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

The National Museum of African American History and Culture Digital Resource Guide
Explore, learn and engage with the National Museum of African American History and Culture through numerous resources including online exhibitions, video archives and digital publications.

Funding Opportunities

Rural Infrastructure

Small Shipyard Grants
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT’s Maritime Administration grants funding to support improvements to qualified shipyard facilities that will be effective in fostering efficiency, and quality construction, repair, and reconfiguration. Application Deadline: Feb. 25, 2021

Small Community Air Service Development Program
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT program designed to provide financial assistance to small communities to help them enhance their air service. The Department provides this assistance in the form of grants that are disbursed on a reimbursable basis. Application Deadline: March 1, 2021

Farm Labor Housing Direct Loans and Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers low interest loans and need-based grants to construct off-farm housing for domestic year-round, migrant, seasonal, retired, and/or disabled domestic farm laborers. Federal Register. Pre-applications are required and must be sent to MFHprocessing1@usda.gov by April 1 2021; Nov. 1 2021; or Nov. 1, 2022

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Products Manufacturing Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to assist in the development, construction and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies. These technologies are advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Application Deadline: April 1, 2021

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding to construct, enlarge, or improve essential community facilities which includes qualified equipment. Application Guidebook. Transportation Guide. Loan Guarantees. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Community and Economic Development

Booker T. Washington Fellowship Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA is making the fellowship opportunity available for faculty and staff at an accredited 1890 Land-Grant University and secondary education superintendents; principals; agricultural and/or district level teachers working for 1890 Land-Grant University feeder high schools in two fellowship categories: Education and High School Education and Science. Application Deadline: March 1, 2021

Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers funding to help agricultural producers and small rural businesses develop new products from raw agricultural products or to promote new markets for established products. Electronic Application Deadline: March 16, 2021 | Paper Application Deadline: March 22, 2021

Rural Community Development Initiative
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers grants to qualified intermediary organizations to provide technical assistance and training to help nonprofit organizations and communities develop their capacity to undertake housing, community facility or economic development projects in rural areas. Application Deadline: March 22, 2021 on Grants.gov | Paper Application Deadline: March 29, 2021

Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers grants to rural communities with limited staff and resources to build the capacity needed to access USDA funding to support essential community facilities. Funds may be used to help rural communities identify financial resources, improve the management of community facilities, and prepare reports, surveys and applications. Application Deadline: March 22, 2021 on Grants.gov | Paper Application Deadline: March 29, 2021

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides grants to support education, mentoring and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. Application Deadline: March 25, 2021

Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant Program
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA is soliciting applications from eligible nonprofits and other eligible applicants to (1) assist in the development and use of innovative activities relating to water workforce development and career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, and (2) expand public awareness about drinking water and wastewater utilities and to connect individuals to careers in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector. Application Deadline: March 26, 2021

Rural Business Development Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas. Application Deadline: As determined by the State Office or through March 31, 2021

Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) Funding
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for projects that support strategic regional economic and community development planning. Covered programs reserving SECD funds in Fiscal Year 2021 are: Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program; Community Facilities Loan Guaranteed Program; Water and Waste Disposal Program Loan and Grant Program; Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees; Business & Industry Loan Guarantees; Rural Business Development Grants; and Community Connect Grants. Obligation Deadlines: June 30, 2021, for all programs except the Rural Business Development Grant Program which has a July 31, 2021 obligation deadline.

