usda-rd-mpep-phase4-processing-expansion-application-template-04242026.docx
This is an application template for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase 4 (MPPEP 4), a competitive grant program administered by USDA Rural Development with $60 million in total funding divided equally between two separate competitions: one for Very Small and Small Processors, and one for Intermediate Processors. The Funding Opportunity Number is RD-RBS-26-04-MPPEP. Applicants must submit complete applications including typed project narratives (maximum 20 pages, single-spaced, 11-point font) along with all required federal forms and supporting documentation. Awards for Processing Expansion Projects range from $50,000 to $2 million and require a 50 percent cost share match, while Simplified Equipment-Only Projects range from $10,000 to $250,000 with varying match requirements. Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, nonprofits, producer-owned cooperatives, tribes, and tribal entities that are independently and domestically owned, currently operating under USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, Cooperative Interstate Shipment, Federal-State Cooperative Inspection, state meat and poultry inspection, or voluntary USDA FSIS inspection.
The application template requires applicants to provide detailed information across seven sections: applicant and project information, performance metrics, labor and safety violation history, and merit evaluation responses covering alignment and intent (20 points), market impact and opportunities (20 points), financial viability (20 points), technical merit and achievability (20 points), labor and personnel (8 points), community impact and support (7 points), and prior assistance (5 points). Required appendices include letters of support, tribal resolutions if applicable, business plans with three-year pro forma financial statements, customer demand letters, current financial documents, key personnel credentials, and evidence of cost-sharing sources. Applicants must certify they are not in the top four processors nationally for beef, pork, chicken, or turkey; do not source more than 20 percent of inputs from top-four processors; do not provide more than 20 percent of outputs to top-four processors; have active System for Award Management registration; and have no debarment, suspension, or adverse credit history. The project must address processing capacity constraints, producer benefits, animal procurement plans, market demand, financial viability improvements, technical feasibility with detailed work plans and budgets, worker compensation and safety enhancements, and community support.
195KB Document 5/7/26 MPPEP4 NOFO FINAL.pdf
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase 4 (MPPEP-4), administered by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. The program provides $60 million in competitive grant funding divided equally between two separate competitions: one for Very Small Processors and Small Processors, and another for Intermediate Processors. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on August 7, 2026, with anticipated awards on October 22, 2026. The program authorizes two types of projects: Processing Expansion Projects ranging from $50,000 to $2 million requiring 50% cost sharing, and Simplified Equipment-Only Projects ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 requiring 25% cost sharing. The maximum period of performance is 36 months for Processing Expansion Projects and 24 months for Simplified Equipment-Only Projects.
Eligible applicants are entities currently engaged in primary processing of cattle for commercial markets or toll processing that have operated for at least one year and hold either FSIS federal inspection or equivalent state inspection. Applicants must be very small, small, or intermediate processors; independently owned and operated; domestically owned; and operating in a U.S. state or territory. Ineligible applicants include those with active awards from prior MPPEP phases, those headquartered in foreign adversary countries, entities with market dominance equal to the fourth-largest processor, and those with significant federal or state violations. Allowable uses of funds include equipment purchases, facility improvements necessary for equipment installation, waste management systems, training, workforce safety measures, and marketing targeted to local producers and consumers. Unallowable uses include research and development, real property purchase or lease, vehicle purchases (except mobile processing units), new facility construction, routine maintenance, and costs exceeding 20% thresholds related to top four processors. Applications will be evaluated on alignment with program goals, market impact, financial viability, technical merit, labor conditions, and community support, with applications ranked and funded based on merit scores up to 110 points.
634KB PDF 5/7/26 usda-rd-mpep-phase4-simplified-equipment-checklist-04242026.pdf
This document is an application checklist for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) Phase 4 grant, specifically for simplified equipment-only projects administered by USDA Rural Development.
Applicants must submit the following documentation: Form SF 424 (Application for Federal Assistance), Form SF 424-B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs), and optionally Form AD-2106 (USDA Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire), all available on grants.gov. The project narrative requires completion of the recommended application template per Section 4.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), along with letters of support from state, local, or tribal leadership where the project will be located. If the project is on tribal lands and the applicant is not a tribe member or tribe-owned entity, a tribal resolution of consent is required. Supporting materials must include letters of commitment or interest from existing customers demonstrating demand for the proposed project. Financial documentation requirements include current balance and income statements dated within 90 days of application submission, plus three years of projected financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement) with detailed assumptions and grant fund integration. Applicants must also provide key personnel information detailing names, project roles, credentials, and years of experience, and if applicable, paid preparer information including the grant writer's name, business name, physical address, email, and phone number. Prior to application submission, all applicants must obtain a UEI from SAM.gov, register with SAM.gov, and create a Grants.gov account.
150KB PDF 5/7/26 usda-rd-mpep-phase4-simplified-equipment-application-template-04242026.docx
This is an application template for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program Phase 4 (MPPEP 4) Simplified Equipment-Only projects, identified by Funding Opportunity Number RD-RBS-26-04-MPPEP. The template guides applicants through the required submission process for grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 for equipment purchases without facility renovation or construction. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov with all required federal forms and supporting documentation. The project narrative is limited to 20 pages, single-spaced, 11-point font, and must address all eligibility and evaluation criteria or face rejection.
Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, nonprofits, producer-owned cooperatives, tribes, and tribal entities that are independently owned, domestically owned, and engage in meat and poultry primary processing under USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, Cooperative Interstate Shipment, or state inspection programs. Very Small Processors have 10–500 employees; Intermediate Processors have 500–3,000 employees. Applicants must not hold a market share equal to or greater than the fourth largest processor nationally and cannot source more than 20 percent of inputs or provide more than 20 percent of outputs to top-four processors. Merit evaluation awards points across six categories: Alignment and Intent (20 points), Operation Constraints (20 points), Market Development (20 points), Financial Sustainability and Business Operations (20 points), Producer Benefits (15 points), and Prior Assistance (5 points). Required appendices include letters of support, tribal resolutions if applicable, customer demand letters, financial documents with three-year projections, key personnel information, and paid preparer disclosure. Applicants must certify compliance with labor laws, food safety standards, regulatory requirements, and System for Award Management registration, with cost sharing required at 25–50 percent of total project costs.
183KB Document 5/7/26 usda-rd-mpep-phase4-processing-expansion-checklist-04242026.pdf
This document is an application checklist for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) Phase 4 grant, administered by USDA Rural Development.
Applicants must submit the following documentation: three federal forms (SF 424, SF 424-B, and optional AD-2106), a completed project narrative using the recommended application template, and supporting materials including letters of support from state or local leadership and a tribal resolution of consent if applicable. Required supporting documents include a comprehensive business plan describing business goals and achievability with pro forma financial statements, letters of commitment or interest from existing customers, current financial statements dated within 90 days of application submission, three years of projected financials with balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements including assumptions and grant fund integration, key personnel information with credentials and experience, and paid preparer information if applicable. Before submitting an application through Grants.gov, applicants must complete three pre-application actions: obtain a UEI from SAM.gov, register with SAM.gov, and create a Grants.gov account. The checklist references the MPPEP Phase 4 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Section 4.2 for detailed formatting instructions and requirements.
152KB PDF 5/7/26