Grants / Department of Agriculture / Rural Business-Cooperative Service

RD-RBS-26-04: Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program - Phase 4

Closed Closed August 7, 2026 Opportunity RD-RBS-26-04 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: MPPEP Phase 3 Invasive Wild-Caught Catfish (RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP). Status: Closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left). It is in our archive of Rural Business-Cooperative Service notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$2.0 million
• Award floor$10,000
• Total funding$60.0 million
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, small businesses and businesses.

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

Producer-owned cooperatives Tribes Tribal Entities

More grants for nonprofits, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program awards averaged $9.0 million; this notice allows up to $2.0 million per award.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD) Rural Business‐Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), requests applications for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program - Phase 4 (the Program or MPPEP-4) - Fortifying the American Beef Industry. MPPEP-4 is authorized under Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which provides funding to make “loans and grants and provide other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.” Pursuant to this authority, USDA is making competitive grant funding available to Very Small Processors and Small Processors, and to Intermediate Processors to maximize the value and utilization of their existing capacity, with a focus on promoting local supply chains. Grant funding in the amount of $60 million is available under this Program. Funding will be divided equally into two separate competitions: one for Very Small Processors and Small Processors, and one for Intermediate Processors. Each competition will have its own ranking and award process. Cost share is required. Applicants will be required to identify sources and amounts that will make up the required cost share in the application and will need to verify cost share funding prior to final award approval. Two types of applications for each of the funding competitions will be accepted: 1. Processing Expansion Projects. Awards will range from $50,000 to $2 million to support a range of activities to increase and diversify processing capacity of American Meat and Poultry, including Equipment-only purchases over $250,000, and necessary improvements, upgrades, renovations or retrofits to an existing Facility needed to install the Equipment. A match requirement of 50 percent of the Project Cost is required for Processing Expansion Projects. 2. Simplified Equipment-Only Projects. Awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000 for projects that only request the cost of Equipment and do not include renovation, labor, installation, or certification costs. A match requirement of 25 percent of the Project Cost is required for Simplified Equipment-Only Projects. Eligible applicants for MPPEP-4 include 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, and Tribal Entities.

Category: Business and Commerce, Food and Nutrition.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.