Grants for Coastal National Scenic Areas Impacted by Wildfires

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) has announced it is reserving $2 million under the Rural Business Development Grants program for eligible projects in rural communities located on a river or ocean coastline. Priority is being given to National Scenic Areas impacted by wildfires. Applications must be submitted to the applicant’s nearest USDA office by July 6, 2021, at 4:30 pm local time.  

What is the purpose of the reserved funding under the Rural Business Development Grants program?

The purpose of the program is to promote economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities.

What project types are eligible for the reserved funding under the Rural Business Development Grants program?
Under this program there are two eligible project types: business opportunity projects or business enterprise projects.
  • Business opportunity projects may be used to establish business support centers or provide funds for job training and leadership development in rural areas. Business opportunity projects must be consistent with any local and area-wide strategic plans for community and economic development, coordinated with other economic development activities in the project area, and consistent with any Rural Development State or Tribal Strategic Plan.
  • Business enterprise projects must be used to finance or develop small and emerging businesses in rural areas.
Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible entities include rural coastal towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, nonprofits, federally recognized tribes, institutes of higher education and cooperatives.

What are the funding levels for this program?

The total funding available for this program is $2 million. There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. All eligible applications will compete nationally, ranked by highest to lowest score until funds are depleted.

Is there a match a match requirement or cost sharing?
While there is no cost sharing requirement, additional points may be added to the application’s score if grant funding is:
  1. Less than 20 percent of the project costs – 30 points
  2. Between 20 percent and 50 percent – 20 points
  3. Between 51 percent and 75 percent – 10 points
What is the grant program timeline?

Applications are due to the applicant’s nearest USDA office by July 6, 2021, at 4:30 pm local time.

The Notice for Funding Availability can be found here.

For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.

Questions?

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