MPPEP Phase 3 Invasive Wild-Caught Catfish
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP
- Agency
-
Rural Business Cooperative Services
Washington Office, Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- $50,000 to $2,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Agriculture
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- State Governments
- City/Township Governments
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
- Small Businesses
- For Profit Organizations
- County Governments
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Points of contact
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service is soliciting applications for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase 3 Round 2 to support invasive wild-caught catfish processing facilities, with applications due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on December 7, 2026. Total funding available is $6 million; applicants must provide a minimum 20 percent cost share and may request up to $2 million in federal funds or 80 percent of total project cost, whichever is less.
Eligible applicants include for-profit and nonprofit entities, producer-owned cooperatives, certified benefit corporations, federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Entities, and state or local government entities that are domestically owned and independently operated. Applicants must currently process seafood or wild-caught catfish for commercial markets, have operated for more than one year, operate under USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service inspection, and reside in a state with an aquatic nuisance species or invasive species management plan identifying catfish as invasive.
Award amounts range from $50,000 to $2 million, with an anticipated award date of February 8, 2027. The maximum period of performance is 48 months. Eligible uses include construction, equipment purchase, facility renovations, and staffing costs directly tied to expanding processing capacity for invasive wild-caught catfish.
Merit evaluation comprises six scored categories totaling 110 points: alignment and intent (20 points), market development and industry opportunities (20 points), financial viability (20 points), technical merit and achievability (20 points), labor and personnel (10 points), and community impact and support (10 points), plus up to 15 discretionary points for geographic and species diversity, including prioritization of apex predator processing. The program operates under CFDA 10.381 and is authorized by Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Synopsis
The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) provides grants to help eligible meat and poultry processors expand their capacity, which creates new, better and more processing options for meat and poultry producers. The goal for MPPEP Phase 3 Round 2 is to support Processors of Invasive, Wild-Caught Catfish species by increasing Processing capacity and providing greater opportunity in this sector. Strategies that can fulfill the goal of this NOFO and ensure lasting impacts include projects to increase Processing capacity; increase Processing volume; elevate incomes for both fishers and Processors; and to provide fair wages, and new, stable and safe job opportunities at Processing facilities to increase economic development in rural communities.
Eligibility
for‐profit and nonprofit entities, producer‐owned Cooperatives and corporations, certified benefit corporations, Tribes and Tribal Entities, State or local government entities, and other business types (regardless of legal structure
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| PKG00294134.docx | DOCX document | |
| ad-2106.pdf | ||
| MPPEP_3_Round_2_Application_Template.docx | DOCX document | |
| MPPEP3_Round_2_Application_Checklist_.pdf | ||
| MPPEP_NOFO_Final.pdf |
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