.
For more information, visit MDA.