The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is seeking applications for technical assistance and training grants to support the development of essential community facilities in rural areas.
The grants will be provided through USDA's Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program. Congress authorized this new program in the 2014 Farm Bill to help rural communities develop their applications for USDA Community Facilities loans and grants, which help underserved rural communities develop essential services that in turn help attract investments, create and retain jobs and businesses, and help residents remain in their communities.
Technical assistance providers can use the grants to assist communities with identifying and planning for long-term community facilities needs, to identify resources to finance community facilities, to conduct feasibility studies, to prepare applications for financial assistance, to hire or expand the services of specialized personnel, and, to a limited extent, to retain consultants. Public bodies, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply. The maximum grant amount available is $150,000.
Applications for USDA Community Facilities loans and grants often require financial and environmental analyses, which can be difficult for small communities to prepare when they do not have access to professional staff specialized in the development of these reports and surveys. The technical assistance available through this program will help more rural communities qualify for loans and grants that will support their essential facilities and services.
Potential applicants are invited to attend a webinar to learn more about this new program and the application process. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To participate, join the meeting online. For audio-only participation, you may call (888) 299-7210 and use the confirmation code 314963.
The deadline to apply is July 24, 2017. Applications in Oregon should be submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office:
USDA Rural Development
ATTN: Community Programs
1220 SW 3rd Avenue
Suite 1801
Portland, OR 97204
Additional information about this program and how to apply can be found on page 23525 of the May 23, 2017, Federal Register.