Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The Application includes step-by-step directions and a list of documents that are either required or recommended at each step. There are multiple ways that you can submit an Application:
- Online, via the e-Filing system
- Mail a paper copy to your regional office
- In-person, dropped off at a regional office

To implement the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Section 22007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP or “the Program”) will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners (producers) who experienced discrimination by USDA in USDA’s farm lending prior to January 1, 2021. For detailed information on administration of the Program, visit [Program Administration](https://22007apply.gov/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#program-administration).



To implement the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Section 22007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP or “the Program”) will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners (producers) who experienced discrimination by USDA in USDA’s farm lending prior to January 1, 2021. For detailed information on administration of the Program, visit Program Administration.

You are eligible to file an Application if:
1. You experienced discrimination, prior to January 1, 2021, by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its farm loan programs, which are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and/or
2. You are currently a debtor with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021. (This applies, for example, if you inherited the debt that was the subject of USDA farm loan program discrimination.)

A payment that must be returned to the provider following specified terms of repayment and interest rate.

Loan

- Information Page
- How To Apply
- Find Local Assistance

Español

Women

People Of Color

Native Americans

See the most recent Request For Applications for instructions on how to apply.

Reinvestment Fund

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) is a public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund, a national, nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) on behalf of USDA Rural Development. HFFI was established by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (commonly known as the 2014 Farm Bill), and reauthorized and expanded in 2018 Farm Bill.

HFFI offers grants and technical assistance to food retail and food system enterprises that seek to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas. Grants could are available to assist projects with a variety&#x2004;of aspects of retail or enterprise development, renovation, or expansion. Grants are made as one-time investments of capital into a food retail or food enterprise project, with the goal of helping them to overcome cost and other barriers to entry in underserved areas across the country.

Technical Assistance (TA) will is also available to eligible organizations, and may include: support with capacity building; identifying food access needs and potential interventions; project planning; market studies; feasibility studies; business planning; financial modeling; appraisals; and community or customer engagement. 



The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) is a public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund, a national, nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) on behalf of USDA Rural Development. HFFI was established by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (commonly known as the 2014 Farm Bill), and reauthorized and expanded in 2018 Farm Bill.
HFFI offers grants and technical assistance to food retail and food system enterprises that seek to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas. Grants could are available to assist projects with a variety of aspects of retail or enterprise development, renovation, or expansion. Grants are made as one-time investments of capital into a food retail or food enterprise project, with the goal of helping them to overcome cost and other barriers to entry in underserved areas across the country.
Technical Assistance (TA) will is also available to eligible organizations, and may include: support with capacity building; identifying food access needs and potential interventions; project planning; market studies; feasibility studies; business planning; financial modeling; appraisals; and community or customer engagement. 

For-profit businesses, cooperative businesses, nonprofit organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments and governmental agencies will be eligible to apply.
The program will support projects aiming to strengthen, expand, and innovate within the food retail supply chain. The program could assist a variety of organizations, business models, and capital needs of ventures that process, distribute, aggregate, market, and sell healthy, fresh, and affordable foods to underserved communities and markets. Projects must demonstrate how their proposed project will contribute to food access through the availability of staple and perishable foods for retail sale.
To be eligible for assistance, applicants must propose a project that:
1. Plans to expand or preserve the availability of staple and perishable foods in underserved areas with low and moderate-income populations; and
2. If the project involves retail sales, accepts benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 USC 2011 et. Seq.)
To be eligible for financial or technical assistance through America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative, applicants must propose a project in an underserved area. Use the interactive map on this page to determine if your project’s proposed location qualifies as underserved.

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

- RFA Info Session Webinar- Recording
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Online Grants Portal Registration and Application Guide

Local Food

Nutrition & Food Safety

Farmers Market

Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov in response to this RFA. Find the Grants.gov page for this opportunity at this link found under either the Assistance Listing number 10.180, or the Funding Opportunity Number “USDA-AMS-TM-MPIRG-G-21-0001.”
For an overview of the Grants.gov application process see Grants.gov’s Apply for Grants webpage. The Request for Applications contains the information needed to obtain and complete required application forms and AMS-specific attachments.

