- Granting Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service
- Appropriation Amount: $1,000,000
- Grant Amount: $100,000 up to $500,000
- Announcement Date: February 15, 2022
- Closing Date: April 18, 2022
Purpose: The Tribal Seafood Pandemic Response and Safety (TSPRS) Grant Program provides grants to seafood processors, including at-sea processors and dealers, owned and operated by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, as defined in the List Act of 1994.
Eligible Expenditures:
Implement workplace safety measures to protect workers against COVID-19
• Provide personal protective equipment, thermometers, cleaning supplies, sanitizer, or hand washing stations
• Installation and purchase of air filters or new signage
Implement market pivots to protect workers against COVID–19
• Develop and implement online sales platforms and associated costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees).
• Use online or print materials to communicate market pivots.
• Transition from restaurant or food service to retail markets, including costs associated with shifting from fresh to frozen products (building cold storage, purchasing new packaging, or implementing new distribution.
Retrofit Facilities for Worker and Consumer Safety to protect against COVID–19
• Installation and purchase protective barriers made of plexiglass or plastic sheeting, walk up windows, heat lamps/heaters, fans, tents, propane, weights, tables, chairs and lighting.
• Installation of new production or processing equipment required to increase social distancing.
Provide additional transportation options to maintain social distancing and worker and consumer safety to protect
against COVID-19
• Secure additional transportation services for workers.
• Offer new delivery routes or distribution services.
Provide worker housing that protects workers against COVID-19
• Secure additional housing resources/services to maintain social distancing or to allow for mandatory quarantining of newly-arrived seasonal employees, or isolation of exposed employees.
Provide health services to protect workers against COVID-19
• Offer or enable vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees, including any paid leave due to COVID-19 infection.
Eligible Applicants:
- Seafood processors, including at-sea processors and dealers, owned and operated by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, as defined in the List Act of 1994.
Additional Resources for Applicants can be found in the NOFO or at the TSPRS site. You can also contact the program at TSPRSGrants@usda.gov.