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USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for the Rural Business Development Grant Program

Name
Carlotta Donisi
City
Olympia
Release Date

USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for the Rural Business Development Grant Program (RBDG), which is a competitive grant program designed to develop and expand rural small and emerging private business enterprises. 

“This program really fits a niche to assist eligible applicants provide assistance to small and emerging business enterprises in our rural areas,” said Brian Buch, Business Program Director. “This program is flexible. We are really able do a variety of things to assist with projects with the intention of job creation. For example, last year we were able to fund a technical assistance grant to assist micro farming and value added food processing businesses in Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and Whitman Counties in an effort to increase direct producer to consumer sales”.

According to Buch, individual businesses themselves are not eligible to apply. Public Bodies, Nonprofit Entities, and Indian Tribes (for a tribe to apply to assist a tribal business enterprise, the governing board must be independent from the tribal government) are eligible to apply for grant funds to support the development and expansion of small and emerging private business enterprises in their rural areas. 

Grant funds may be used for targeted technical assistance, training and other activities to support the development of small, private business enterprises in rural areas. In Washington State, it is anticipated that approximately $355,000 will be available for the RBDG program this fiscal year.

Applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2017 to be considered for this fiscal year’s anticipated funding. All applications must be sent to the USDA Rural Development Washington State Office, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512, and must be received in the office by 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.,

For more information on the RBDG, please contact Carlotta Donisi by calling (360) 704-7724 or email her at carlotta.donisi@wa.usda.gov