603-008-0000
Definitions

The following definitions apply to these division 8 rules:

(1) "Grant Review Team" means a team that provides a technical review of each application. The Grant Review Team shall be appointed by the Director, who shall endeavor to include the following types of individuals: department staff; individuals with experience in the meat industry (including industry associations and nonprofits with knowledge of meat processing); individuals with experience in business development, business expansion and finance; and representatives of other state agencies or universities.

(2) "Department" means the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

(3) "Director" means the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

(4) "Exotic animal" means any reindeer, elk, deer, antelope, water buffalo, bison, buffalo, yak, or camelids.

(5) "Meat or meat product" has the definition provided in ORS 603.010(7).

(6) "Processing" means preparation or slaughter of meat or meat products from exotic animals or amenable species, excluding equines and poultry.

(7) "Program of state inspection" means the Oregon Department of Agriculture's inspection of establishments as authorized by Oregon Laws 2020, chapter 6.

(8) "Project records" means all records created or used in the course of implementing an approved Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant.

(9) "Rural area" means any area within the state of Oregon except the urbanized portions of metropolitan statistical areas, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 2785 (2021), ORS 561.020 & ORS 561.190
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2785 (2021)
History:
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0010
Purpose

The purpose of OAR 603-008-0000 to 603-008-0060 is to provide criteria and procedures for administration of the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant Program.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 2785 (2021), ORS 561.020 & ORS 561.190
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2785 (2021)
History:
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0020
Eligible Applicants

Applicants must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant Program:

(1) Must be an establishment, as that term is defined in ORS 619.010(8), located in Oregon or planning to become such an establishment within the grant period;

(2) Must be registered to do business in Oregon and in good standing with the Oregon Secretary of State, the Department, and the Oregon Department of Revenue, as applicable, or must fall under the jurisdiction of a tribal government; and

(3) Must be one or more of the following:

(a) Planning to expand meat processing capacity to include animals raised in Oregon and planning to operate under a program of state inspection;

(b) Planning to build a new establishment to process meat, including animals raised in Oregon, and planning to operate under a program of state inspection; or

(c) Planning to expand an official federal establishment under continuous inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service pursuant to the Federal Meat Inspection Act and planning to increase processing of meat from animals raised in Oregon.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 2785 (2021), ORS 561.020 & ORS 561.190
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2785 (2021)
History:
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0030
Standards to Determine Project Eligibility

(1) The Department shall award Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building grant funds of up to $750,000 per application. All grant funds must be distributed by June 30 of the biennium in which the grant was awarded.
(2) Grant funds must be used to expand or build new processing capacity for animals raised in Oregon, including:
(a) Upgrades to and/or expansion of establishments that are expected to operate under a program of state inspection;
(b) Construction of new establishments that are expected to operate under a program of state inspection; or
(c) Expansion of establishments that operate under a program of federal inspection and plan to increase processing of meat from animals raised in Oregon.
(3) Grant funds may also be used for costs related to the activities described in section (2) of this rule, including technical assistance, planning, construction, and the purchase of equipment.
(4) Preference shall be given to establishments that prioritize seasonally feasible processing of meat from animals raised in Oregon. Preference may also be given to establishments that address gaps in type of processing or gaps in species processing; or expand existing or develop new processing in areas of Oregon with limited access to meat processing services.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 3410 (2023), ORS 561.020, ORS 561.190 & OL 2021, Chap. 537
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 3410 (2023) & OL 2021, Chap. 537
History:
DOA 9-2025, amend filed 04/22/2025, effective 04/22/2025
DOA 7-2023, temporary amend filed 03/23/2023, effective 03/23/2023 through 09/18/2023
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0040
Review of Applications and Procedures

(1) The Notice of Grant Opportunity/Request For Applications (RFA) shall describe the review criteria and shall also include information on grant requirements, timelines, and process.

(2) Department staff shall develop a grant application review sheet that facilitates the review process. All members of the Grant Review Team shall use the grant application review sheet.

(3) The Department shall conduct a first-level administrative review to determine whether minimum proposal requirements are met, and the application is complete.

(4) The Grant Review Team shall evaluate the merits of the proposal against the review criteria and make a funding recommendation for each proposal for the Director's consideration. Applicants may be invited to make presentations to provide additional information to the Grant Review Team at review meetings.

(5) After the Grant Review Team has completed the technical review, Department staff shall compile Grant Review Team recommendations for the Director, which shall also include information such as geographic distribution, services to special populations, the applicant's history, if any, as a state grantee, and the applicant's capacity to perform the work.

(6) Recommendations shall be forwarded to the Director for final review and selection, as provided in OAR 603-008-0050.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 2785 (2021), ORS 561.020 & ORS 561.190
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2785 (2021)
History:
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0050
Grant Awards

(1) The Director shall review the final funding recommendations and shall make one of the following decisions for each application:

(a) Approve application and award grant for the full amount requested;

(b) Approve application and award grant for a specific proposal component that may be less than the amount requested. In this instance, the Director may elect to fund a portion or phase of the application;

(c) Defer the application for further consideration based upon submission of additional information; or

(d) Deny the application and funding request.

(2) The Director retains ultimate authority to determine which projects are funded, and in what amounts. The Director reserves the right to increase existing awards and to approve additional awards in order to distribute unspent funds.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 2785 (2021), ORS 561.020 & ORS 561.190
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2785 (2021)
History:
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022

603-008-0060
Grant Administration

(1) The Department and the grant recipient shall sign a grant agreement that incorporates the full application.
(2) Grant funds shall be disbursed according to the approved payment schedule of up to 75 percent upon execution of the grant agreement and the remaining percentage upon submission of a progress report, a financial expenditure worksheet including receipts, photos, a list of expenditures, a plan for the final use of the disbursement, and a site visit by ODA.  Furthermore, awardees who are seeking state inspection must have scheduled an initial consultation with ODA Food Safety.
(3) Grantees shall provide a final report documenting the results of the project as outlined in the grant agreement.
(4) Grantees shall maintain project records and shall make them available to the Department in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement.
(5) Unexpended grant funds not used by the grantee will be reverted to the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant Program for reallocation.

Statutory/Other Authority: HB 3410 (2023), ORS 561.020, ORS 561.190 & OL 2021, Chap. 537
Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 3410 (2023) & OL 2021, Chap. 537
History:
DOA 9-2025, amend filed 04/22/2025, effective 04/22/2025
DOA 7-2023, temporary amend filed 03/23/2023, effective 03/23/2023 through 09/18/2023
DOA 2-2022, adopt filed 02/04/2022, effective 02/04/2022