The Meat Processing Train and Retain Grant offers funding to partner organizations to assist small- to medium-sized meat and poultry processors with hiring and training new employees.
For this grant, we define small- to medium-sized meat and poultry processors as those that:
- Are licensed by the state of Minnesota or the federal government, and
- Have fewer than 150 employees.
Eligibility and funding priorities
Eligible partner organization applicants include:
- Foundations engaged in economic development
- Community development financial institutions
- Federally recognized economic development districts
- Community development corporations
This program prioritizes:
- Partner organizations working in cooperation with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
- Partner organizations whose efforts would target or serve meat or poultry processing operations that are in distressed communities, based on the Economic Innovation Group's Distressed Communities Index (DCI).
Funding from this program can be used for expenses such as:
- Tuition reimbursement
- Signing and retention bonuses for new hires
- Employee relocation assistance
- Other related expenses
See the request for proposals (RFP) for more information on eligible expenses.
Amount available
We expect to award up to $350,000 using a competitive review process.
- Awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000.
- No processor may receive more than $50,000 from this grant.
- No employee may receive more than $10,000 through this grant.
Projects must be completed by June 30, 2026.
Applying
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Monday, April 28, 2025.
- Carefully read the full FY25 Meat Processing Train & Retain RFP (PDF) for eligibility and requirements.
- We encourage you to apply online.
- If you are a new user, you will need to create an account.
- Once you are logged in, select “Meat Processing Train and Retain Grant.”
Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.
Meat Processing Train & Retain Grant Q&A
We will accept program questions until 4 p.m. CT on April 21, 2025, and will post all questions and answers on this page.
