The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program - Phase 4 (MPPEP-4) provides competitive grant funding to fortify the American beef industry by expanding processing capacity and promoting local supply chains. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service, this program supports Very Small, Small, and Intermediate Processors currently engaged in the primary processing of cattle.

Funding and Benefits

USDA has made $60 million in total grant funding available for this program. The funding is divided equally into two separate competitions: one for Very Small Processors and Small Processors, and one for Intermediate Processors. Each competition follows its own ranking and award process.

Two types of projects are accepted:

• Processing Expansion Projects: Awards range from $50,000 to $2 million. These support activities to increase and diversify processing capacity, including equipment-only purchases over $250,000 and necessary improvements, upgrades, renovations, or retrofits to an existing facility. A 50 percent match of the total project cost is required.
• Simplified Equipment-Only Projects: Awards range from $10,000 to $250,000.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include entities currently engaged in the primary processing of cattle for commercial markets or toll processing that have been in business for at least one year. The following organization types may apply:

• For-profit organizations (must be independently owned and operated)
• Small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status
• Producer-owned cooperatives
• Tribes and Tribal entities

All applicants must be domestically owned. The applicant’s facility must be physically located and operating in a state and must be currently operating under a FSIS grant of inspection, a grant of inspection under a Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program, or a State Meat and Poultry inspection program with standards at least equal to federal inspection.

Ineligible applicants include entities with an active federal award through MPPEP Phase 1, 2, or 3, the USDA AMS Local Meat Capacity Grants program, or the USDA AMS Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant program. Applicants that are nationally dominant in beef, pork, chicken, or turkey processing—characterized as holding a market share equal to or greater than the entity holding the fourth largest share—are also ineligible.

Application Process

Applicants must identify sources and amounts for the required cost share in the application. Cost share funding must be verified prior to final award approval. Application templates and checklists are available for both Processing Expansion Projects and Simplified Equipment-Only Projects.

Applications are submitted through Grants.gov. The funding opportunity number is RD-RBS-26-04.

Deadline and Timeline

Deadline: August 7, 2026

Posted Date: May 7, 2026

Archive Date: September 6, 2026

Contact Information

For program-specific questions, contact MPPEP Staff via email at mppep@usda.gov.

Additional information is available on the MPPEP 4 Website.