Funding Opportunities, Resources, Events and Learning: Innovation Matters

USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 10/20/2026 08:00 AM EDT

Funding

Funding Opportunities Supporting
Community and Economic Development

Agriculture Innovation Center Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development makes grants to Centers that provide Producer Services to Agricultural Producers seeking to develop and market Value-Added Agricultural Products. Application Deadline: 1/31/2027

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

Solid Waste Management Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development reduces or eliminates pollution of water resources by providing funding for organizations that provide technical assistance or training to improve the planning and management of solid waste sites. Application deadline: 12/31/2026

Water & Waste Disposal Technical Assistance & Training Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development helps qualified, private nonprofits provide technical assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems; helps applicants prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants; and helps associations improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas. Application deadline: 12/31/2026

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. Letters of Interest must be submitted by 11/20/2026

Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Application deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis

SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding to financially-distressed rural communities to pay for predevelopment feasibility studies, pre-design assistance and technical assistance for water and waste disposal projects. Application deadline:Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis

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 depleted.

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

Tribal Energy Capacity Expansion Prize
U.S. Department of Energy
The $6 million Tribal Energy Capacity Expansion (TECE) Prize, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and facilitated through the National Laboratory of the Rockies, addresses an urgent need for additional resources to help Tribal Nations grow their capacity in energy infrastructure permitting and decision-making.
Application Deadline: 12/4/2026

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

Resources

October is Cooperative Month

Secretary Rollins announced October as Cooperative Month, with an official proclamation and video message. RBCS has created new cooperative video resources:

-What is a Cooperative?
-Steps to Starting a Cooperative
-Capitalizing a Cooperative: Tools and Strategies for Co-op Members

RBCS Administrator Gimmie Jo Jansonius visited co-ops in Wisconsin.The Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development held a Centennial Success meeting in September 30. The Ag Co-op Stat Survey is going digital. And here’s some Cooperative Coverage from Iowa. Happy Co-op Month!

October is also Cybersecurity Month! Cyber-attacks on public water and wastewater systems endanger public safety and national security. The National Rural Water Association Cybersecurity Center assists systems in preparing for, preventing, and responding to cybersecurity threats. Visit the Cybersecurity Center to sign up for cyber advisories and see what resources are available to rural water and waste disposal systems.

The RD Apply Overview video provides an overview of the application intake system for the USDA Rural Development Water and Environmental Programs. This overview walks customers through the stages of gaining access to RD Apply, including the eAuthentication and Login.gov process. It also share tips and best practices for completing the application process and monitoring your application until completion!

The USDA/SBA Lender Matrix provides lenders with a valuable tool to determine capital stacking options between agencies and enhance financing pathways for rural businesses throughout the nation.

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

From Bottled Water to Better Days

East of Billings, Montana, the Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County Water & Sewer District serves the people in Worden and Ballantine, providing essential infrastructure. Here, the community water tower is painted to promote the local high school.

For communities everywhere, water is central to daily life. In 2019, however, it became a constant worry for the people of rural Worden and Ballantine in Montana. That year, residents were warned to stop drinking the tap water after testing revealed elevated levels of nitrates and nitrites. Overnight, everyday routines changed. Families, businesses, and schools shifted entirely to bottled water for all drinking and cooking needs. What was once taken for granted now arrived by the case.

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