Inspection Grading and Standardization
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.162
- Agency
-
Agricultural Marketing Service
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 100 $17,250,110 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Agricultural Fair Practices Act
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 12-2500-0-1-352
- 12-8015-0-7-352
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) funds cooperative agreements under Assistance Listing 10.162 (Inspection Grading and Standardization) to support state cooperators in voluntary grading and mandatory inspection services for meat, poultry, and shell egg products, with the most recent award issued October 30, 2025. The program funds state-level partnerships that enable USDA grade standards application through state-licensed employees conducting voluntary grading and auditing services for meat products and mandatory shell egg inspections. For voluntary services, the federal agency bills plants for services and reimburses states in federal trust arrangements, while states bill plants and reimburse the federal government for overhead in state trust arrangements. For mandatory shell egg inspections, the federal agency reimburses states for employee costs.
The program is actively funded and shows consistent award activity: 100 awards totaling $17.3 million have been obligated since 2021, with annual award counts ranging from 20 to 30 in recent years. In 2025, 22 awards have been made year-to-date. Cooperative Agreements dominate the assistance mix at 99 percent of all awards, with a single Project Grant representing the remainder. The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service is the sole funding source for all awards in the portfolio.
Award magnitudes vary widely based on state production and service scope. Recent awards range from $4 thousand to $1.9 million, with representative 2025 awards including $1.9 million for poultry and shell egg services, $956 thousand for poultry and shell egg services, and $244 thousand for meat grading services. Larger awards historically have supported high-volume poultry production states such as Oklahoma ($2.4 million in 2023) and Delaware ($1.5 million in 2023).
No current grant opportunity is open under this Assistance Listing. The source contains one test solicitation (TEST-PTS-S2S-FON-100) explicitly marked "DO NOT SUBMIT" and dated May 2024; this is not a live funding opportunity. Eligible applicants are owners, dealers, or cooperators in agricultural commodities located within the United States and its territories, with hatcheries and shell egg handlers required to have annual production of 3,000 or more hens. Agreement duration ranges from 1 to 2 years.
Objective and description
- Objective
To develop and apply standards of quality and condition for agricultural commodities; to participate and assist in the development of international agricultural standards; and to conduct quarterly inspections of egg handlers and hatcheries.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Any owner of or dealer in agricultural commodities who (a) has a financial interest in the commodity to be graded and (b) is located within the United States and its Territories. All hatcheries and shell egg handlers having an annual production from 3,000 or more hens who pack for the retail consumer and are located within the U.S. or its Territories.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities. Shell egg handlers having an annual production from 3,000 or more hens who pack for the retail consumer and are located in the U.S. or its Territories.
- Uses of assistance
Inspection, Grading and standardization of poultry, egg, and meat
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Duration of agreement can be 1-2 years.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Request for grading of a commodity must be submitted to local AMS grading office in writing. Eligible hatcheries apply for registration by contacting: Chief, Poultry Grading Branch, Agricultural Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.
- Award procedure
Eligible hatcheries and shell egg handlers must complete registration forms.
- Appeals
In cases in which applicants do not agree with the grade given, they may appeal for a review of the grade to the local AMS office.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 100 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department Of Agriculture Food & Forestry Oklahoma | $4,438,207 | 26% |
| 2 | Agriculture Delaware Dept | $3,371,089 | 20% |
| 3 | Texas TECH University System | $3,053,529 | 18% |
| 4 | Puerto Rico Department Of Agriculture | $1,706,306 | 10% |
| 5 | Delaware Department Of Agriculture | $1,441,988 | 8% |
| 6 | California Department Of Food & Agriculture | $434,000 | 3% |
| 7 | Conservation & Forestry. Maine Department Of Agriculture | $355,353 | 2% |
| 8 | KY Department Of Agriculture | $322,791 | 2% |
| 9 | Maryland Department Of Agriculture | $314,720 | 2% |
| 10 | NY State Agriculture & Markets | $286,579 | 2% |
10 of 28 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $7,099,098 |
| FY2025 | $886,052 |
| FY2024 | $3,239,959 |
| FY2023 | $5,909,501 |
| FY2022 | $115,500 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.162?
Assistance Listing 10.162 is Inspection Grading and Standardization, a federal grant program run by Agricultural Marketing Service (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Inspection Grading and Standardization?
Its CFDA number is 10.162: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.162 awarded?
100 grant awards under 10.162 have obligated $17,250,110 in federal funds to 28 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.162?
The recipients obligated the most under Inspection Grading and Standardization are Department Of Agriculture Food & Forestry Oklahoma ($4,438,207), Agriculture Delaware Dept ($3,371,089) and Texas TECH University System ($3,053,529).
How much did 10.162 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 10.162 obligated $886,052 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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