Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA AMS TM LMCG G 23 0017
The Local Meat Capacity Grants (LMCG) Fiscal Year 2023 opportunity is a discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), designed to strengthen the meat and poultry supply chain by expanding processing capacity and encouraging more competition across the sector. It sits within the Biden-Harris Administration's broader $1 billion initiative aimed at growing processing capacity for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors. The basic idea is to reduce the system's vulnerability to disruptions by helping communities and businesses add or modernize local and regional processing options, rather than relying so heavily on a limited number of large, centralized facilities.
USDA framed this program around needs highlighted through public input, emphasizing that the meat and poultry processing industry can become a bottleneck during labor shortages, plant shutdowns, transportation problems, or sudden demand shifts. By supporting capacity expansion and diversification, the program aims to make it easier for producers to get animals processed in a timely way, improve the flow of products to market, and reduce the ripple effects that occur when processing slows or stops. In practical terms, these grants are meant to help add throughput and flexibility to the processing network so that producers and consumers are less exposed to major disruptions.
The opportunity also has clear economic and workforce goals. USDA identifies producer income as a key concern, with an emphasis on giving producers more market options and improving their bargaining position through additional processing outlets. Another stated priority is creating pathways for producers to have ownership stakes in processing facilities, which can help keep more value in rural communities and improve long-term stability for local supply chains. Alongside producer benefits, the program explicitly calls out job creation, focusing on stable, well-paying employment in rural regions where these facilities are often located and where economic development opportunities can be limited.
Worker conditions are another central theme of the grant. USDA includes improving worker health, safety, training, and wages as part of the program's purpose, reflecting broader attention to working conditions in meatpacking and poultry processing. While the summary description does not list specific required interventions, the intent is to support projects that do not just expand output, but also strengthen the workforce side of processing operations through safer workplaces, better training systems, and compensation improvements that can aid recruitment and retention.
Collaboration and investment leverage are also built into the program's rationale. USDA notes a desire to spur collaboration among producers and workers and to prompt State, Tribal, and private co-investment. That signals an interest in projects that bring multiple stakeholders together, align incentives across the supply chain, and use federal funds to catalyze additional funding or support from non-federal partners. The consumer-facing objective is to increase choice by enabling more diverse processing capacity, which can translate into a wider variety of locally or regionally produced meat and poultry products reaching markets.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is listed as "Local Meat Capacity Grants Fiscal Year 2023" with Funding Opportunity Number USDA AMS TM LMCG G 23 0017 and CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) number 10.189. The grant is categorized under Agriculture as the funding activity area, and it is offered as a grant funding instrument. The program anticipated making around 100 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $5,000,000 per award, indicating that projects could range from moderate-scale expansions to more significant facility builds or upgrades depending on program rules and applicant plans.
Eligibility is broad and includes a mix of public, nonprofit, Tribal, and private-sector entities. Eligible applicants listed include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. This wide eligibility suggests USDA intended to reach a variety of project models, such as publicly supported processing initiatives, cooperative or producer-led ventures, nonprofit community development projects, and private companies expanding or modernizing operations.
The opportunity was created on April 19, 2023, and the original closing date was July 19, 2023, with the requirement that applications be submitted and validated by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date. Overall, the program is positioned as a capacity-building and resiliency effort that combines infrastructure expansion with competition goals, producer opportunity, rural job growth, workforce improvements, and broader investment partnerships, all aimed at making the meat and poultry supply chain more robust and less concentrated.Apply for USDA AMS TM LMCG G 23 0017
- The Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Local Meat Capacity Grants Fiscal Year 2023" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.189.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 19, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 19, 2023 Only applications submitted and validated by 1159 pm Eastern Time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Local Meat Capacity Grants (LMCG) FY 2023 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Local Meat Capacity Grants (LMCG) FY 2023 opportunity?
The Local Meat Capacity Grants (LMCG) Fiscal Year 2023 opportunity is a discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). It is designed to strengthen the meat and poultry supply chain by expanding processing capacity and encouraging more competition across the sector.
2) What is the main goal of this grant program?
The program aims to reduce vulnerabilities in the meat and poultry system by helping communities and businesses add, expand, or modernize local and regional processing options. The underlying strategy is to rely less on a small number of large, centralized facilities by boosting throughput and flexibility across a broader network of processors.
3) How does USDA describe the problem this program is trying to solve?
USDA points to meat and poultry processing as a potential bottleneck, especially during labor shortages, plant shutdowns, transportation problems, or sudden shifts in demand. When processing slows or stops, the impacts can ripple outward across producers, markets, and consumers. LMCG is framed as a way to reduce those ripple effects by diversifying and expanding processing capacity.
