Innovation Matters: Funding Opportunities, Publications, Events and Learning

USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 04/06/2021 02:07 PM EDT

Innovation Matters - April 2021 - Issue 1

Listing of funding opportunities, events and resources in rural America.

Spotlight Opportunity

USDA Seeks Public Input to Help Create a New Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program
USDA announced it is requesting public input from interested parties, including potential customers and interested stakeholders, to help create a new Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program.

Register to Attend the Public Listening Session on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
Submit Written Comments by Thursday, April 29, 2021.

Join the mailing list to receive Innovation Matters from the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center.

Funding Opportunities for Rural Infrastructure

Infrastructure & Capacity Building Challenge Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities
This funding is available to strengthen the institutional base of the humanities by enabling infrastructure development and capacity building Capital Projects support the design, purchase, construction, or renovation of facilities which includes telecommunications, and energy management. Digital Infrastructure projects support the maintenance, modernization, and sustainability of existing digital scholarly projects and platforms. Application Deadlines: May 18, 2021 and Sept. 28, 2021

Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development is making grants available to increase access to education, training and health care resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable. Application Deadline: June 4, 2021

Telecommunications Infrastructure Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for loans and loan guarantees to build or update broadband and telephone infrastructure in rural areas where financing can be used for the construction, improvement, or expansion of telecommunications infrastructure serving rural areas with a population of 5,000 or less. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development grants for eligible communities to prepare for or recover from an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers 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

Electric Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantee Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers loans and loan guarantees to finance the construction of electric distribution, transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements and replacement required to furnish and improve electric service in rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Bureau of Health Workforce grants to develop and expand experiential training opportunities to increase the supply of students preparing to become peer support specialists and other behavioral health paraprofessionals. Application Deadline: April 12, 2021

DOL Grants for State Apprenticeship Programs
U.S. Department of Labor
This program offers funding for new or expanded Registered Apprenticeship Programs that train individuals aged 16 years and older that will adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Application Deadline: April 26, 2021

Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding for community-based outreach education and extension programs at land-grant colleges and universities that provide individuals and families based in rural areas with information on health, wellness, and prevention. Projects should utilize telehealth, telemedicine, and distance learning strategies for education and training in minority rural communities related to opioids, preventing spread of COVID-19, and/or mitigating infection and transmission of COVID-19. Application Deadline: Apr 29, 2021

Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA announced that it is making an additional $35 million available this year in the VAPG program to support agricultural producers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended Online Application Deadline: April 29, 2021 on Grants.gov | Extended Paper Application Deadline: May 4, 2021

Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding to implement food projects designed to meet the needs of low-income individuals and increase community self-reliance concerning food and nutrition. Application Deadline: May 4, 2021

Environmental Justice Small Grants Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This program offers funding to improve the environment and public health conditions of low-income communities and communities of color through the advancement of racial equity and environmental justice. Application Deadline: May 7, 2021

Training and Technical Assistance for Wastewater Treatment Works for the Prevention, Reduction, and Elimination of Pollution
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This program offers funding for training and technical assistance to rural, small and Tribal publicly owned wastewater treatment works and decentralized wastewater treatment systems for the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution. Application Deadline: May 17, 2021

Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants for training and deployment of community health workers to build and strengthen community resilience to fight COVID-19 in geographic areas and populations that experience health disparities. Application Deadline: May 24, 2021

Rural Business Development Grants – Transportation Systems
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development is making grants available to improve rural transportation systems. Application Deadline: June 30, 2021

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers opportunities for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase, install and construct renewable energy systems or complete energy efficiency improvements. REAP loan guarantees are streamlined under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative. Application Deadline for Loan Guarantees: Ongoing

Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loans to entities that agree to make affordable loans to help consumers implement cost-effective, energy efficiency measures to lower energy bills for rural families and businesses and reduce barriers to investment in energy efficiency projects or activities. Application Deadline: Open

Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers competitive funding to utilities that will relend the funds for local economic development efforts: The funding may be used to assist with business start-up and expansion costs; business incubators; feasibility studies; advanced telecommunications and computer networks for medical, educational, and job training services; and community facilities that spur economic development. Application Deadline: Open

SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development funding for financially distressed rural communities of less than 2,500 people to assist with feasibility studies, design assistance and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects. Application Deadline: Open

Water and Waste Disposal Pre-development Planning Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers grants to help low-income, rural communities with the initial planning and development of applications for their Water and Waste Disposal loan/grant and loan guarantee programs. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities

Renewable Energy Online Learning
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs offers a free online curriculum for Tribal leaders and professionals on developing and financing renewable energy projects on tribal lands. Technical assistance is also available. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Notah Begay III Foundation Community Empowerment Grants
Notah Begay III Foundation
This program offers Native American communities grants for community-led, culturally-rooted programs that promote physical activity, nutrition and cultural connections. Application Deadline: April 12, 2021

Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building Grants
U.S. Department of Justice
National Institute of Justice funding to support research involving federally recognized tribes and tribal-based organizations on issues of crime and justice, with research priorities including alcohol, opioids, and other substance abuse and violent crime. Application Deadline on Grants.gov: April 12 | Application Deadline on JustGrants: April 26, 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

Tribal Climate Resilience Grants and Ocean and Coastal Management Planning Grants
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Trust Services offers grants to build tribal resilience with ocean and coastal management planning supporting tribes as they prepare for climate change impacts on tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and safety. Application Deadline: April 23, 2021

Publications and Resources

USDA Smart Utilities Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Development offers entities an opportunity to use up to 10 percent of a loan, grant or loan guarantee to build, improve or acquire rural broadband facilities and equipment in areas not served by a minimum acceptable level of broadband service which is 25 megabits downstream and 3 megabits upstream for both mobile and fixed service. This final rule is authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (The 2018 Farm Bill). See additional information in the Federal Register.

Conservation Technical Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service works with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to help them boost agricultural productivity and protect our natural resources. Landowners can apply to participate in programs that provide technical guidance and financial assistance that support conservation and that may include the use of technology equipment for connectivity and broadband.

U.S. Forest Service Special Use Permits
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) receives thousands of individual and business applications for authorization for use yearly on FS land for such activities as water transmission, agriculture, outﬁtting and guiding, recreation, telecommunication, research, photography and video productions, and granting road and utility rights-of-ways. FS lands contribute to our Nation’s telecommunications needs by authorizing uses that provide critical services to rural communities.

DOE Announces Goal to Cut Solar Costs by More than Half by 2030
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE announced a new target to cut the cost of solar energy by 60 percent within the next ten years and offers over $120 million in funding opportunities to lower costs, improve performance and speed the deployment of solar energy technologies. Learn more on the current and new funding streams.

The Digital Divide: What Is It, Where Is It, and Federal Assistance Programs
Congressional Research Service
This report on the Digital Divide in the United States was updated on March 9, 2021, and describes the availability of broadband by state and across urban, rural, and tribal areas.

Event Opportunities

Building a Resilient Community Using Distributed Energy Resources
April 7-8 | Virtual Workshop
U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office offers this opportunity for participants to learn how solar energy and distributed energy resources can contribute to resilient communities and to discuss key areas for future research and development.

Main Street Now: Renew Recharge Reimagine Conference
April 12-14 | Virtual Conference
Main Street America offers a three day conference filled with immersive online content and networking opportunities providing attendees the opportunity to reflect on how the events of the past year have changed our work and how we can rebuild stronger, more equitable Main Streets for the future.

ReConnect Regulation Webinar
April 14 | Webinar
USDA Rural Development is hosting this webinar to help stakeholders learn more about the ReConnect Program and a final rule that USDA is seeking comments on to help expand broadband access in Rural America.

BroadbandUSA Webinar Series: NTIA Broadband Grant Programs
Various Dates | Webinar Series
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) offers dedicated webinars covering their 3 new broadband grant programs: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and The Connecting Minority Communities Program. To learn a brief overview of each new program, view this previously recorded webinar on the NTIA YouTube channel. Transcripts and slides are available on BroadbandUSA website.

Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants Program

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grants Program

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

Rural Assembly Everywhere: The Road to Repair
April 20-21 | Virtual Conference
The Rural Assembly offers an opportunity for participants to connect and learn with rural experts, leaders and culture-bearers.

Quick Links to COVID-19 Recovery Resources

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
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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