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USDA Rural Development wishes you a very Happy Holiday Season!

Who We Are and Who We Serve
The commitment and resources USDA RD brings to rural people and communities across the country help drive economic security and prosperity. USDA RD connects business owners to new markets; helps power people with modern infrastructure; and supports opportunities for people to build brighter futures in rural America.

Funding

Funding Opportunities For Infrastructure

Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program & Loan Guarantees
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development funding supporting access to clean, reliable water, and waste disposal systems 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

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT funding for planning or constructing surface transportation infrastructure projects that will improve safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, community connectivity, economic competitiveness including tourism, and innovation. Application Deadline: 2/28/2024

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to provide funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Federal Register Notice. Contact your State Energy Coordinator. Application Deadline: Various through 9/30/2024

Funding Opportunities Supporting Community and Economic Development

Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG)  U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development offers this versatile program to support business opportunities or business enterprise projects in eligible rural areas. Uses may include establishing business support centers, financing job training or leadership development programs, the repair or modernization of buildings, creating feasibility studies, the purchase equipment to lease to small or emerging businesses, and much more. Specific requirements apply. Contact your local office for assistance. Application Deadline: 2/28/2024 Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development offers this program to help qualified, private nonprofits provide technical assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems, help applicants prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants, and help associations improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas. Application Deadline: 12/31/2023 USDA Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program U.S. Forest Service (FS) FS offers a unique program for applicants to acquire and conserve forests that provide public access and recreational opportunities, protect vital water supplies, protect wildlife habitats, serve as demonstration sites for private forest landowners, and provide economic benefits from timber and non-timber products. Application Deadline: 1/12/2024 Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) DOE provides this program to support viable projects that will: (1) improve electric transmission by increasing funding and advancing interconnection processes for faster buildout of energy projects; (2) create comprehensive solutions that link grid communications systems and operations to increase resilience and reduce power outages and threats; and (3) deploy advanced technologies, such as distributed energy resources and battery systems, to provide essential grid services. Concept Paper: Required by 1/12/2024 Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives, led by the Chef Ann Foundation, will support regional efforts to expand scratch-cooked meal programs, increase equity, foster a resilient supply chain, and create scalable and sustainable change for school districts across the country. These grants will increase opportunities for regional small- and mid-scale producers, aggregators, and processors to become part of the K-12 school food market. Application Deadline: 1/22/2024

Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems (Project SCALES) U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives, led by the Center for School and Community Partnerships, will fund projects that will increase the procurement of locally sourced foods by developing innovative partnerships between schools, producers, growers, and processors. Application Deadline: 1/26/2024 YouthBuild U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) DOE’s Employment and Training Administration offers this community-based pre-apprenticeship program to provide job training and educational services for youth ages 16-24 who left school without a secondary diploma and face barriers to employment. Participants learn vocational skills in construction, as well as in other in-demand industries that include healthcare, information technology, and hospitality. Application Deadline: 2/1/2024 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA offers grants to provide training and technical assistance for rural or small public water systems, onsite/decentralized wastewater systems, and private well owners. Application Deadline: 2/2/2024 Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs that attract, retain, and graduate outstanding students capable of enhancing the nation's food, agriculture, natural resources, and scientific workforce. Application Deadline: 2/6/2024 USDA 1890 National Scholars Program U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement offers this program to provide educational and career opportunities for applicants seeking bachelor's degrees from an 1890 Land Grant University. Application Deadline: 3/1/2024 Forest Corps AmeriCorps NCCC and United States Forest Service will engage young adults this summer in wildland fire prevention, reforestation, and other natural and cultural resource management projects. Members will receive a compensation package equivalent to $15 an hour, including lodging, transportation, clothing, a living allowance, health benefit, and more. Application Deadline: Member 3/31/2024 | Team Leader 2/29/2024

Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities

Nonpoint Source Management Grants - Under Clean Water Act Section 319
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA offers grants to eligible tribes and intertribal consortia to develop and/or implement watershed-based plans and on-the-ground projects that address nonpoint source impairments and contribute to overall protection and improvement of water quality. Application Deadline: 1/19/2024

NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
NTIA offers funds for broadband infrastructure as well as projects promoting adoption and use of broadband services. Application Deadline: 1/23/2024

Tribal High Priority Projects Program
U.S. Department of Transportation
DOT funding for Indian Tribes or governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribes whose annual allocation of funding under the Tribal Transportation Program is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Indian Tribe or governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribe or Any Indian Tribe that has an emergency or disaster with respect to a transportation facility included on the national inventory of Tribal transportation facilities under section 202(b)(1) of Title 23, United States Code. Application Deadline: 1/31/2024 

Tribal Self-Governance Program Negotiation Cooperative Agreement
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Indian Health Service cooperative agreements that provide negotiation resources to tribes interested in participating in the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Application Deadline: 2/19/2024

Evidence for Action: Indigenous-Led Solutions to Advance Health Equity and Wellbeing
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Funding to support Indigenous-led research designed to enhance the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples and generate approaches to improve health equity. Letter of Intent: 3/1/2024

Resources

Federal Energy Funding for Rural and Remote Areas: A Guide for Communities
The Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations offers this guide for people who live or work in rural and remote areas and who are looking to plan or build clean energy projects in their communities. The guide can help stakeholders find, get ready for, and apply to federal funding and programs for clean energy.

USDA Shared Kitchen and Food Start-Up Resources
Shared kitchens are a business development strategy that communities have adopted to enable diverse local food businesses to produce, store, and sell their products. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service partnered with Colorado State University and the Food Corridor to create fact sheets and case studies about the food business owners operating out of shared kitchens and the role of shared kitchens across the country.

Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator
HHS and HUD support states in developing or expanding innovative housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Tools for Building an Equitable Infrastructure Workforce: Gender Equity Strategies as a Model
U.S. Department of Labor provides examples of successful programs and policies from across the United States, highlighting ways that groups are working to tackle equality issues in their own areas.

In the News

-USDA Expands Eligibility for Tribes Under the Rural Business Development Grants Program-Takes Effect on Jan. 16, 2024

-USDA and EPA Strengthen Partnership to Improve Access to Modern and Affordable Wastewater Infrastructure for People in Rural America

-USDA and the U.S. Small Business Administration Strengthen Partnership to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Rural America

-USDA ERS Publishes the 2023 Edition of “America's Farms and Ranches at a Glance”

USDA's 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum: "Cultivating the Future": USDA offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends and developments in agriculture from leading experts and industry professionals, while also networking with key players in the industry. 2/15 & 2/16 | Arlington, VA & Virtual

Input on Benefits of Clean Energy Siting in Areas: The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy are seeking diverse perspectives about what the agencies can do through their leadership, program guidance, or research and information sharing to encourage positive outcomes that benefit farmers, rural Americans, the renewable energy industry, and other interested parties. Virtual Listening Sessions: 
1/12: Government Permitting and Policy Representatives, 1/16: Agriculture Producers, 1/16:All Stakeholders and Members of the Public, and 1/17: Energy Electric Coops and Clean Energy Developers.

Boosting Career Opportunities in Coal and Manufacturing Communities:
Join NACo’s Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities National Network and Counties for Career Success initiatives for this collaborative webinar that showcases successful programs in coal and manufacturing communities.1/18 & Virtual

*NEW*
USDA Rural Development introduces new historical information presented both in video and via a webpage that trace their evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways RD supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities. 

​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 Resource Guides
• USDA Rural Development’s Rural Data Gateway
• USDA Rural Development Blogs
• View the Prior Edition of Innovation Matters

Websites and hyperlinks provided are for reference only. USDA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, or applications.

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center

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

www.rd.usda.gov

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NOTE: Websites and hyperlinks provided are for reference only. USDA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, or applications.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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