USDA Launches $60M Meat & Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP IV) Grant Funding for Beef Processors

Posted May 13, 2026
Grants USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has officially announced the availability of $60 million in grant funding for meat processors through Phase 4 of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program—MPPEP IV—with the goal of “Fortifying the American Beef Industry.”

According to USDA, this latest round of funding is focused on strengthening independent beef processing capacity across the United States, supporting competition in the American beef industry, and improving supply chain resiliency for local and regional producers.

This grant is intended to support Very Small, Small, and Intermediate Processors. USDA will divide funding equally into two separate competitions: one for Very Small Processors and Small Processors, and one for Intermediate Processors.

Butcher breaks down a beef carcass in the Cut and Package Module of a Friesla Meat Processing System.

Below are some highlights drawn from USDA, including the MPPEP IV Request for Application (RFA):

TIMELINE

  • Released May 7, 2026 by USDA Rural Development
  • Application Submission Deadline: August 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time through Grants.gov

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Total Grant Funding Available: $60,000,000
  • Funding will be divided equally into two separate competitions:
    • Very Small & Small Processors
    • Intermediate Processors
  • Grant Program Purpose: Per USDA, to help processors “maximize the value and utilization of their existing capacity, with a focus on promoting local supply chains”
  • Two project types are available under MPPEP IV:
    • Processing Expansion Projects:
      • Award Amounts: $50,000 to $2,000,000
      • Match Requirement: 50% of total project cost
      • Supports facility improvements, equipment purchases, renovations, retrofits, and processing expansion activities
    • Simplified Equipment-Only Projects:
      • Award Amounts: $10,000 to $250,000
      • Match Requirement: 25% of total project cost
      • Limited to equipment-only purchases
      • Does not include labor, installation, renovation, or certification costs
  • Project Completion Deadline:
    • Up to 36 months for Processing Expansion Projects
    • Up to 24 months for Simplified Equipment-Only Projects
  • Applicants should begin SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations early, as registration delays can impact submission eligibility

ELIGIBILITY

USDA describes eligible applicants as “entities that are currently engaged in the Primary Processing of cattle for commercial markets or toll process and have been in business for at least one year.”

Eligible applicants include:

  • For-Profit Organizations
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Producer-Owned Cooperatives
  • Tribes & Tribal Entities

Applicants must:

  • Meet the USDA definition of:
    • Very Small Processor
    • Small Processor
    • Intermediate Processor
  • Be independently owned and operated
  • Be domestically owned
  • Operate a facility physically located within a U.S. state (including the 50 U.S. States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands)
  • Currently operate under:
    • USDA FSIS inspection
    • Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program inspection
    • State Meat & Poultry Inspection programs equal to federal inspection standards

INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applicants that are nationally dominant in beef, pork, chicken, or turkey processing are not eligible. Entities are also not eligible if they currently have an active award under:

  • MPPEP Phase 1
  • MPPEP Phase 2
  • MPPEP Phase 3
  • USDA AMS Local Meat Capacity Grants Program
  • USDA AMS Meat & Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program

USDA defines an “active award” as one where the grant period of performance has not yet ended.

ALLOWABLE USES OF MPPEP IV GRANT FUNDING

Processing Expansion Projects

Funding may be used for:

  • Equipment purchases exceeding $250,000
  • Facility improvements
  • Facility upgrades
  • Renovations
  • Retrofitting existing facilities
  • Capacity expansion projects
  • Infrastructure improvements necessary to install equipment
Aerial view of BRK Meats property including outbuildings, pen system, and a Friesla Modular Meat Processing System in Tenaha, Texas.
A top-down aerial view of the Harrison Harvesting facility and Modules in Carlisle, Kentucky.
A tan Friesla Modular Meat Processing System setup for Producer Partnership in Montana
Aerial view of The Meating Place Friesla Mobile Meat Harvest Unit onsite at Top Valley Cattle Co. property.
Aerial view of the MTXBeef site with a Friesla Modular Meat Processing System.

Simplified Equipment-Only Projects

Funding may be used strictly for:

  • Equipment purchases only

These projects may not include:

  • Renovation costs
  • Labor costs
  • Installation costs
  • Certification costs

All funded activities should support increasing or improving existing beef processing capacity.

Butcher splitting a beef carcass with a bandsaw in a Friesla Harvest Module.
Butcher using bandsaw to cut beef carcass into ribs.
Butcher dumping ground beef into a grinder.
Two butchers stuffing and weighing bags of ground beef.
An employee pushing a smoke truck through the double doors of a Friesla Ready-to-Eat Production Module.
Butcher operating a packaging machine full of steaks ready to be vacuum sealed.

RELEVANT FRIESLA SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

  • A team of butchers removing the hide from a beef carcass on a skinning cradle in a Friesla Harvest Module.
  • Butcher using a bandsaw to split a beef carcass in the Harvest Room of a Friesla Harvest Module.
  • Butcher pushing a beef carcass half on the rail system of the Carcass Drawdown Cooler Room in a Friesla Harvest Module.
  • Butcher arranges beef carcasses in a Modular Carcass Aging Cooler.
  • Butchers break, cut, and package beef carcasses in the Cut and Package Module of a Friesla Meat Processing System.
  • Butcher using bandsaw to portion beef into steaks.
  • Butcher pulls vacuum-packaged steaks from a double chamber vacuum sealer in a Friesla Cut and Package Module.
  • Slots in a packaging machine filled with pieces of beef jerky.
  • Butcher moves packaged meat into a Friesla Finished Goods Freezer for frozen storage.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING

Applicants must:

  • Be actively engaged in primary cattle processing
  • Have operated their business for at least one year
  • Demonstrate project cost share funding
  • Identify cost share sources within the application
  • Verify matching funds prior to award approval

Applicants will also need:

FREE GRANT SUPPORT, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & RESOURCES FOR MEAT PROCESSORS

USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity—Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program offers no-cost technical assistance to applicants throughout the grant process—from pre-application planning to post-award grant management.

Technical assistance may include:

  • Federal grant navigation
  • Business planning
  • Feasibility studies
  • Grant writing
  • Supply chain planning
  • Facility expansion planning

This free support is available through USDA’s network of Technical Assistance providers, which includes organizations like Flower Hill Institute and the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN).

USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) also provides additional MPPEP IV resources online, including FAQs, application forms, and agency contact information. Applicants may also submit questions directly to USDA at mppep@usda.gov. 

Applicants should review the full USDA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for complete eligibility requirements and application details.

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