The USDA is offering grants aimed at boosting small businesses in rural areas, but time is running out. If you or someone you know runs a small nonprofit organization, this could be a big opportunity to gain funding for important projects.

What Are the Grants About?

The Rural Business Development Grant program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aims to help small and emerging businesses in rural communities. Eligible businesses must have fewer than 50 employees and make less than $1 million in annual gross revenues. This program provides competitive funding, meaning not everyone who applies will receive grants. Such funding can support a variety of projects like business development planning, feasibility studies, and training programs for the workforce.

There are two specific grants available: the Strategic Economic Community Development Grant and the regular Rural Business Development Grant. Each grant has a deadline for application submission, making it crucial for interested organizations to act quickly.

Who Can Apply?

The grants are designed for a variety of eligible applicants, which includes nonprofit corporations, state government agencies, towns, communities, institutions of higher learning, federally recognized tribes, and certain rural cooperatives. However, individual entrepreneurs and for-profit businesses cannot apply directly for these grants.

This means that if you’re part of an organization that fits these criteria, you can apply for the funds. Individuals looking to fund their own business idea should look for other types of financial assistance.

Important Deadlines

For those who are interested, it’s important to note the application deadlines. The Strategic Economic Community Development Grant applications are due by 4:30 p.m. MDT on June 15. The regular Rural Business Development Grant applications are due by 4:30 p.m. MDT on June 30. Anyone looking to apply should get started as soon as possible to meet these deadlines.

Additionally, applicants must register through the System for Award Management, known as SAM.gov. This registration is free but can take time, so early registration is recommended. The USDA advises organizations to begin this process now, as the application period is short.

Get Help With Your Application

If you need assistance with the application, you can reach out to Lynelle Barber, a Loan Specialist at the USDA. She is available at (307) 233-6721 to help with questions. It’s essential to make sure all your information is accurately submitted to avoid any issues later in the process.

Taking advantage of this opportunity can lead to better support for rural businesses and help communities thrive.

What this means for you

If you are part of a nonprofit or a local government seeking funding for community-related projects, now is the time to act. Make sure to register on SAM.gov as soon as possible. If you ever need to review grant documents, legal-document-to-plain-english-translator/”>AI legalese decoder can translate it into plain English in seconds.

Source: https://sheridanmedia.com/news/234739/usda-alerting-public-rural-business-development-grant-program-application-deadlines/