Food Safety Outreach Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture offers this program to build upon the national infrastructure to develop and implement food safety training, education, extension, outreach and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers. Application Deadline: April 1, 2021

Rural Health Care Telecommunications Program
Universal Service Administrative Company
The Telecom Program provides reduced rates to rural health care providers for telecommunications and voice services for the use of telemedicine and telehealth. Eligible services are discounted at the difference in cost between urban and rural areas in your state. Application Deadline: April 1, 2021

1890 Institution Teaching, Research & Extension Capacity Building Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture program strengthens teaching, research and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions. Application Deadline: Sept. 10, 2021

Opportunities for Tribal Communities

Phillips Fund for Native American Research
The Phillips Fund of the American Philosophical Society
Grants for research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans, in the continental United States and Canada.. Application Deadline: March 1, 2021

Udall Scholarship
Morris K Udall and Stewart L Udall Foundation
Scholarships for Native American and Alaska Native undergraduate students pursuing careers related to tribal public policy, native healthcare, and the environment. Application Deadline: March 2, 2021

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Nutrition Education Grant
U.S. Department of Agriculture 
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding to provide nutrition education for participants of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, resulting in healthier food choices and a better understanding of healthy food preparation methods. Application Deadline: March 8, 2021

Tribal HUD-VASH Expansion
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD funding for rental assistance and supportive services for Native American Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, living on or near a reservation or other Indian areas. Application Deadline: April 15, 2021

Publications and Resources

SCORE Black Entrepreneurs
SCORE, supported by the U.S Small Business Administration, celebrates Black History Month by launching a new online resource site designed to promote small business development with a comprehensive collection of resources.

A National Agricultural Library Digital Exhibit for George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver was an agricultural scientist whose importance lies in his practical work supporting African-American farmers and his advocacy for specific crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. This exhibit showcases the 38 Tuskegee Institute Experiment Station Bulletins held by NAL that he wrote during his tenure as director.

Enterprising Women of Color Initiative
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) developed Enterprising Women of Color (EWOC) to focus on the fast-expanding minority women entrepreneur population as revenue-generators for families, communities, and the nation. The vision of EWOC is to ensure women worldwide reach their economic potential. 

MBI Helps HBCUs and TCUs Navigate Distance Learning Regulations
U.S. Department of Commerce NTIA’s Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI), in partnership with the United States Distance Learning Association and the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, recently held a teleconference to brief Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities on new Department of Education distance learning regulations due to be implemented July 1, 2021.

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable's Rural Economic Development Toolkit
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable has developed this toolkit designed to help your community build and sustain an outdoor recreation economy.

Event Opportunities

National Entrepreneurship Week
Feb. 13 - 23 | Virtual
Join NatlEshipWeek for a series of free workshops. National Entrepreneurship Week, a non-partisan, congressionally-chartered initiative, was founded in 2006 and takes place the third week of February annually.

Building Resilience in Agricultural & Food Systems through Innovative and Strategic Partnerships
Feb. 17 | Virtual
Held in conjunction with USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum, this event is hosted by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) and Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area to offer attendees a dynamic forum to discuss innovative strategies to build resilience in agriculture and food systems.

Agritourism & Racial Justice in the USA
Feb. 17 | Virtual
The International Workshop on Agritourism presents this opportunity to gather and focus on the role of agritourism within the racial justice movement in the USA featuring panelists from both urban and rural perspectives will discuss the potential for farm-based education and sales of local products to serve as tools in the pursuit of racial equity and social justice in food systems.

Rural Community Development Initiative Webinar
Feb. 18 | Webinar
Join USDA to learn about grants being made available for projects to improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development in rural areas. This webinar is for potential applicants and anyone interested in learning more about the program.

USDA Consultation on Consultations and Racial Equity
March 9 and March 11 | Virtual
In March, the Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) will be consulting on the 1) Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, and the 2) Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government which specifically includes addressing impediments to accessing USDA programs and services.

Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) Workshop: Federal Training Resources to Build a Stronger Rural Workforce
March 11 | Virtual Workshop
Join USDA Rural Development and members of RWIN for the next workshop in our monthly series. In this workshop, representatives from USDA Rural Development, USDA Food and Nutrition Services and the U.S. Department of Labor will explore Federal resources that rural leaders can use to foster workforce training and skill development for individuals in their communities.

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.

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

SUBSCRIBE