USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP-4) – FY 2026 Funding Overview

Program Overview

The USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program – Phase 4 (MPPEP-4) provides competitive grant funding to strengthen U.S. meat and poultry processing capacity, improve supply chain resiliency, and support regional and local food systems.

Administered by the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the program is part of broader federal efforts to improve agricultural supply chain resilience under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). MPPEP-4 specifically focuses on supporting processing infrastructure that expands or improves the capacity of American meat and poultry processing facilities.

The program places particular emphasis on supporting:

• Very Small Processors
• Small Processors
• Intermediate Processors

with the goal of increasing processing flexibility, regional capacity, and market diversification across the U.S. meat industry.

Two Funding Categories Available

MPPEP-4 includes two separate competitive funding tracks:

1. Processing Expansion Projects

Awards ranging from $50,000 to $2 million support projects that increase or diversify meat and poultry processing capacity. Eligible activities may include:

• Equipment purchases
• Facility upgrades or retrofits
• Renovations needed to install equipment
• Processing infrastructure improvements

2. Simplified Equipment-Only Projects

Awards ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 support equipment-only purchases that do not include labor, installation, renovation, or certification costs.

Funding competitions are separated between:

• Very Small and Small Processors
• Intermediate Processors

Each category will have its own ranking and award process. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Why Meat Processing Infrastructure Matters

Over the past several years, supply chain disruptions exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. meat processing infrastructure, particularly around regional processing capacity and market concentration.

Programs such as MPPEP-4 are intended to strengthen processing resilience by expanding operational flexibility, improving regional infrastructure, and supporting independent processors.

Increased processing capacity can help:

• Reduce bottlenecks in livestock supply chains
• Improve producer market access
• Support local and regional food systems
• Increase operational resiliency
• Strengthen domestic food security infrastructure

Cost Sharing Requirements

Applicants must provide matching contributions based on project type:

• Processing Expansion Projects: 50% match requirement
• Simplified Equipment-Only Projects: 25% match requirement

Applicants are required to identify and document cost share sources as part of the application process.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include:

• For-profit organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• Producer-owned cooperatives
• Tribes and Tribal entities

Eligible entities must:

• Be currently engaged in primary cattle processing
• Have operated for at least one year
• Be domestically owned
• Operate under eligible USDA or state inspection programs

Certain organizations with active awards under previous MPPEP phases or related USDA meat processing programs may be ineligible.

How LEC Partners Supports Food Processing and Bioeconomy Infrastructure Projects

Processing infrastructure projects often require integrated evaluation across operations, equipment strategy, facility readiness, supply chains, financing assumptions, and long-term commercialization planning.

LEC Partners supports organizations across agriculture, industrial processing, renewable systems, and the broader bioeconomy with practical, implementation-focused technical and commercial advisory services.

• Technical and operational due diligence
• Processing facility and equipment assessment
• Supply chain and feedstock evaluation
• Project feasibility and implementation planning
• Commercialization and operational strategy
• Funding and financing support

LEC’s multidisciplinary network supports projects spanning agricultural processing, renewable fuels, biobased manufacturing, waste valorization, and industrial infrastructure development.

Questions We Often Get About MPPEP-4 Funding