USDA Opens $5 Billion SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Processors

Posted October 27, 2026
Grants USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of at least $5 billion in loan guarantees through the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program on October 23, 2026. The program aims to help American meat, poultry, and seafood processors establish, expand, and improve their processing facilities.

According to USDA, this program is focused on supporting the American meat, poultry, and seafood processing industries by increasing processing capacity and promoting more competition in a sector vulnerable to disruption and consolidation. The funds will help diversify supply chains and open local market opportunities for America’s rural and urban communities.

Below are some highlights drawn from the USDA SPUR Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):

SPUR PROGRAM TIMELINE

  • Publication Date: October 23, 2026, by the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
  • Application Submission Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until funds are depleted.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Total Grant Funding Available: At least $5,000,000,000 in loan guarantees.
  • Grant Program Purpose: To enable access to affordable capital and address the ongoing need to increase processing capacity, promote fair competition, expand market access for American producers, and diversify American processing industries.
  • Award Amounts: The maximum aggregate loan amount that a borrower may receive is $175 million. There is no minimum.
  • Guarantee Percentage: The percentage of the guarantee will be 90 percent.
  • 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.
  • A Del Fox Meats butcher moves carcass halves along the rail system to the Carcass Drawdown Cooler inside the Harvest Module.
  • Butchers transfer hanging hog carcasses along the rail system inside a Carcass Aging Cooler Module.
  • Butcher breaks down a beef carcass in the Cut and Package Module of a Friesla Meat Processing System.
  • A butcher hand-cutting fat off of beef on a table.
  • 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 brings more finished goods into The Producer Partnership's Finished Goods Freezer.

ALLOWABLE USES OF SPUR LOAN FUNDING

Funding may be used for:

  • Establishing, reopening, retrofitting, expanding, or improving a processing facility
  • Purchasing new or retrofitting existing mobile or modular processing units
  • Purchasing or upgrading machinery and equipment (including refrigeration, cold storage expansion, packaging equipment, smokers, and traceability software)
  • Purchasing or upgrading composting and waste treatment equipment
  • Purchasing or upgrading processing facilities, including real estate
  • Making necessary electrical upgrades, HVAC-related improvements, and room reconfigurations allocable to equipment installation
Exterior view of a tan Friesla Modular Meat Processing System used by The Producer Partnership for meat processing on a ranch in Montana.
An aerial view of four of the Friesla Modules connected to the Harrison Harvesting meat processing facility in Carlisle, Kentucky.
Aerial view of The Meating Place Friesla Mobile Harvest Unit in place for harvest onsite.
Butchers transfer hanging beef carcasses along the rail system inside a Carcass Aging Cooler Module.
Packaged meat after sealing in a double chamber vacuum machine.
Smokehouse, smoke truck, and tables in a Friesla Ready-to-Eat Production Module.

ELIGIBILITY

USDA describes eligible applicants as entities that are currently engaged or proposed to be engaged in the processing of meat, poultry, or seafood—under USDA or state-equivalent inspection.

Eligible applicants include:

  • For-Profit Organizations
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Producer-Owned Cooperatives
  • Indian Tribes
  • Public bodies and individuals

Applicants must:

  • Be domestically owned (a majority of the entity owned by U.S. citizens)
  • Be independently owned and operated (if a privately-owned entity)
  • Operate a facility physically located and operated in a U.S. State
  • Currently operate or propose to operate under:
  • USDA FSIS inspection, Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) Program inspection, or a State Meat and Poultry inspection program with standards at least equal to Federal inspection

INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

  • Applicants (including affiliates) that are nationally dominant in beef, pork, chicken, or turkey processing are not eligible—essentially, the “Big Four” meat packers.
  • Entities or individuals having ownership or controlling interests who are nationals of foreign adversary countries.

SPUR LOAN APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Lenders must submit complete applications electronically through the Agency online application system to be considered for loan guarantees.

Applicants and their lenders will need to provide:

  • A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov (System for Award Management)
  • A feasibility study of the proposed project, evaluating the economic, market, technical, financial, and management feasibility
  • Appraisals of collateral
  • A comprehensive lender’s credit evaluation, financial statements, and an executive summary

FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & RESOURCES FOR MEAT PROCESSORS

USDA AMS offers no-cost technical assistance to applicants to help prepare guaranteed loan applications through its Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity—Technical Assistance (MPPTA).

Technical assistance may include:

  • Business plan development for processed products
  • Strategic planning assistance
  • Financial statement development and cash flow projections
  • Supply chain and distribution innovation planning
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