Eric Bozoian

The Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program assists currently operational meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities in obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection under the [Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/federal-meat-inspection-act) or the [Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA)](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/poultry-products-inspection-act); or to operate as&#x2004;a State-inspected facility that is compliant with FMIA or PPIA under a respective [Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/apply-grant-inspection/state-inspection-programs/cooperative-interstate-shipping-program).

The MPIRG focuses on:

- Improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency;

- Developing new and expanding existing markets;

- Increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand;

- Maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards;

- Obtaining a larger commercial presence; and

- Increasing access to slaughter/processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities.


### Why would you want a Federal Grant of Inspection?

Obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection affords you the ability to:

- Sell your products through wholesale channels

- Sell your products across state lines

- Avoid the legal hassle of keeping your operation within an [FSIS inspection exemption](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Compliance-Guideline-LIvestock-Exemptions.pdf).


On the other hand, acquiring and maintaining a Federal Grant of Inspection comes with [significant regulations and responsibilities.](https://pregunteleakaren.gov/wps/wcm/connect/f1dc9098-e8b9-4337-a317-f73ee7ab47c1/Applying_Federal_Grant_Inspection.pdf?MOD=AJPERES) If the trade-off is worth it for your operation, MPIRG is a great opportunity to get a grant to help with that conversion.



The Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program assists currently operational meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities in obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) or the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA); or to operate as a State-inspected facility that is compliant with FMIA or PPIA under a respective Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program.
The MPIRG focuses on:
- Improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency;
- Developing new and expanding existing markets;
- Increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand;
- Maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards;
- Obtaining a larger commercial presence; and
- Increasing access to slaughter/processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities.

Why would you want a Federal Grant of Inspection?
Obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection affords you the ability to:
- Sell your products through wholesale channels
- Sell your products across state lines
- Avoid the legal hassle of keeping your operation within an FSIS inspection exemption.

On the other hand, acquiring and maintaining a Federal Grant of Inspection comes with significant regulations and responsibilities. If the trade-off is worth it for your operation, MPIRG is a great opportunity to get a grant to help with that conversion.

Eligible Facilities
To be eligible for a grant, a meat or poultry slaughter or processing facility shall be-- 
1. in operation as of the date on which the facility submits to an application for the grant; and 
2. seeking- 
    a. to obtain a Federal grant of inspection. or 
    b. to be eligible for inspection under a cooperative interstate shipment program (CIS) in a State that participates in that program. 
Eligible Activities
A facility that receives a grant may use the grant amount for the below activities as long as the activities contribute to meeting the requirements of obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection.
1. the modernization or expansion of existing facilities; 
2. the modernization of equipment;
3. compliance with packaging and labeling requirements under applicable law; 
4. compliance with safety requirements under applicable law
5. the development of processes to ensure food safety; and
6. such other purposes as the AMS determines to be appropriate.

Ambrook Note: 
- You are likely an eligible 'operating processing facility' if you slaughter animals on your farm for any business purpose. Even if you have never known it, you are likely operating under an FSIS inspection exemption.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Beef Cattle

