Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP)

The Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) provides grant funding to intermediary lenders who finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of slaughter, or other processing of meat and poultry. The objective of the MPILP is to strengthen the financing capacity for independent meat processors, and to create a more resilient, diverse, and secure U.S. food supply chain. 

What types of intermediaries can apply for this program?

Private nonprofit corporations, public agencies, Tribes, and cooperatives that finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of meat and poultry processing are eligible to apply.

Who are eligible ultimate recipients?

Businesses engaged, or proposing to engage, in the processing of meat or poultry – either directly, or through agreements with other entities - can apply for a loan from the intermediary lender as an ultimate recipient. 

Ultimate recipients must:

• Be a business engaged, or proposing to engage, in commercial meat or poultry processing projects; either directly, or through agreements with other entities

• Comply with USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service requirements, or be custom exempt 

Grant funds to intermediaries can be used to operate and expand meat and poultry processing capacity by supporting activities such as:

• Purchasing and developing land

• Constructing a new facility

• Modernizing or expanding an existing facility

• Developing, installing, or modernizing equipment and technology 

• Improving leaseholds

• Ensuring compliance with occupational and other safety requirements 

• Modernizing equipment or facilities to ensure food safety 

• Refinancing debt

• Purchasing cooperative stock (by individual farmers or ranchers in a farmer or rancher cooperative) 

• Purchasing transferable cooperative stock 

• Making loans to a fund that invests primarily in cooperatives (in accordance with the provisions of the program) 

• Qualifying taxable corporate bonds 

• Paying for feasibility studies for meat and processing facilities 

• Undertaking pollution control and abatement

• Handling waste management

• Offsetting start-up costs, working capital, fees and other expenses related to federal inspection

To apply for this program, visit Grants.gov for instructions and application materials.

All applicant entities must have a current and active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to file an MPILP application.

Applicants are encouraged to review the Self-Screening Guide to assess preliminary eligibility for the program.

• Fact Sheet

• Grants.gov Posting

• Application checklist 

• Self-screening guide 

• 1970-B exhibit D

• 1970-A exhibit H

• Application template 

• FAQ

• Environmental Checklist

• MPILP vs FSC comparison