USDA Rural Development California State Acting Director Rich Brassfield announced today the agency is seeking applications for the Rural Business Development Grant Program. RBDG grants are available to public bodies, non-profit organizations and federally recognized tribal groups to finance and facilitate various business opportunity or business enterprise projects that serve rural areas. Individual businesses are not eligible to apply.
“Access to capital is a critical component to helping our rural businesses create jobs and build stronger, more vibrant rural communities,” said Brassfield. “This grant program is an important tool to help public bodies provide financial resources to many businesses that wouldn’t otherwise have access to funds.”
The RBDG program can assist with targeted technical assistance such as marketing and feasibility studies and business plans, purchasing equipment for small and emerging businesses, creating a revolving loan fund, and supporting rural distance learning programs for educational or job-training. Grants will be awarded competitively at the state level; a Native American set-aside that is funded through a national competition.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact a local California Rural Development office for more details about the program and how to apply. Applications for Native American set-aside funds must be received in the local Rural Development office by 4:00 pm PST on Friday, March 17, 2017 and all other applications are due by 4:00 pm on Monday, April 17, 2017.
For more information on the Rural Business Development Grant in California contact Martin Zone at (530) 792-5829.For more information visit the RBDG section of the California Rural Development website.