Poultry

Sheep

Pigs

Goats

Equine

Turkey

Chickens

Ducks

Geese

Beef Bottom Round

Beef Brisket

Beef Chuck Roast

Beef Eye Round

Beef Flank Steak

Beef Flat Iron Steak

Beef Heart

Beef Liver

Beef London Broil

Beef NY Strip Steak

Beef Oxtail

Beef Rib Steak

Beef Rump Roast

Beef Short Ribs

Beef Sirloin

Beef Sirloin Tip Roast

Beef Skirt Steak

Beef Soup Bones

Beef Stew Meat

Beef Tongue

Beef Top Round

Beef Whole Filet

Ground Beef

Cornish Hens

Ewes

Lambs

Rams

Barrows

Boars

Feeder Pigs

Hogs

Sows

Bucks

Nannies

Slaughter Goats

Horses

Poults

Toms

Broilers

Chicks

Fryers

Layers

Pullets

Roasters

Ducklings

Goslings

Ground Lamb

Lamb Chops

Lamb Heart

Lamb Leg

Lamb Liver

Lamb Shank

Lamb Shoulder

Lamb Stew Meat

Cattle

Livestock

Specialty Livestock

- 2022 MPIRG Request for Applications (RFA) (pdf)
- Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance
- AMS NEPA Attestation Form (pdf)
- Grant Opportunities Fact Sheet: Funding expanded market channels for animal production and livestock products (pdf)
- Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Webinar Video
- Project Narrative (docx)
- Do you qualify for the MPIRG Grant? (pdf)
- FSIS Guidance on the requirements for Federal inspection
- FSIS Exemptions Brochure

This funding opportunity does not have a Federal cost-sharing or matching requirement for fiscal year 2022. Such information should not be included in the FY2022 submitted application. However, there may be a $1:$1 matching requirement for subsequent MPIRG fiscal years.

To apply for MLP, producers must submit: 
- FSA-376, Milk Loss Program Application
- Milk marketing statement from the:
    - Month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped.
    - Affected month.
- Detailed written statement of milk removal circumstances, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitations occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk.
- Any other information required by the regulation.


The Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. 



MLP compensates dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to qualifying disaster events, including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only. 

The milk loss claim period is each calendar month that milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month. Milk loss that occurs in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event requires a separate application for each month.   

The days that are eligible for assistance begin on the date the milk was removed or dumped and for concurrent days milk was removed or dumped. Once the dairy operation restarts milk marketing, the dairy operation is ineligible for assistance unless after restarting commercial milk marketing, additional milk is dumped due to the same qualifying disaster event. The duration of yearly claims is limited to 30 days per year for 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

MLP Payment Calculation 
The final MLP payment is determined by factoring the MLP payment calculation by the applicable MLP payment percentage.  
The calculation for determining MLP payment is:  
- ((Base period per cow average daily milk production x the number of milking cows in a claim period x the number of days milk was removed or dumped in a claim period) ÷ 100) x pay price per hundredweight (cwt.).
For MLP payment calculations, the milk loss base period is the first full month of production before the dumping or removal occurred. 
The MLP payment percentage will be 90% for underserved producers, including socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers and 75% for all other producers.  

Apply for this grant on grants.gov: Search for CFDA number OPPE-017.

The USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501 Program), is managed by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). The 1990 Farm Bill established the program to provide outreach and technical assistance for underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters, in owning and operating sustainable farms and ranches while increasing their participation in USDA programs and services. The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the program’s reach to veterans. The 2018 Farm Bill boosts mandatory funding&#x2004;for the program through FY 2023.

FOTO is the combination of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501 Program). USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers BFRDP and USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) manages the 2501 Program. FOTO provides mandatory funding of $30 million for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and increases funding annually up to $50 million by FY2023. Annual funding will be split equally between BFRDP and the 2501 Program.



The USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501 Program), is managed by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). The 1990 Farm Bill established the program to provide outreach and technical assistance for underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters, in owning and operating sustainable farms and ranches while increasing their participation in USDA programs and services. The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the program’s reach to veterans. The 2018 Farm Bill boosts mandatory funding for the program through FY 2023.
FOTO is the combination of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501 Program). USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers BFRDP and USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) manages the 2501 Program. FOTO provides mandatory funding of $30 million for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and increases funding annually up to $50 million by FY2023. Annual funding will be split equally between BFRDP and the 2501 Program.

Eligible organizations:
- Community-Based & Non-Profit Organizations 
- Tribal Governments & Colleges 
- Higher Education Institutions with Agricultural Programs (such as 1890s, 1994s and Hispanic-Serving Institutions) 
- Alaskan Native Cooperative Colleges 

Organizations must have documented experience in working with socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers for at least three (3) years to qualify for the 2501 Program.

- Frequently Asked Questions
- 2501 Fact Sheet 2023

List of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Funding Opportunities