Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded 387 grants to help support the start-up or expansion of rural small businesses.
“These grants will strengthen the economic fabric of our rural small towns and communities by providing capital to small and emerging businesses,” Vilsack said.
USDA is awarding the grants through the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program. Recipients may use the funds to provide technical assistance, training and job-creation activities.
The City of Atkinson will receive $53,874 to renovate an existing 3,000 square foot building in order to create a business incubator to accommodate entrepreneurs wanting to start a business in the downtown area.
Central Community College (CCC) at Columbus is receiving two grants. CCC will use $7,247 to identify, train and provide technical assistance to existing or prospective rural entrepreneurs through CCC’s Community Connections Weekend Retreat. Another $19,193 will allow CCC to provide technical assistance to small and emerging private business enterprises through CCC’s Community Connections Enterprise Coaching project by offering workshops and ongoing coaching and mentoring. Funds from both grants will used in Boone, Butler, Colfax, Merrick, Nance, Platte, and Polk counties.
The Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) at Lyons is also receiving two grants. In Burt, Cuming, Stanton, Thurston, and Wayne counties the CFRA will use a $38,687 grant to conduct a series of targeted training sessions that will assist small and emerging businesses in accessing and using value-added food minimal processing facilities. The CFRA will also provide support for food processing stakeholders in the form of strategic connections and online resources. Another $99,000 will be used to provide training, technical assistance, support, and farmer’s market opportunities for Native American food-based businesses in the communities of Santee and Macy.
Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. (TCD), Scottsbluff/Gering will receive $44,960 to create a community commercial kitchen and provide technical assistance to food-based business entrepreneurs in Scotts Bluff County. TCD will be collaborating with University of Nebraska Food Processing Center (FPC) and the FPC Recipe to Reality Program.
The Board of Regents University of Nebraska, will receive $21,039 to provide technical assistance to small and emerging rural business owners in Kimball and Chadron to enhance online marketing strategies and connect to the global marketplace
The Village of Walthill will receive $82,489 to establish a technical assistance and training program to assist Native American rural small business and small business start-ups in the Village of Walthill. The Village of Walthill will be collaborating with Nebraska Indian Community College, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, and the Omaha Nation Community Response Team.
Funding of each award announced is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement. In total, USDA is providing $18.3 million in grants.
USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant Program is one of several that support rural economic development. Since the start of the Obama administration, USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service has helped 85,000 rural businesses.
For more information contact Business Programs Specialist Deborah Drbal at 402-437-5558 or deborah.drbal@ne.usda.gov. For more information visit: http://www.rd.usda.gov/ne.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.