Jasper Schneider, USDA Rural Development state director, announced today that Common Enterprise Development Corporation (CEDC) and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDaREC) were selected to each receive a $200,000 grant. The funding will be used help rural cooperatives and small businesses expand, create jobs and strengthen their capacity to serve residents and communities.
“Both the CEDC and NDaREC have a long track record of service in North Dakota,” said Schneider. “These grants will help them provide resources to entities that improve social and economic conditions in rural areas.”
Funding is being provided through USDA’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The grants are awarded to non-profit entities to create and operate centers that help establish, grow or operate rural businesses, especially cooperatives and mutually-owned businesses. These competitively awarded grants may be used to conduct feasibility studies, create and implement business plans, and help businesses develop new markets for their products and services.
For more information on USDA programs, please call (701) 530-2037 or visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/nd.