Happy Thanksgiving from the USDA Rural Development Family   

We are grateful to serve the Rural Families of America!

Funding

Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure

Save America’s Treasures
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund offers this grant designed to preserve history. Application Deadline: 12/20/2022

Meat and Poultry Intermediary Expansion Program (MPILP)
USDA Rural Development provides grant funding to nonprofit intermediary lenders who finance, or plan to finance, the start-up, expansion, operation of slaughter or other processing of meat and poultry. Application Deadline: 12/31/2022

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency grants support pre-disaster mitigation activities to build capacity to help identify mitigation actions and implement projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards. Application Deadline: 1/27/2023

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants and Guaranteed Loans
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding for agriculture producers and rural small businesses to purchase, install, and construct renewable energy systems or complete energy efficiency improvements. Application Deadline: 3/31/2023

Emergency Rural Health Care Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development Track One: Recovery Grants provide immediate relief to address the economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency. Application Deadline: Until funds are exhausted

Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees
USDA Rural Development offers financial assistance to eligible service providers that will construct, improve or expand telecommunication and broadband networks in rural areas. Application Deadline: Open

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Community Placemaking Grants
Project for Public Spaces
These grants enable select locations to address inequalities of access by working directly with stakeholders to transform underperforming public spaces or to co-create new ones. Check if your rural location is eligible here. Application Deadline: 11/28/2022

Thriving Communities Program (TCP)
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT’s Build America Bureau program facilitates the planning and development of transportation and community revitalization activities and provides tools to ensure that under-resourced communities can access the historic funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Letter of Interest (Required): 12/6/2022

Historic Preservation Fund - Semiquincentennial Grants
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund grant to support the physical preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources associated with the founding of America as a nation in commemoration of the country's semiquincentennial (250th anniversary). Funded projects will preserve National Register listed, State owned, cultural resources related to the founding of the nation. Application Deadline: 12/6/2022

Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP) U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture funds this program to link producers, communities, schools and youth in support of healthier food choices and increased knowledge of agriculture. Application Deadline: 12/8/2022 USDA Regional Food Business Centers U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Agricultural Marketing Service program serves as the cornerstone of USDA’s development of local and regional supply chains offering funds for coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized food and farm businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system. Request for Applications & FAQs in Spanish. Application Deadline: 12/15/2022 (Extended) The Fertilizer Product Expansion Program U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development offers grants to help eligible applicants increase or otherwise expand the manufacturing and processing of fertilizer and nutrient alternatives and their availability in the United States. Webinar Slides. Application Deadlines: 12/29/2022 Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development provides grant funding to intermediary lenders who finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of slaughter, or other processing of meat and poultry. Application Deadline: 12/31/2022

Solid Waste Management Grants U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development offers funds to organizations to provide technical assistance and/or training to improve the planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Application Deadline: 12/31/2022 Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development provides funds for organizations that assist communities with water and/or wastewater operations through technical assistance and training. Application Deadline: 12/31/2022 Walmart Foundation Community Grant Program The Walmart foundation offers grants to support local needs in their service area. Application Deadline: 12/31/2022 AmeriCorps State and National Grants AmeriCorps Funding for programs that are designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems, including those found in rural and underserved areas. Application Deadline: 1/4/2023 The New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program) U.S. Treasury Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) helps economically distressed communities attract private capital by providing investors with a Federal tax credit. Investments used to finance businesses, breathing new life into neglected, underserved low-income communities. Fact Sheets: English / Español. NMTC Program presentation. Application Deadline: 1/25/2023

Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service designed this program to improve the quality of school meals by strengthening access to nutritious food products. The grants will support schools’ ability to access a wider variety of healthy, appealing products and promote innovation by food producers and suppliers, including local producers and small and disadvantaged businesses. Application Deadline: 2/1/2023. AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Senior Demonstration Program AmeriCorps Funding for demonstration projects that engage adults ages 55 and older, using service opportunities, certification, training, and mentoring as the avenue that will lead to employment in skilled, professional, and/or para-professional career employment. Public health is a focus area, and rural communities are a priority. Application Deadline: 2/1/2023

Investing in Rural Communities through SECD

USDA Rural Development’s Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) Program supports projects that promote and implement strategic community investment plans.

Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities

Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples Community Vitality Grants
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Inc.
These grants support projects that are rooted in relationship to land, healing, cultural revitalization, honoring elder and youth relationships and nurturing cultural transmission strategies. Application Deadline: 12/7/2022

Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples: Thriving Women Program
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Inc.
These grants support grassroots projects to empower indigenous women-led work to prevent violence and support thriving native peoples and families. Application Deadline: 12/7/2022

Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Development Grant Program
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service funding to provide scholarly study or to establish programs in Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native art and culture. Application Deadline: 1/9/2023

Native American Congressional Internship
Udall Foundation
This program provides American Indian and Alaska Native students with the opportunity to gain practical experience with the federal legislative process to understand first-hand the government-to-government relationship between Tribes and the federal government. Application Deadline: 1/31/2023

Resources and Publications

Come to the Table: Bringing Healthcare and Nutrition Together
USDA gathered with partners at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to forge a future without hunger and health disparities to build momentum from the Come to the Table: USDA’s National Nutrition Security and Healthcare Summit where leaders came together to advance goals of ensuring all Americans have the resources necessary to eat nutritious foods that support good health.

RFI: Opportunities and Challenges in Federal Community Investment Programs
This Request for Information (RFI) offers the public the opportunity to provide information on effective approaches for supporting access to affordable capital and financial services in historically underserved communities, including communities of color, rural and Tribal communities. The Interagency Community Investment Committee (ICIC) is focused on the operations and execution of federal programs that facilitate the flow of capital and the provision of financial resources into historically underserved communities. Comments Due By: 12/5/2022

Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) entered into a Collaborative Workforce Development Agreement
This agreement advances workforce education and training for the broadband communications industry to promote both associations’ workforce development programs: the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program that is nationally sponsored by WIA for broadband and 5G technicians and the Fiber Broadband Association’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program that trains fiber technicians. Together they move to promote Registered Apprenticeship, develop world-class curriculum, establish industry-recognized credentials and certifications, and articulate career pathways.

USDA RD Featured Success Story: Real Pickles Cooperative of Massachusetts RD assisted with the effort, providing $20,000 through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The 18.06kWH PV Solar System on the roof of the business was installed by neighboring worker owned solar co-op, PV Squared, and replaced 100 percent of the pickle co-op’s energy needs at that time. Read more RD success stories! USDA Names new Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge Awards (RPIC) USDA awards RPIC cooperative agreements to 17 rural focused organizations. Placemaking is a collaborative planning and technical assistance process that helps leaders create quality places where people will want to live, work, visit and learn. Find Shelter Tool The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s offers this tool to provide information about housing, shelter, health care and clothing resources in communities across the country.

12/7: Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program - Presented as part of the Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program, led by the National Endowment for the Arts and Local Initiatives Support Corporation

12/7 through 12/9: Rural Seminar on Workforce & Small Business 2022 by Rural LISC.

12/13: Tools for Economic Growth with Treasury and SBA, Council of Development Finance Agencies

Recorded: Tribal Food Sovereignty a Focus of NAFDPIR Conference: When you recognize the food on your plate, you recall memories of sharing meals with loved ones. 

Recorded: SCORE - 12 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs & Your Marketing Roadmap - Content, Publicity and Personal Branding

​Contacts/Subscription

USDA Rural Development Quick Links:

• USDA Rural Development’s full Catalog of Programs
• USDA Rural Development's NOSA/NOFAs
• USDA Rural Development’s Search All Programs
• USDA Rural Development Priority Points Program Chart
• USDA Rural Development Resource Guides
• USDA Rural Development Blogs
• View the Prior Edition of Innovation Matters
• Visit rd.usda.gov/coronavirus for the latest from USDA RD

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center

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

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