Bi-weekly list of funding and learning opportunities in rural America.

Quick Links to COVID-19 Resources

Visit www.coronavirus.gov for the latest news from the CDC on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Visit www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus for the latest news from Rural Development on how we are helping our partners, customers, and stakeholders impacted by COVID-19.

Additional COVID-19 resources are featured in the categories below.

Funding Opportunities

Rural Infrastructure

Business and Industry (B&I) CARES Act Program
USDA is making available up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses meet their working capital needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, agricultural producers that are not eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency loans may receive funding under USDA B&I CARES Act Program provisions included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Webinar for Lenders and Webinar for Businesses and Producers. Application Deadline: September 15, 2021, or until funds are expended.

FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
The Federal Communications Commission is providing funding to bring high-speed, fixed broadband service to rural homes and small businesses that lack access. Application Deadline: October 22, 2020

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance
FEMA’s two mitigation grant programs provide states, local communities, tribes and territories funding for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness by reducing disaster losses and protecting life and property from future disaster damages. Application Deadline: January 29, 2021

Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
USDA Rural Development provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Application Deadline: Ongoing

FY 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs The Economic Development Administration is providing resources to economically distressed communities and regions to help finance construction, non-construction, planning, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund projects. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Quick Links to COVID-19 Resources Related to Rural Infrastructure:

• COVID-19 Rural Telehealth Factsheet
• Federal Communications Commission COVID-19 Telehealth Program
• Department of Transportation Coronavirus COVID-19 Response
• National Institute of Standards and Technology COVID-19 Resources

Economic Development

Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants
The Environmental Protection Agency offers workforce grants and encourages applicants to develop their brownfield cleanup curricula to be based on local labor market assessments and employers’ hiring needs while delivering comprehensive training that results in graduates securing multiple certifications to enter the workforce. Application Deadline: September 22, 2020

The Cooperative Education Fund
The Cooperative Development Foundation offers support for cooperative development with educational resources, sponsors research, and educational programs to strengthen and expand cooperatively owned businesses. Application Deadline: October 1, 2020. 

HRSA Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children
The Health Resources and Services Administration will fund innovative, community-based initiatives to improve the health status of infants, children, adolescents, and families in rural and other underserved communities. Application Deadline: October 6, 2020

The Rural Tech Project
U.S. Department of Education offers funding and a challenge to advance high-quality technology instruction in rural communities specific to supporting high schools and local educational agencies to develop competency-based distance learning programs. Application Deadline: October 8, 2020

Strengthening Community Colleges
U.S. Department of Labor program designed to build capacity in community colleges by collaborating with employers and the public workforce to meet labor market demands by increasing capacity, developing skills and mitigating challenges associated with the COVID-19 that necessitate social distancing practices and expanding online learning. Application Deadline: October 8, 2020

Quick Links to COVID-19 Resources to Support Rural Economic Development:

• USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
• NIH Community Interventions to Address COVID-19 Pandemic
• U.S. Department of Labor COVID-19 Resources
• Appalachian Regional Commission Coronavirus Resources
• Small Business Administration Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources
• U.S. Department of Treasury CARES Act Assistance
• Minority Business Development Agency
• Federal Reserve Bank Main Street Lending Program

Tribal-Specific

Healthy Homes Production Grant Program for Tribal Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants to identify and remediate environmental health and safety hazards in privately-owned, low-income rental, and/or owner-occupied housing. Application Deadline: August 24, 2020

Native Voices Rising Grants
Common Counsel Foundation and Native Americans in Philanthropy offers general operating support grants designed to strengthen Native-led organizations that are improving the lives of their community members. Application Deadline: August 27, 2020

Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands
The U.S. Department of Energy is providing this program to support technology on tribal lands. View the webinar and presentation slides. Application Deadline: August 27, 2020

Tribal Energy Development Capacity Grant
Bureau of Indian Affairs program seeks to develop the Tribal management, organizational and technical capacity needed to maximize the economic impact of energy resource development on American Indian and Native Alaskan land to regulate and manage their energy resources through development of organizational and business structures and legal and regulatory infrastructure. Application Deadline: September 1, 2020

BIA Grants to Tribes for Business Development Feasibility Studies
The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development , through its Native American Business Development Institute , is soliciting proposals from Tribes for technical assistance funding to hire consultants to perform feasibility studies of economic development opportunities located in designated Opportunity Zones. Application Deadline: September 15, 2020

Quick Links to COVID-19 Resources to Support Tribal Entities:

• The USDA Office of Tribal Relations Website
• Coronavirus Pandemic: FEMA Assistance for Tribal Governments
• Indian Health Service: COVID-19 Information
• HHS ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE)
• CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 Tribal Communities

Publications

Data Gems
The U.S. Census Bureau offers a series of short videos for data users who are looking for an easy and quick way to enhance their knowledge of Census data and concepts.

Regulations for Opportunity Zones and Brownfields Redevelopment
The Internal Revenue Service provides an overview of information to help local governments meet goals for sustainable and equitable development. 

How to Prepare for Natural Disasters: A Pre-Disaster Toolkit for Small to Medium-Sized Communities
U.S. EPA Urban Waters Federal Partnership toolkit designed to help small- to medium-size communities jump-start their natural disaster planning process.

Conservation at Work
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service video series consists of short videos that highlight common conservation practices. Videos spotlight farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners across the United States who tell their conservation stories, and how practices are helping them protect and improve resources and save time and money.

The Food Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report
USDA's Economic Research Service publication offers research data on USDA’s 15 domestic food and nutrition programs.

Event Opportunities

OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative Listening Session
Virtual | Wednesday, Aug 19, 2020 at 1:30 PM EDT
USDA is seeking public comment on a series of regulatory reforms known collectively as the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative. Under the initiative, USDA will eliminate duplicative processes and launch a single platform for four key loan programs.

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development
August 19 | Webinar
USDA’s NIFA offers and information session regarding the AFRI EWD Program which addresses the need for training or retraining of agricultural workforce and focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. AFRI EWD RFA.

Providing Perspective during COVID-19 Using Census Data
August 19 | Webinar
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Local Employment Dynamics Partnership in collaboration with the Council for Community and Economic Research and the Labor Market Information Institute unveil data relative to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spawning Sustainable Tourism Initiatives via Regional Collaboration
August 20 | Webinar
National Extension Tourism Design Team features Michigan State University Extension’s case study of best practices for successful collaboration, lessons learned and benefits to work regionally and produce deliverables.

Agri/Ecotourism: Put Your Surroundings to Work
August 20 | Virtual Conference
International Economic Development Council learning session to highlight how supporting agritourism and ecotourism resources will create business retention & expansion and more.

National Tribal Broadband Summit
September 21 – 25, 2020 | Virtual Summit
The Department of the Interior, in collaboration with USDA and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will showcase creative solutions to support tribal broadband development by connecting community leaders with information and resources to help identify opportunities for public and private sector solutions on tribal lands.

Newsletters, websites and emails from which we gather this information include:

• USDA Rural Development’s full Catalog of Programs
• Grants.gov
• The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• The Aspen Institute
• e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
• Pew Research Center
• Philanthropy News Digest 
• Rural LISC e-newsletter
• National Association of Development Organizations

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center

Email: rd.innovation@usda.gov | Webpage: usda.gov/rdinnovation

www.rd.usda.gov

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