BISMARCK, N.D., May 7, 2024 – In celebration of Small Business Month, today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Erin Oban announced funding for seven projects across North Dakota that promote economic development, provide technical assistance, and increase economic prosperity in rural communities across the state.
"Programs and funding made available through USDA Rural Development fill gaps within and enhance opportunities to rural and tribal businesses, communities, and citizens,” said Oban. “These awards lift up the great work and collaboration that happens each and every day to create and preserve jobs, provide quality services, and improve the quality of life in some of our smallest North Dakota hometowns.”
Projects include:
- Lake Agassiz RDC will use a $101,650 grant through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program to provide technical assistance and training to rural micro-entrepreneurs and microenterprises in rural parts of North Dakota. Lake Agassiz Regional Development Corporation has run a successful Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program since 2014.
- The Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue will use a $50,000 grant through the Community Facilities Program to purchase a tractor and generator for the use of the Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue, which provides services to the 13,804 residents of Rolette County. The Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue needs a tractor to maintain the shelter facilities and grounds as they transition to a new shelter space. The generator is also needed to provide backup electricity to the shelter in times of outages. The shelter typically rescues 70-100 animals per month from the area. The equipment is needed for Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue to continue to provide animal rescue services.
- The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians will use a $125,937 grant through the Rural Business Development Grant Program to develop sustainable initiatives for its members that will directly contribute to the local economy, local foods, and local food sovereignty. It is the goal of this project to assist small farmers, start-up and existing entrepreneurs to create and expand individual opportunities through supportive services including technical assistance, training, and hands-on experience.
- The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians will use two grants with a combined amount of $68,011 through the Rural Business Development Grant Program to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a proposed meat processing and production facility. The project will assess ownership, operations, sales distribution, including animal drop-off, holding pens, and processing.
- Tri-County RDC will use a $29,235 grant through the Rural Business Development Grant Program to purchase gymnastics equipment and lease it for five years to locally owned and operated Mon-Dak Gymnastics Support Group in Williston. The equipment then will be sold to the group for one dollar.
- The Bowman Economic Development Corporation will use a $469,753 grant through the Rural Business Development Grant Program to purchase a vacated restaurant building in Bowman. The project will renovate the building and purchase and install furniture and fixture making it ADA-compliant. The applicant will then lease out the building at fair market value.
Community Facilities Program
Community Facilities programs, administered through USDA RD’s Rural Housing Services and Rural Utilities Services, offers direct loans, loan guarantees and grants to develop or improve essential public services and facilities in communities across Rural America. These amenities help increase the competitiveness of rural communities in attracting and retaining businesses that provide employment and services for their residents.
The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
Business and Cooperative Programs
Business and Cooperative programs, administered through USDA RD’s Rural Business Cooperative Services, provides financial backing and technical assistance to stimulate business creation and growth. The programs work through partnerships with public and private community-based organizations and financial institutions to provide capital, equipment, space, job training, and entrepreneurial skills that can help to start and/or grow a business.
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility is responsible for repayment to USDA.
The Rural Business Development Grant program is used to promote economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities. Applications will compete in two separate categories, business opportunity grants and business enterprise grants, for use in funding various business and community projects that serve rural areas.
The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations to help microenterprises startup and growth through a revolving loan fund. It also provides training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.