Innovation Matters: Funding Opportunities, Publications, Events and Learning

USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 10/20/2020 12:04 PM EDT

Innovation Matters | October 2020 | Issue 2

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

October is National Cooperative Month

USDA’s National Cooperative Month Proclamation
In recognition of the vital role that cooperatives play in improving economic opportunity and the quality of life in America, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue proclaims October 2020 as National Cooperative Month. For more information, access a video clip of USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand as she discusses the importance of cooperatives and their impact on the rural economy.

Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge

USDA Partners to Provide Rural Placemaking Technical Assistance in Regions Across
USDA has signed cooperative agreements with five organizations to support placemaking technical assistance throughout the United States. USDA is providing the assistance through the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC). The department is partnering with organizations who will help develop placemaking plans with leaders in rural communities for two years.

In This Issue:

Spotlight:

October is National Cooperative Month

Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge

Funding Opportunities

Rural Infrastructure

Economic Development

Tribal-specific

Publications

Event Opportunities

To access programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, download the COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide.

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

Multipurpose, Cleanup and Assessment Brownfield Grants
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides grants to carry out a wide range of eligible assessment, cleanup, planning and community involvement activities to support community health within an eligible area, such as a neighborhood, town, district or census tract. Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2020

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants and Guaranteed Loans
USDA Rural Development grant and loan/grant opportunities for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase, install and construct renewable energy systems or complete energy efficiency improvements, such as the installation of solar panels for hospitals or clinics, to improve energy costs. Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2020 or March 31, 2021.

Technical Assistance and Training for Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions Grant Pilot Program
USDA Rural Development grant to help develop innovative treatment solutions of regional wastewater systems in rural America. Application Deadline: Nov. 4, 2020

New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program
U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) offers tax incentives for investments in business and economic development projects in distressed rural and urban counties, including capital investments in health care facilities. Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2020

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities & Flood Mitigation Assistance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers funding for eligible activities to strengthen the nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness by reducing disaster losses and protecting life and property from future damages. Application Deadlines: Jan. 29, 2021

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

Economic Development

Capacity Building Program for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture is making grants available to assist in maintaining and expanding capacity to conduct education, research, and outreach/extension activities related to food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2020

Local Foods, Local Places
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and USDA invite communities to apply for technical assistance to help revitalize their economy, promote local foods, improve health, and protect the environment with communities revitalizing neighborhoods through development of local food systems. Application Deadline: Oct. 30, 2020.

Advanced Biofuel Payment Program
USDA Rural Development offers this program to expand the production of advanced biofuel by providing payments to eligible producers. Examples of advanced biofuel include biodiesel, ethanol (other than corn kernel), electricity and biogas produced from anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels. Application Deadline: Oct. 31, 2020

H-1B One Workforce Grant Program
U.S. Department of Labor program supports training for middle to high skilled H-1B occupations within key sectors in the U.S. economy, including information technology and cyber security, advanced manufacturing and transportation, to upskill the present workforce and train a new generation of workers to grow the future workforce. Application Deadline: Nov. 12, 2020

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is making grants available to help plan and develop integrated rural health care networks to improve efficiency; expand access coordinate, improve the quality of essential health care services, and strengthen the rural health care system. Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2020

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

Tribal-Specific

Tribal Self-Governance Program Negotiation Cooperative Agreement
Indian Health Service is making cooperative agreements available to help provide tribes the authority to manage and tailor healthcare programs in a manner that best fits the needs of their communities. Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2020

Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program
The Bureau of Reclamation provides financial and technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations and establishes cooperative working relationships to assist, develop, manage, and protect water and related resources. Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2020

Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development Division of Energy and Mineral Development Grants
Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, through its Division of Energy and Mineral Development, invites grant proposals from Tribes and Tribal Energy Development Organizations for technical assistance funding to hire consultants to identify, evaluate or assess the market for energy or mineral resources that a Tribe will process, use or develop. Application Deadline: Dec. 2, 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: Dec. 10, 2020

Indian Housing Block Grants
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for eligible Indian tribes and tribally designed housing entities to carry out affordable housing activities for benefits of low-income Native American families. Application Deadline: Dec. 10, 2020.

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

Publications

USDA Co-ops 101 Booklet
USDA offers this easy to follow publication to support cooperative development outlining how the co-op business model is highly flexible and can address a wide variety of needs including rural utility services, credit and financial services, food services, education, farmer-owned, construction, recreation, daycare and health services.

OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative Lender Guide
USDA Rural Development published a new guide to assist lenders applying for Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantee Program; Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program; Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program; and Rural Energy for America Guaranteed Loan Program under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative which streamlines the application process by implementing standardized requirements for credit reviews, loan processing, loan servicing and loss claims.

Building Native CDFIs’ Sustainability and Impact II
To meet the needs of today's Native CDFIs, the CDFI Fund partnered with ICF Incorporated, LLC and First Nations Oweesta Corporation to deliver a comprehensive technical assistance training platform for the Native CDFI industry with resources from the training series, recordings of the webinars and useful links are available in the Training and Technical Assistance section of the CDFI Fund’s website.

America’s Seed Fund: Women’s Inclusion in SBIR & SBTT Programs
The National Women’s Business Council, a non-partisan federal advisory committee created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, commissions the first comprehensive study examining the factors that may influence women’s participation in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund.

Podcast: Heroic Co-op Employees Go Above and Beyond
National Rural Economic Developers Association’s podcast episode of Along Those Lines features three riveting stories from co-op employees whose routine workdays turned into lifesaving rescue missions.

Event Opportunities

Main Street Lending Program
Oct. 21 | Webinar
This Federal Reserve Bank webinar is designed to help borrowers learn about the Main Street Lending Program and provide an opportunity for borrowers to get answers to specific questions.

OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative Lender Office Hours
Oct. 28 | Webinar
USDA Rural Development is hosting a webinar for lenders to answer questions about the new processes under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative.

Tribal Microgrids: Exploring Why and How
Oct. 28 | Webinar
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy is hosting a free webinar on tribal microgrids to share case studies and explore benefits to tribal communities to develop microgrids.

Smart Regions Innovation, Recovery, and Resilience Virtual Workshop
Oct. 29-30 | Webinar
Participants are invited to join discussions on best practices in smart regions investments and partnerships, navigating equity issues during a disaster, regional data sharing, unique issues facing rural areas, the education and health response to disasters, and a look at a more resilient future that smart region projects can help us achieve. This event is hosted by the Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC) Smart Regions Collaborative, the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, the National Association of Regional Councils, and US Ignite and sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

2020 Rural Workforce Development Southern Region Summit: Innovation in Times of Change
Nov. 5 - 6 | In-person and Virtual
Created in partnership with the University of Arkansas Rockefeller Institute, the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, and USDA Rural Development’s Innovation Center, this summit creates space for educators, businesses, legislators, health care workers, nonprofit professionals, and public servants to convene and share innovative practices or resources to address changes and needs to strengthen the rural workforce.

Building Community Capacity around Housing
Nov. 5 - 6 | Webinar
USDA’s Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement, in collaboration with the Regional Rural Development Centers offer a multi-day virtual event designed to serve as a ‘Train the Trainer’ opportunity for community development practitioners as a multi-dimensional overview of the challenges encompassing rural housing through a national lens. Meet the Trainers.

2020 Cooperative Network Annual Meeting
Nov. 17 | Virtual
The Cooperative Network welcomes all to join their annual meeting to hear from their Board and learn about proposed resolution changes.

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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