Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program for Fiscal Year 2027 and Guarantee Fee Rates/Loan Guarantee Percentage and Fee for Issuance of Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development mission area (RD) announces the acceptance of guaranteed loan applications under the Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program. This notice provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Loan Guarantee percentage, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans under the SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program. Should the fees need to be adjusted, the Agency will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register. These guaranteed funds will be made available to eligible lenders to make loans to eligible borrowers seeking to support a range of activities to increase and diversify the processing capacity of American Meat, Poultry, and Seafood. USDA is also making funding available for technical assistance through providers who are experts in the fields of meat, poultry, and seafood processing, and business planning.

Full Text

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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67540-67541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21858]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 27, 2026 / 
Notices

[[Page 67540]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket #: RBS-26-NONE-0562]


Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Strengthening Processing 
for US Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program for Fiscal Year 2027 and 
Guarantee Fee Rates/Loan Guarantee Percentage and Fee for Issuance of 
Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), an 
agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural 
Development mission area (RD) announces the acceptance of guaranteed 
loan applications under the Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers 
(SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program. This notice provides applicants with 
the Guarantee Fee rates, Loan Guarantee percentage, the Periodic 
Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to 
Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, to be used when 
applying for guaranteed loans under the SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program. 
Should the fees need to be adjusted, the Agency will publish a 
subsequent notice in the Federal Register. These guaranteed funds will 
be made available to eligible lenders to make loans to eligible 
borrowers seeking to support a range of activities to increase and 
diversify the processing capacity of American Meat, Poultry, and 
Seafood. USDA is also making funding available for technical assistance 
through providers who are experts in the fields of meat, poultry, and 
seafood processing, and business planning.

DATES: Completed applications may be submitted beginning October 27, 
2026. Applications will be accepted until funds are exhausted. The fees 
in this notice are effective October 1, 2027.

ADDRESSES: Full funding notice is available on Rural Development's 
website. Program guidance and application forms may be obtained at 
<a href="http://www.rd.usda.gov">www.rd.usda.gov</a>. Entities wishing to apply for assistance may download 
the application documents and requirements delineated in this notice 
from: <a href="http://rd.usda.gov/onerdguarantee">rd.usda.gov/onerdguarantee</a>. Applications will only be accepted 
electronically.
    Applicants are encouraged to contact their respective RD State 
Office for an email contact to submit an electronic application. A list 
of the USDA RD State Office contacts can be found at: <a href="http://rd.usda.gov/about-rd/state-offices">rd.usda.gov/about-rd/state-offices</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information specific to this 
notice contact Brian Wiles, Director of the Program Processing 
Division, Rural Business Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Stop 3201, Washington, DC 
20250, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a5c7d7ccc4cb8bd2ccc9c0d6e5d0d6c1c48bc2cad3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="385a4a515956164f51545d4b784d4b5c59165f574e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or 202-720-4053.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The full text of the Notice of Funding 
Opportunity (NOFO) is available on the Agency website.
    Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (Pub. L. 117-2) 
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to `` . . . make loans and 
grants and provide other assistance to maintain and improve food and 
agricultural supply chain resiliency.'' Given this authority, and 
appropriation provided for this purpose in Section 1001, Paragraph (a), 
at least $5 billion in loan level is being made available for the SPUR 
Guaranteed Loan Program beginning in FY 2027. SPUR is designed and 
implemented in a manner similar to the Business and Industry (B&I) 
Guaranteed loan program with minor changes to meet the needs of the 
American beef industry and ranchers, and guaranteed loans made under 
this program are administered under 7 CFR part 5001 (OneRD Guaranteed 
Loan Program), as amended or supplemented by the NOFO.
    The primary purpose of SPUR is to support the American Meat, 
Poultry, and Seafood Processing Industries by increasing processing 
capacity and promoting more competition in the sector, which is 
particularly vulnerable to disruption, consolidation, and 
concentration. SPUR funds will help the American protein processing 
industries diversify the Meat, Poultry, and Seafood supply chains and 
open local market opportunities. The intent is to diversify processing 
with value-added streams of business to increase resiliency and 
sustainability.
    SPUR will provide financial assistance through loan guarantees 
designed to facilitate access to affordable capital through lenders 
providing loans to entities seeking to establish, reopen, retrofit, 
expand, or improve a Meat, Poultry, or Seafood Processing facility in 
America's rural or urban areas, as there are no geographic restrictions 
for the program.
    As set forth in 7 CFR part 5001, the Agency is authorized to charge 
a guarantee fee, a periodic guarantee retention fee, a fee for the 
issuance of the loan note guarantee prior to construction completion 
and establish a loan guarantee percentage for guaranteed loans made 
under this rule. The guaranteed loan guarantee fee, annual guarantee 
service fee, and fee for the issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee prior 
to completion of construction will correspond to the fees in effect for 
the Business & Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program under OneRD. The 
lender must hold a minimum of 10 percent of the total loan amount. 
Pursuant to this and other applicable authority, and subject to the 
current appropriated authority, the Agency is establishing the 
following for FY 2027:

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                                                         Periodic          Loan        Fee for issuance of loan
              Loan type                  Guarantee       guarantee       guarantee     note guarantee prior to
                                            fee        retention fee    percentage     construction completion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPUR.................................           3%             0.55%            90                         0.5%
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[[Page 67541]]

Gimmie Jansonius,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2026-21858 Filed 10-23-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P


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