4) How does this program relate to broader federal initiatives?
LMCG sits within the Biden-Harris Administration's broader $1 billion initiative focused on growing processing capacity for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors. Within that larger effort, this grant opportunity specifically supports capacity expansion and related improvements that strengthen the supply chain.
5) What kinds of outcomes is USDA trying to achieve for producers?
USDA emphasizes producer income and improved market options. By increasing the number and availability of processing outlets, the program is intended to help producers get animals processed in a timely way and improve their bargaining position by reducing dependence on a limited set of processing facilities.
6) Does the program mention producer ownership in processing facilities?
Yes. One stated priority is creating pathways for producers to have ownership stakes in processing facilities. The rationale is that producer ownership can help keep more value in rural communities and contribute to longer-term stability for local supply chains.
7) What workforce and job-related goals are included in the program's purpose?
The opportunity explicitly calls out job creation, with an emphasis on stable, well-paying employment in rural regions where many processing facilities are located. Beyond job numbers, the program also highlights workforce improvements such as worker training and retention-related considerations.
8) Does the grant address worker health and safety?
Yes. Improving worker health and safety is described as a central theme of the program. USDA also includes worker training and wages as part of the program purpose, reflecting an intent to support projects that strengthen working conditions alongside processing capacity.
9) Are specific worker-condition interventions required (like particular safety upgrades or wage levels)?
Based on the information provided here, the summary does not list specific required interventions. It does, however, describe an intent to support projects that expand output while also strengthening the workforce side of processing operations through safer workplaces, better training systems, and compensation improvements.
10) What does USDA mean by making the supply chain more "resilient"?
In this context, resiliency means reducing the system's exposure to disruptions by expanding and diversifying processing options. With more local and regional capacity available, producers and consumers are intended to be less affected when a major plant shuts down, labor becomes scarce, transportation is disrupted, or demand changes quickly.
11) How does the program aim to increase competition in meat and poultry processing?
The program is intended to encourage more competition by expanding local and regional processing capacity, which can reduce reliance on a limited number of large, centralized facilities. More processing outlets can translate into more market options for producers and potentially more product options for consumers.
12) What consumer benefits are described in the opportunity overview?
The consumer-facing objective described is increased choice, supported by more diverse processing capacity. This can enable a wider variety of locally or regionally produced meat and poultry products to reach markets.
13) Does USDA encourage collaboration or partnerships?
Yes. USDA notes a desire to spur collaboration among producers and workers and to prompt State, Tribal, and private co-investment. This signals interest in multi-stakeholder projects and efforts that align incentives across the supply chain.
14) Is leveraging non-federal investment part of the program's rationale?
Yes. The opportunity description indicates USDA wants federal funds to catalyze additional funding or support from non-federal partners, including State, Tribal, and private co-investment.
15) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA AMS TM LMCG G 23 0017.
16) What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number?
The CFDA (now commonly referenced as the Assistance Listing) number provided is 10.189.
17) What agency and office are offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
18) What is the funding activity area and funding instrument?
The funding activity area is Agriculture, and the funding instrument is a grant.
19) How many awards did the program anticipate making?
The program anticipated making around 100 awards.
20) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is up to $5,000,000 per award.
21) What does the award ceiling suggest about project size?
An award ceiling of up to $5,000,000 suggests projects could range from moderate-scale expansions to more significant facility builds or upgrades, depending on the program rules and applicant plans.
22) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad and includes:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
23) Does this opportunity allow both nonprofit and for-profit applicants?
Yes. The eligible applicant list explicitly includes nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and for-profit entities other than small businesses).
24) Are local governments included as eligible applicants?
Yes. County governments and city or township governments are listed as eligible applicants, in addition to state governments.
25) Are Tribal entities included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The eligibility list includes Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
26) When was this funding opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on April 19, 2023.
27) What was the application deadline for this FY 2023 opportunity?
The original closing date was July 19, 2023.
28) What time zone applied to the application deadline?
Applications needed to be submitted and validated by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date.
29) What does "submitted and validated" imply about the deadline?
Based on the wording provided, it was not enough to only submit by the deadline; the application also had to be validated by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 19, 2023.
30) In plain terms, what types of projects is this grant trying to support?
From the description provided, the program is aimed at projects that expand or modernize local and regional meat and poultry processing capacity, strengthen flexibility and throughput in the processing network, and support workforce improvements such as health and safety, training, and wages. The opportunity also favors collaboration and co-investment that can broaden impact.
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