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USDA Provides Funding to Support Small Business

Name
Samantha Evenson
City
Bismarck
Release Date

Ryan Taylor, USDA Rural Development state director, today announced more than $638,000 in business grants to 12 North Dakota recipients. The grants will help support the start-up or expansion of rural small businesses. 

“These investments promote sustainable economic development by strengthening and diversifying our rural communities,” said Taylor. “Partnering with private business is a smart, effective way to boost our overall economy and foster the job growth that helps a community thrive.”  

The funding is being awarded through USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program, which provides capital to small and emerging businesses or non-profit organizations. The following recipients in North Dakota will receive grants. 

  • Adams County Development Corp. – $12,000 grant. The funding will be used to complete a feasibility study to identify the potential of locating a hotel in Hettinger.
  • City of Anamoose – $171,530 received in two grants. Of that funding, $72,030 will be used to renovate a vacant building to establish a food hub. The food hub will provide local and regional growers with a point of delivery to market their produce as well as offer the opportunity for grocery stores, schools, restaurants and other business to purchase fresh produce. The other $99,500 grant will establish a revolving loan fund to provide financial assistance to businesses in the city and surrounding region. 
  • City of McClusky Job Development Authority – $18,000 grant. The funding will be used to complete a feasibility study to identify uses for the former Polar Ware facility.
  • City of New England – $94,000 grant. The funding will be used to purchase refrigeration equipment to be leased to the local grocery store. 
  • Center for Technology & Business – $12,600 grant. The funding will be used to provide training in modern business tools and solutions to boost the capabilities of rural entrepreneurs and their workforce in Beach and the surrounding Golden Valley County area. 
  • Dakota College at Bottineau – $70,496 grant. The funding will be used to purchase equipment for a new Aquaponics Production and Management business training program. The program will provide students and entrepreneurs with job training to start their own business using aquaponics to grow vegetables indoors throughout the year.  
  • Pembina County Job Development Authority – $30,000 grant. The funding will be used to provide one-on-one technical assistance for small and emerging businesses in the county.  
  • Prairie West Development Foundation – $23,375 grant. The funding will be used to purchase refrigerated dairy coolers to be leased to the local grocery store.  
  • Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Investment Board – $25,000 grant. The funding will add New Town and Mandaree to a 2014 study for a Lake Sakakawea ferry system. 
  • Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Investment Fund – $24,222 grant. The funding will be used to develop a 5-year strategic plan for the CONAC (Center of North America Coalition for Rural Development) and Southwest REAP zones. 
  • Towner County Economic Development Corp. – $80,000 grant. The funding will be used to establish a revolving loan fund to provide financial assistance to small and emerging businesses in Towner County.
  • Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa – $77,000 grant. The funding will be used to provide technical assistance for business development on the Turtle Mountain Reservation. 

USDA Rural Development has invested more than $3.2 million in business grants to generate economic activity and revitalize communities in North Dakota since 2010. For more information on USDA programs, please call (701) 530-2037 or visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/nd.