Funding Opportunities, Resources, Events and Learning: Innovation Matters

USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 04/20/2023 12:35 PM EDT

NEW $1 Billion of Inflation Reduction Act funds available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants: USDA Rural Development program provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. More flexible Inflation Reduction Act Changes. Contact your State Energy Coordinator. Application Deadline: 6 quarterly Cycles

Menu
Options:

Funding

Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure

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

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

Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants *NEW*
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development grants to very-low and low-income homeowners to repair homes damaged in a Calendar Year 2022 Presidentially Declared Disaster Area. To determine your eligibility, review the list of Presidentially Declared Disasters by State and County. How do I get started? Contact a USDA home loan specialist in your area. Application Deadline: Open

Housing Preservation Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding to sponsoring organizations for the repair or rehabilitation of applicable housing. *New* Funding may also be available to help repair homes damaged during a calendar year 2022 Presidentially declared disaster area. Federal Register. Application Deadline: 6/5/2023

Community Connect Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding to construct broadband networks in rural areas that do not currently have broadband service. Application Deadline: 6/20/2023

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

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

Rural Energy Savings Program
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

Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides technical assistance for the development of cooperatives or the formation of new cooperatives including leadership training, the development of feasibility studies, business plans and/or strategic plans. Application Deadline: 5/16/2023

Energizing Rural Communities Prize
U.S. Department of Energy
DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations offers funding for entrepreneurs, university faculty, student groups, community organizations, tribal and local governments, financial institutions, industry professionals, and others with ideas to help organize or finance a clean energy demonstration project in a rural or remote area. Application Deadline: 5/24/2023

Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Grant Program
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
DOL Employment and Training Administration and Women’s Bureau grant program supports community-based organizations in their efforts to recruit, train, and retain more women in Registered Apprenticeship Programs and industries where they are underrepresented such as construction, manufacturing, and cybersecurity. Application Deadline: 5/29/2023

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA program supporting the design of a new pass-through program to provide grant funds via subawards to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible subrecipient groups representing underserved and disadvantaged communities. Application Deadline: 5/31/2023

Broadband Technical Assistance Program *NEW*
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this program to support technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting. Read the full news release. Application Deadline: 6/20/2023

Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities

USDA Rural Development Offers a new Tribal Relations Webpage
The USDA Rural Development Tribal Relations office is a part of the Innovation Center's Strategic Engagement Division, which ensures relevant programs and policies are efficient, easy to understand, accessible, and developed in consultation with the American Indians and Alaska Native constituents they impact.

Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands-2023
U.S. Department of Energy
DOE’s Office of Indian Energy new funding to support tribal communities expand clean energy deployment, lower energy costs, and strengthen energy security. FOA press release. Application Deadline: 5/16/2023

Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project Community Technical Assistance
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory helps remote, island and islanded communities transform their energy systems and increase energy resilience. YouTube Webinar Recording. Technical Assistance Applications: 5/19/2023

Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program: Implementation and Expansion Grants
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Administration for Children and Families funding to implement and expand evidence-based home visiting services in tribal communities. Application Deadline: 5/31/2023

Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant Program
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE offers this program to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis. Application Deadline: 5/31/2023

Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program *NEW*
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development, in collaboration with Agricultural Marketing Service, offer funding to expand meat and poultry processing options for underserved producers and Tribal communities. More information is available on USDA’s Indigenous Animals Grants webpage. To learn more, read the full news release. Application Deadline: 7/19/2023

Transition Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE’s Office of Indian Energy offers funding to support clean energy project and curriculum planning, technology support and curriculum deployment. Join a Webinar on 4/27/2023 to learn more. Application Deadline: 7/27/2023

Resources and Publications

Institutions of Higher Education Funding and Resource Guide USDA Rural Development’s Innovation Center publishes a new guide to help rural colleges and universities find low-interest loans and grants to build or improve their facilities, infrastructure, equipment and educational programs.

Building a Clean Energy Economy: A Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Investments in Clean Energy and Climate Action This guidebook, offered by the White House, provides a program-by-program overview of the Inflation Reduction Act, including who is eligible to apply for funding and for what purposes. You can find the most recent information on the Inflation Reduction Act at www.CleanEnergy.gov. Read the full Announcement. Also see the IRA Tribal Guidebook.

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!

Solar Power in Your Community Guidebook The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) designed this guide to assist local government officials and stakeholders in boosting solar deployment.

Why Clean Energy Matters DOE offers information on how clean energy can enhances economic growth, energy independence and the health and well-being of the American people.

Equity Is Key to Energy Accessibility and Affordability DOE offers opportunities to support disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened by pollution and suffered a lack of access to energy-efficient housing and transportation.

IWG’s Online Funding Clearinghouse & Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus Sites to search the historical investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act that provide an opportunity to transform energy communities and create opportunities to redevelop and revitalize.

Blog of the Month:

Ahead of Earth Day: Delivering on Clean Water and Conservation Efforts in Rural New York The town received $2.4 million in funding through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Program (WEP). Once completed, this project will bring safe and reliable water to more than 40 households.

Events and Learning

Recorded: USDA RD’s REAP Inflation Reduction Act Webinar and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

4/24 to 5/1: Tribal Barriers at USDA: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Annual Progress Report & Feedback for Next Steps | Virtual Series

4/25: USDA RD’s Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) & Rural Healthcare. USDA Rural Development and RWIN offer a learning opportunity around the Rural Healthcare Workforce featuring presentations from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Heath Resources and Services Agency and the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership.

4/28: What the Inflation Reduction Act Means for Energy Communities – Part 2 – hosted by Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization

10/16–18: ACEEE: Energy Efficiency as a Resource (Philadelphia, PA)