Funding Opportunities, Resources, Events and Learning: Innovation Matters

USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 02/16/2023 10:30 AM EST

USDA Rural Development Launches the Rural Data Gateway Expanding Access to Data on USDA Funded Projects in Rural Communities

New integrated Rural Investment Dashboards make more than a decade of USDA RD investment history instantly accessible to the public!

This uncomplicated interface allows users to sift through RD data gleaned from investments in rural housing, health care, broadband, businesses, infrastructure and much more. With its project-level county and congressional district data, the Rural Data Gateway opens a new chapter in RD’s ongoing commitment to investment transparency. To learn more, read the full news release.

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Black History Month, observed February 1 – March 1

Photo of Museum of African American History

Presidential Proclamation-“During National Black History Month, we celebrate the legacy of Black Americans whose power to lead, to overcome, and to expand the meaning and practice of American democracy has helped our Nation become a more fair and just society.”

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Funding

Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure

Electric Infrastructure Loan & Loan Guarantee Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development funds 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, energy conservation programs and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Check with a General Field Representative to determine whether the proposed service area qualifies. Application Deadline: Open

Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grants
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains provide grants to small- and medium-sized manufacturers to enable them to build new or retrofit existing manufacturing and industrial facilities to produce or recycle advanced energy products in communities where coal mines or coal power plants have closed. Application Deadline: Open

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. Contact your local State Energy Coordinator for assistance. Federal Register. Funding includes $250 million provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. Grants 3/31/2023 and Loan Guarantees are accepted year-round

Buses and Bus Facilities Program
U.S. Department of Transportation
DOT Federal Transit Administration grants to assist in the financing of buses and bus facilities capital projects, including replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing or leasing buses or related equipment, and rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing or leasing bus-related facilities. Application Deadline: 4/13/2023

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Invest in Progress Grant Program
Boss Network
This business development program is designed to support 25 Black women entrepreneurs with grants and access to monthly mentoring by Sage. The goal of this online program is to help start and grow businesses. Application Deadline: 2/24/2023

2023 MBDA Capital Readiness Program
U.S. Department of Commerce
DOC Minority Business Development Agency program to help close the entrepreneurship gap between socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI) and non-SEDI by providing technical assistance for entrepreneurs starting or scaling their businesses who are seeking various forms of capital. Application Deadline: 2/28/2023

Rural Business Development Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses that have fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue. Uses include project planning/feasibility study, business incubators, land acquisition, leadership and entrepreneur training. Federal Register. Contact your state to learn about local application timelines, concept paper requirements, etc. Application Deadline: 2/28/2023

Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge
Enterprise Community Partners
Powered by the Wells Fargo Foundation, this program aims to meet the nation’s affordable housing challenges across Native, rural, suburban, and urban communities in the areas of construction, financing and access. Round 1 Application Deadline: 3/3/2023

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Application Deadline: 3/31/2023

Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA grant to assist recipients build collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to develop solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issues at the local level. Application Deadline: 4/10/2023

RBDG - Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to provide rural communities with training and technical assistance to improve passenger transportation services and facilities. Contact your nearest USDA office for more information. Application Deadline: 4/19/2023

Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas. Application Deadline: 4/20/2023

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Competitive Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding to support projects that will increase the purchase of fruit and vegetables among low-income consumers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Application Deadline: 5/4/2023

Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities

GATHER Food Sovereignty Grants
First Nations Development Institute
These grants support projects that lead to well-resourced, supported by community policies and self-directed food systems in Native communities. Application Deadline: 2/26/2023

Indian Health Service Scholarship Programs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Indian Health Service offers scholarship programs supporting American Indian and Alaska Native students to obtain education experiences in health professions, pre-graduate work and undergraduate studies. Application Deadlines: 2/28/2023

Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Highway Safety (IHSP) Program
Open IHSP grants include:

Historic Preservation Fund - Tribal Heritage Grants
Department of the Interior (DOI)
DOI National Park Service program focuses on protecting oral histories, plant and animal species important in tradition, sacred and historic places and enabling the establishment of tribal historic preservation offices. Application Deadline: 3/29/2023

USDA Tribal Scholars Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Office of Tribal Relations program offering full tuition, fees, books, a housing stipend, and workforce training to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. Memorandum of Agreement between USDA & Tribal Colleges and Universities. Application Deadline: 4/10/2023

Resources and Publications

Clean Energy to Communities’ Program (C2C) This Department of Energy (DOE) program connects local governments, electric utilities, community-based groups and others with the innovative modeling and testing tools developed at DOE’s world class national laboratories to transform their clean energy goals into reality.

National Entrepreneurship Week (MBDA Events) This congressionally-chartered initiative takes place the third week of February annually. NatlEshipWeek uplifts core values of diversity, inclusion, equity, education, and collaboration. USDA is dedicated to helping job creation and expansion of entrepreneurial opportunities in rural America. Also see the USDA Rural Development Resource Guide for Rural Entrepreneurs. Recursos para Emprendedores Rurales.

ALL IN: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness United States Interagency Council on Homelessness offer a roadmap to end homelessness and provide a historic opportunity to invest in short- and long-term solutions to homelessness, with an unprecedented level of funding going directly to local governments.

Minority Business Development Agency – Business Centers Minority-owned firms seeking to penetrate new markets can access business experts at a MBDA Business Center.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding for USDA Rural Development IRA represents the largest single investment in rural electrification since the passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. Sections 22001 through 22005 of IRA provide new loan and grant products and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth to be offered by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service and Rural Business and Cooperative Service. Current Events, Recorded Webinars and Funding Updates will be posted on this website!

USDA RD Featured Success Stories

Bringing Family to Orangeburg: RD Helps Family Business Expand

Photo of Max Entertainment Small Business

With backing from a USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Loan Guarantee, Murdaugh secured a $5 million loan to refinance and expand his business, saving 27 jobs and creating 10 jobs for the community.

Gullah Co-op: Growing Food, Preserving Culture

The Gullah Co-op received RD assistance to fund and open a new 10,000 square-foot processing facility for their produce! Read their story to learn more.

Video: USDA’s recreation economy photo success story!

USDA to use outdoors recreation to boost economy around national forests, grasslands-Published by the Louisiana Illuminator, 2023

Events and Learning

USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) hosts two listening sessions. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58) provided the RUS Telecommunications Program with support for technical assistance and pre-development planning. RUS received additional funding for these purposes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328). RUS wants to hear from you! Join the conversation:

2/23: Broadband Technical Assistance for Rural Communities- To solicit valuable insight into the challenges communities face in gaining broadband access, the types of technical assistance resources that would best serve these communities and how RUS can best provide support.
2/28: Broadband Technical Assistance Providers- To solicit input on the opportunities available to provide technical assistance for rural communities, the barriers to deliver these services and how RUS can help providers overcome these barriers.