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USDA Rural Development Funding
Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, health care, and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal, and high-poverty areas. Application Deadlines: 12/31/2023; 3/31/2024; and 6/30/2024, to the USDA Rural Development State Office
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development Loan guarantees to improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment and improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities. Application Deadline: Open
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 fill the need for business and development capital in rural areas. The program works with for-profit developmental capital funds. Application Deadline: Open
Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program: Helps establish and operate cooperative development centers. Cooperative development centers provide technical assistance, conduct feasibility studies, develop business plans, provide training, and facilitate strategic planning.
Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants: Provides financial support to co-ops and their associations or development centers for technical assistance to small, socially disadvantaged groups. Funds can be used for feasibility studies, business plans, strategic planning, and leadership training.
Broadband Technical Assistance Grants: Supports project planning, community engagement, financial sustainability, environmental compliance, construction planning and engineering, accessing federal resources, and data collection and reporting for broadband projects.
Community Connect Grants: Provides broadband service in rural, economically challenged communities where internet service does not yet exist. Funds can also cover costs to provide broadband service to critical community facilities for 2 years.
ReConnect Loans and Grants: Expands broadband service to rural areas without sufficient broadband access. Funds can be used to construct, improve, acquire broadband and terrestrial satellite broadband facilities and equipment, and for preapplication expenses.
Rural Broadband Loans, Loan and Grant Combinations, and Loan Guarantees: Provides funds for the construction, improvement, or purchase of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible rural areas
Fertilizer Production Expansion Program: Increases or expands the manufacturing and processing of fertilizer, nutrient alternatives, and other nutrient management products and technologies in the United States and its territories.
Value-Added Producer Grants: Program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income.
Fox Valley Technical College – Explore Starting a Business Series:
Click the link above for more information on this Summer series!
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation Upcoming Trainings!
WWBIC offers training sessions statewide for new entrepreneurs, seasoned business owners and anyone looking to improve their financial health. Most of our training sessions are available as online webinars, but we also host several in person sessions at our five offices statewide.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANT
The Small Business Development Grant builds on the success of the Main Street Bounceback Grant, with the important distinction that this program relies on local communities and counties to target businesses they want to recruit/support/expand in their community. So if you have a great idea for a way to strategically assist businesses in your community to help them expand, please take a look at the attached information on the new program. There will be a webinar in a month or so, applications will be due in mid-October, and funds released in January. Recipients of funds will have up to 36 months to get the funds out the door to eligible businesses. We’re very hopeful that this program, like the bounceback, can have a positive impact on our downtowns, which are typically home to the highest share of small and locally-owned businesses. For more information please visit wedc.org/regional.