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Funding

Funding Opportunities Supporting
Community and Economic Development

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees up to $250 million to assist in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies. These technologies are: advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Application deadline: 10/1/2026

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 Business Investment Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) license to newly formed developmental capital organizations to help meet the equity capital investment needs in rural communities. Application deadline: Accepted year-round

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: 9/30/2026 

Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program
USDOT / Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
USDOT provides funding to plan for and make surface transportation more resilient to current and further weather events, natural disasters, and changing severe storms, flooding, drought, levee and dam failures, wildfires, rockslides, mudslides, sea level rise, extreme weather, including extreme temperature, and earthquakes. $787 million is available. Questions may be directed to PROTECTdiscretionary@dot.gov. Application Deadline: 10/9/2026

Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure

Affordable Rural Cooperative (ARC) Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to electric cooperatives for nuclear energy and transmission efficiency projects serving rural areas.The program strengthens the resiliency, reliability, and affordability of rural electric systems.NOFO Letters of Interest must be submitted beginning at 11:59 a.m. ET on October 19, 2026, until 11:59 a.m. ET on November 20, 2026.

Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development supports affordable energy growth across America by providing loans for projects that generate or store electricity from a renewable energy resource. Part of the loan may also qualify for loan forgiveness. Letters of interest due: 10/9/2026

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

Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantees
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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

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 depleated.

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

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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

High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHR) Program U.S. Department of Energy DOE provides up to $218.5 million in grants for energy efficiency upgrades for Tribal homes. All federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native corporations are eligible to receive formula awards from the program. For more information: Resources. Questions may be directed to tribalrebates@nlr.gov Application deadline:12/11/2026

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
NTIA will make funds available on Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian lands for deployment of Internet infrastructure, affordability programs, telehealth and distance learning initiatives. Questions may be directed to TBCP3@ntia.gov Application Deadline: 11/17/2026

Resources

Be a PART of Rural America’s Energy Future! 
Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program
Please visit our RD Youtube page for the five part PART webinar series which features in depth overviews and Q&As. Watch

General Applicability Public Interest Waiver to Indian Tribes – Proposed Extension of
Manufactured Products Waiver Comments can be sent to DOI_Grants_BuyAmerica_Waiver@ios.doi.gov or submitted via the Federal Register, docket DOI-2026-0232. Please reference “Indian Tribes” in the subject line of the email. The proposed waiver was posted on September 4, 2026, and the public comment period closes on October 4, 2026.

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.

USDA Rural Development Success Story

Cutting-edge technology provides unique learning opportunity

Carter Jahnig, Biology instructor at Sisseton Wahpeton College, demonstrates features of the Anatomage Table to nursing students.

The table, purchased through USDA Rural Development’s Tribal College Initiative Grant in 2024, contains three-dimensional scans of seven men and women who donated their bodies to science. Virtual cadavers allow students the ability to virtually dissect and examine the human body in a non-destructive manner.

Melissa Marx, Director of Nursing, said this technology provides students an unparalleled opportunity to learn. 

Read More

Events / Learning

September 23, 2026 | Accelerating Project Delivery: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in Improving Community Infrastructure

Join Virtually! As communities look to move transportation projects from planning to delivery, public-private partnerships will be increasingly important. Hear directly from the Executive Director of Build America Bureau (U.S. Department of Transportation) and industry leaders on why P3s are essential to the future of these projects—and how the right partners, delivery strategies, and value propositions can accelerate implementation, attract investment, and create stronger community and economic outcomes. Register Here

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center

View the previous edition of Innovation Matters

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

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