Programming Requests Of Beef Checkoff Now Open

DENVER, Colo. - The Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) invites all eligible beef industry organizations to submit funding requests for programs and projects for the upcoming fiscal year 2026, which begins October 1, 2025. Requests must be in the form of an Authorization Request (AR). Multiple program areas are eligible for funding.

By law, the Beef Checkoff--through their administrative body, the Cattlemen's Beef Board--contracts with national, non-profit, beef industry-governed organizations to carry out promotion, research and education work as directed in the Beef Promotion & Research Act and Order.

As outlined by the Beef Promotion and Research Order, eligible groups that may contract with the Beef Checkoff are established national nonprofit industry-governed organizations that:

•are nonprofit organizations pursuant to sections 501(c) (3), (5) or (6) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c) (3), (5) and (6)); and

•are governed by a national board of directors representing the cattle or beef industry; and

•have been active and ongoing for at least two years.

Organizations must submit a first-round draft of an Authorization Request to the CBB by Monday, June 2, 2025. At the 2025 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, California, July 7-9, organizations will have the opportunity to present their specific plans and funding requests to various Beef Checkoff Program Committees. This valuable process allows producers and importers to provide input on Checkoff-funded programs, build programs free of redundancy, and achieve the strategies outlined in the Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP).

The number of Beef Checkoff contracting organizations changes from year to year, as does the available amount of funding, which is based on the annual Checkoff collection. As an example, for the current fiscal year 2025, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved eight contractors to conduct Beef Checkoff work.

If your qualified organization is interested in submitting an Authorization Request to the Cattlemen's Beef Board for the upcoming 2026 fiscal year, contact Sara Arp, CBB Sr. Director of Operations, by Monday, May 19, 2025 at 303-220-9890 or sarp@beefboard.org.

•The deadline for first-draft Authorization Requests is Monday, June 2, 2025.

•Final-draft Authorization Requests must be received by the CBB office by Monday, July 21, 2025, to be considered by the BPOC.

Learn more about the funding process and the Beef Checkoff here.

Please note: Authorization Requests must specify estimated costs of all activities that will be conducted throughout the program, and expenses are reimbursed on a cost-recovery basis. Organizations are not provided funds in advance, but are reimbursed for actual, approved expenses already incurred (excluding project mark-ups/profits).

ABOUT THE BEEF CHECKOFF

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Source: Beef Checkoff news release