The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) working with the Oregon Department of Agriculture has provided an investment of $1,532,089 in grants to support Oregon
- seafood processors,
- processing facilities and
- processing vessels
through the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program (SPRS).
The purpose of the funding is to assist eligible applicants who had expenses between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021 in response to
- preparing for,
- preventing exposure to,
- and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic for seafood processing facilities and processing vessels.
The Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program is authorized and funded under Title VII, subtitle B, Section 751 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Under Section 751, the Secretary can provide grants to seafood processing facilities and processing vessels to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against COVID-19.
Eligible beneficiaries
Seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, including at-sea processors or dealers.
Processor means the owner, operator, dealer, or agent responsible for any activity that changes the physical condition of a fisheries resource suitable for human consumption, retail sale, industrial uses, or long-term storage, including cooking, canning, smoking, salting, drying, shucking, filleting, freezing, or rendering into meal or oil.
Any owner, operator, dealer, or agent exclusively gutting, gilling, heading, or icing seafood without performing any of the above activities is not considered a processor.
At-sea processor means a vessel or other platform that floats and can be moved from one location to another, whether in State waters or water of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), receiving fish and operating as a processor.
Dealer means an entity that first receives fish by way of purchase and sells directly to restaurants, markets, other dealers, processors, or consumers without substantially altering the product.
Eligible reimbursements
Workplace safety measures: Workplace safety measures, including, but not limited to, personal protective equipment, sanitizer, hand washing stations, air filters, thermometers, cleaning supplies, or similar items.
Market pivots: Market pivots such as transition to virtual/online sales costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees), supplies, new signage.
Retrofitting facilities: Retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety (retrofitting harvester vessels for onboard vessel processing to maximize open-air activities, plexiglass, walk up windows, heat lamps, fans, tents, propane, weights, tables, chairs).
Transportation: Additional transportation costs incurred to maintain social distancing.
Worker housing: Additional worker housing costs incurred to maintain social distancing or to allow for quarantining of new or exposed employees.
Medical: Unreimbursed costs associated with providing or enabling vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees, including any paid leave.
Timeline
- Application opens: June 23, 2022
- Applications due: August 12, 2022
- Estimated reimbursements: October 2022
Completed applications and all necessary documents with proof of payment between January 27, 2020 - December 31, 2021 must be received by August 12, 2022.
Financial management and integrity plan
- ODA will review all applications received by the application deadline to ensure all requested documents have been submitted and confirm that the requested expenses conform to the program’s eligibility criteria.
- Based on the availability of funds, ODA will reimburse fully up to an established minimum payment of eligible expenses, and then reimburse a pro-rated portion of eligible expenses above the minimum payment based on the ratio of remaining funds to eligible expenses.
- Once the reimbursement is calculated, applications will be submitted to the ODA program director for review and approval.
- Approved applications will be submitted to the ODA financial services office to process the reimbursement request and payment will be mailed to the applicant.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) will require applicants to be registered to do business in Oregon. All reimbursements will be conditioned upon the applicant’s submission of a complete application, attestation, and the department’s review and approval.
Costs incurred outside the eligibility period are not allowed. Only the recognized ODA authorized signature on the application can bind the ODA to the expenditure of funds.
ODA reserves the right to:
- Deny ineligible expenses.
- Waive or modify minor irregularities in an application after prior confirmation with the applicant.
- Provide partial reimbursement pending availability of funds.
- Require return or refund of monies for ineligible or fraudulent expenditures.
Financial reconciliations
ODA may audit or otherwise review the documents and information evidencing an eligible request for reimbursement. For this purpose, the applicant must retain expense receipts, employee timesheets, invoices, and any other supporting documents and provide when requested by ODA.
Records retention
Applicants who are approved and receive reimbursement shall retain all records relating to the reimbursement for a period of six years or until final resolution of any audit finding or litigation.
Steps to apply
You must include:
- Application form
- Expense detail sheet
- W-9 form
FTP instructions- Visit https://files.oda.state.or.us/?login=SeafoodProcessors
- Complete the input form, providing your full name, email address and phone number.
- Upload completed application form, expense detail sheet and W-9 form by dragging documents into the upload box, or select the documents from a file on your computer.
- Include in the comment box a brief explanation of why you are sending the files to ODA.
- Click on the “Begin Upload” button.
- “File has been successfully sent” message will appear on confirmation page after files are uploaded.
Postal mail
Alternatively, you may mail completed application materials to:
Attn: Erick Garman
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Development & Marketing Program
635 Capitol St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Please do NOT email application materials.
Application materials
Formulario W-9 en español
Solicitud y Certificación del Número de Identificación del Contribuyente Formulario W-9
Programa de subvenciones a los procesadores de marisco: Hoja de detalle de gastos
Seafood expense detail sheet (Spanish) Hoja de detalle de gastos
Programa de Subvenciones para Procesadores de Mariscos: Solicitud e instrucciones
Application and instructions (Spanish) Solicitud e instrucciones
W-9 Form in English
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification W-9 form