|
Agency: USDA Rural Development
Program: Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program
Program Description: The intent of the program is to assist small and emerging rural businesses. This is accomplished through grants made to intermediaries who in turn provide assistance to small and emerging businesses in eligible rural areas. Types of activities that may be funded from a RBEG include:
- Technical assistance
for small and emerging rural business enterprises. Technical assistance is defined as a problem solving activity, such as market research, product and/or service improvement, feasibility studies, etc. Technical assistance includes but is not limited to conducting training workshop and providing guidance designed to foster business entrepreneurship.
- Capital expenditures
to assist in the development of small businesses, such as the essential infrastructure to a business site to allow for a business to relocate and expand services thereby creating new rural jobs.
- To establish or recapitalize a relending program (revolving loan fund) which provides gap financing to small businesses, in conjunction with other funding sources or loan programs.
- To fund rural training workforce development programs to assist the underemployed and unemployed to successfully make transition to employment where a gap in existing rural services exists.
Eligibility: Unincorporated rural areas and incorporated rural communities of less than 50,000 population, based on the 1990 census. Populations of less than 50,000 that are contiguous to or could be linked to an urban area (exceeding 50,000 in population) based on proximity are characterized under this program as urbanized buildup and therefore ineligible for funding. Public bodies, private non-profit corporations and federally recognized Indian tribes may apply. The applicant entity may be located in a non-rural area, however the activity must occur solely in an eligible rural area.
Funding Information: Funds should be limited to the minimum amount necessary for project completion without jeopardizing the integrity of the project. Under this program, project requests of less than $100,000 and projects with strong committed leveraging by applicant contributions or outside funding sources receive funding priority. USDA Rural Development reserves the right to reduce the total amount requested to allow for maximum geographic funding distribution to the most needy rural communities. All Rural Business Enterprise Grant recipients who have received previous RBEG funding, must have fully utilized these grant funds prior to approval of a RBEG from the FY98 allocation or it may be determined that additional funding cannot be awarded since prior grant funding has not been utilized in a timely manner.
Timelines: Dates may vary, but generally applications are accepted once a year. The 1997-98 timetable is typical:
November 17, 1997 Notice of Request for Proposals Released
January 15, 1998 Deadline for Preapplications to be submitted
January 23, 1998 Area offices to submit Preapplications to State Office
February 1, 1998 Target date for Preapplication selections
February 15, 1998 Notice of Invitation to submit formal application
May 1, 1998 Target date for final award Notice
Contact: |
|
Roger Trindade
Rural Development Director
USDA Rural Development
3179 Bechelli Lane, Suite 109
Redding, CA 96002
Phn (530)246-5393 |
|
Mike Colbert
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
204 W 12th Street, Suite E
Alturas, CA 96101
Phn (530)233-4615 |
|
Sue Ladner
Rural Development Director
USDA Rural Development
65 Quinta Court, Suite D
Sacramento, CA 95823
Phn (916)682-8500 |
|
Kevin Demers
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
215 Executive Ct. Suite B
Yreka, CA 96097
Phn (530)842-5774 |
|
Paul Rice
Rural Development Director
USDA Rural Development
777 Sonoma Ave., Room 212
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phn (707)526-6797 |
|
Debbie Coggins
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
5630 South Broadway
Eureka, CA 95503
Phn (707)443-6714 |
|
Ed Amen
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
3179 Bechelli Lane, Suite 109
Redding, CA 96002
Phn (530)246-5393 |
|
Mary Curll
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
132 N. Enright, Suite C
Willows, CA 95988
Phn (530)934-4616 |
|
Keith Johnson
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
2 Sutter Street, Suite B
Red Bluff, CA 96080
Phn (530)527-1013 |
|
Gilbert Naong
Rural Development Manager
USDA Rural Development
405 Orchard Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phn (707)462-2916 |
