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Funding |
Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure
Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to eligible lenders to develop essential community facilities (CF) in rural areas. Examples of community facilities include health care facilities, buildings like town halls, and public safety facilities such as fire departments. Application deadline: Open
Electric Infrastructure Loan & Loan Guarantee Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides insured loans and loan guarantees to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies, and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of electric distribution facilities in rural areas. Application deadline: Open
Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage and solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Application deadline: Open
Water & Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development helps private lenders provide affordable financing to qualified borrowers to improve access to clean, reliable water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. Application Deadline: Open
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Competitive Affordable Housing Program (AHP)
Federal Home Loan Bank Des Moines (FHLBDM)
The program encourages partnerships between FHLBDM member financial institutions and local housing providers (sponsors) to secure funds for the purchase, construction or rehabilitation of affordable homeownership or rental housing units. FHLBDM serves AK, IA, ID, HI, MN, MO, MT, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY and the US Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Mariana Islands. Application deadline: 5/1/2026
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Funding Opportunities Supporting
Community and Economic Development
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to commercial lenders for loans to eligible rural businesses. Application deadline: Accepted from lenders year-round.
Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. Application deadline: 6/30/2026
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs. Application deadline: 6/30/2026
Timber Production and Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides financial support to qualified lenders whose loan applicants want to establish, reopen, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood processing facility that process ecosystem restoration byproducts from USDA Forest Service National Forest System lands. Application deadline: Accepted until funds are expended.
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Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program
Health Resources & Services Administration
A federally funded initiative that offers comprehensive technical assistance to rural hospitals to address financial and operational challenges and maintain essential health services for their communities. Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Subscribe to Innovation Matters to stay current on open funding opportunities!
Funding Opportunities for Tribal Communities
 USDA Rural Development’s Tribal Relations web page offers a calendar of events, funding opportunities, news releases, success stories, and more!
Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this program to help remote Alaskan villages provide safe, reliable drinking water and waste-disposal systems for households and businesses. Application deadline: Open
Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development helps get safe, reliable drinking water and waste-disposal services to low-income communities that face significant health risks. Application deadline: Open
Unleashing Tribal Energy Development
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs is soliciting applications to advance affordable, reliable, and secure energy development of Tribal energy resources for the benefit of Tribes and their members.
Application deadline: 7/24/2026
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Resources |
USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site- This site is used to evaluate the likelihood that a potential applicant would be eligible for program assistance. In order to be eligible for many USDA loans, household income must meet certain guidelines. Also, the home to be purchased must be located in an eligible rural area as defined by USDA
USDA Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool -The Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool enables user flexibility in determining programmatic eligibility based on their location across multiple programs simultaneously.
Rural Development Rural Philanthropy Project - Explore the impact of philanthropic organizations in rural communities, with the goal of understanding how much and where philanthropic grantmaking resources are located across the country. The written report provides a foundation for understanding RD’s ongoing work developing partnerships with philanthropic organizations. The online StoryMap is a user-focused tool for exploring and interacting with the research and data at a community level.
Rural Data Gateway's Lender Lens–The Lender Lens is a series of data visualizations that enhance transparency and visibility into the USDA's Commercial Guaranteed Loan portfolio. Watch Public Webinar
Enterprise's 2026 Rural Rental Housing Preservation Academy- The Academy is a series of no-cost training and peer learning sessions designed to help rural housing providers acquire and/or preserve USDA Rural Development (RD), HUD and LIHTC financed housing in their respective communities.
USDA Invests in ProTek Fiber Project to Provide Direct Fiber-to-the-Home Service in Southern Illinois
(Pictured from left to right) Stacia Parker, Farmers State Bank; Charlie Holland, Farmers State Bank; Chris Healy, Farmers State Bank; Josh Watson, ProTek Fiber; Cam McCurdy, ProTek Fiber; Cindy Throgmorton, Farmers State Bank; Leslee Leverett, Farmers State Bank; Katie Barter, Farmers State Bank.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Illinois State Director Jesus Ortega recently announced that the agency is investing nearly $21 million to ProTek Fiber through Farmers State Bank of Alto Pass. ProTek Fiber is using the funding to install 700 miles of fiber to provide direct fiber-to-the-home service for more than 10,000 households, farms, businesses, and community anchor institutions in Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Union, Williamson, and Saline counties. Read More
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Events / Learning |
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 September 30- October 2, 2026 | 2026 Investing in Rural America Conference— This year’s conference will showcase innovative strategies for rural prosperity across several key areas:
-Economic development
-Small business development
-Financial inclusion
-Workforce pathways
-And more!
This conference creates a valuable space for attendees to:
-Connect with influential rural stakeholders from across the nation
-Learn about cutting-edge approaches to rural economic vitality
-Engage in discussions that shape the future of rural America. Click for details
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October 19-22, 2026 | American Indigenous Tourism Conference—This year’s conference theme celebrates a powerful truth: Indigenous tourism is a living expression of sovereignty. Around the world, Native Nations continue to exercise their inherent right to govern themselves—protecting homelands, nurturing economic opportunity, and safeguarding the well-being of their citizens. These sovereign responsibilities extend naturally into the realm of cultural tourism.Click for details
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Contacts/Subscription