Rural Economic Development Loan And Grant Program

Currently There Are No Additional Funds Available At This Time

Background

The purpose of the fund is to provide maximum support to small businesses in designated micropolitans located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties and/or in designated North Carolina Main Street communities. The grants are used to assist planning agencies and small businesses with efforts to revitalize downtowns by creating jobs, funding infrastructure improvements and rehabilitating buildings.

At present, no additional funds are available through the Main Street Solutions Program. We hope to be able to provide new funding opportunities in the future.

Program Effectiveness

As of February 17, 2021, twenty-five communities have been awarded thirty-six Main Street Solutions Fund grants, totaling $4,818,476. For every $1 invested by the state, an additional $7.01 is anticipated to be invested by the local community. Sixty-five businesses will directly benefit from the Main Street Solutions grant program. Those businesses will create or retain a minimum of 761 permanent full-time and part-time jobs. The total projected investment is $47,191,445.

For further information on the Main Street Solutions Fund grant program, contact:

Liz ParhamNC Main Street & Rural Planning Center, Director4346 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4346

Eligibility For Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program:

Who may apply to this program?

To receive funding , an entity must be:

• A former Rural Utilities Service borrower who borrowed, repaid, or pre-paid an insured, direct, or guaranteed loan.
• Nonprofit utilities that are eligible to receive assistance from the Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Programs.
• Current Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Programs borrowers.

What is an eligible area For Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program ?

Intermediaries may use funds to lend for projects in rural areas or towns with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents.

The local utility applies to USDA for funding support on behalf of specified local projects. Projects may begin after an application is submitted, but there is no guarantee of approval. USDA funds are issued to the local utility at project completion.

What are the terms for the local utility?

• 10 years at 0 percent interest.
• Grants require a 20 percent match from the local utility.
• Grants must be repaid to USDA upon the termination of the Revolving Loan Fund.

How may funds be used?

The local utility passes the funding to ultimate recipients for such eligible projects as:

About The Annual Nc Main Street Conference

The North Carolina Main Street Conference is an annual 3-day conference, held within a beautiful rural community of NC. The venue changes each year, as do the speakers, sponsors and class offerings. The conference is open to anyone interested in learning about downtown economic development. Attendees gain knowledge from networking with other downtown enthusiast and from class offerings, facilitated by an impressive lineup of downtown professionals. The NC Main Street Awards Ceremony showcases the top projects in the state while the NC Main Street Champions Ceremony recognizes citizens and groups that have made an impact in their community’s downtown revitalization efforts. The NC Annual Main Street Conference is one of the many educational offerings, provided by the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center, a division within the state’s NC Department of Commerce.

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Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program

Through local utility companies, the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program offers money for rural initiatives. USDA makes zero-interest loans to local utilities, who then pass them on to local companies for initiatives that generate and retain jobs in rural regions. The ultimate receivers immediately reimburse the lending utility. The utility is then liable for repaying the USDA.

USDA distributes money to local utility companies, who utilize it to set up Revolving Loan Funds . The revolving loan funds are used to make loans to initiatives that would generate or retain rural jobs. When the revolving loan fund expires, the grant is returned to USDA.

Small Town Main Street Communities

Process:

• Sample: Resolution Change of Program Structure

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Consolidated Farm And Rural Development Act Of 1972 7 Usc 1926 Et Seq

The legislation was originally enacted as the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961. In 1972, Title V was changed to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and is often referred to as the ConAct. The ConAct, as amended, currently serves as the authorizing statute for most USDA rural development lending and grant programs. Title V directed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide leadership within the executive branch and to assume responsibility for coordinating a nationwide rural development program using the services of executive branch departments and agencies, including, but not limited to, the agencies, bureaus, offices, and services of the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with rural development programs of state and local governments. The act also authorized the Community Facility Loan program, the Rural Business and Industry Loan program, and the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program.

Usda Seeks Applications For Loans And Grants To Support Rural Businesses

USDA SEEKS APPLICATIONS FOR LOANS AND GRANTS TO SUPPORT RURAL BUSINESSES

Washington, DC, Jun 21, 2013—

@@Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Doug OBrien today reminded rural business owners and economic development officials that the Department is seeking applications through several loan and grant programs to help rural communities grow their economies and create jobs. The United States Department of Agriculture remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Todays announcement is one part of the Departments efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

Id like to remind rural business owners and economic development officials that funds to help them are available now, OBrien said. Through these USDA programs, the Obama Administration is providing rural communities with resources to support businesses, improve public facilities and create new, sustainable jobs.

USDA is currently seeking applications to support rural businesses under several programs. For a list of USDA Rural Development State Offices please see list here: .

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The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1993 Rel=nofollow> pl 103

Title VIII authorized the first rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities . The EZ/EC program was a grant-making initiative whose objective is to revitalize low-income rural communities in ways that attract private sector investment. USDA administered the rural EZ/EC program, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development administers the urban EZ/EC program. In December 1994, three rural Empowerment Zones and 30 rural Enterprise Communities were named. The Taxpayers Relief Act of 1997 added two additional rural EZs and 10 more rural ECs. A third round of competition, authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, created two additional rural EZs. Although tax incentives for EZ Communities were extended through December 31, 2013, by P.L. 112-240, the rural EC program expired on December 2009, per P.L. 111-20. This means that all rural ECs designations expired on December 31, 2009. Currently, USDA Rural Development is not authorized to designate any new Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities.

The Agricultural Act Of 2014 Rel=nofollow> pl 113

The 2008 farm bill expired in 2012, but the 112th Congress did not complete action and instead extended the law for one year ” rel=”nofollow”> P.L. 112-240). On February 7, 2014, the President signed into law the most recent farm bill, the Agricultural Act of 2014 ” rel=”nofollow”> P.L. 113-79). The bill authorized funding for many USDA Rural Development programs through FY2018.

The Rural Development title of the 2014 farm bill reauthorized most existing rural development programs. The bill amended the water and waste water direct and guaranteed loan programs to encourage financing by private or cooperative lenders to the maximum extent possible. The law also provided a 3%-5% carve-out of the Community Facilities appropriation for technical assistance, and also encouraged the use of loan guarantees where possible. The law also included a new provision directing the Secretary of Agriculture to begin collecting data on the economic effects of the projects that USDA Rural Development funds to assess their long- and short-term viability, and directed the Secretary to develop simplified applications for funding.

The Agricultural Act of 2014 eliminated several business programs, but consolidated many of their objectives into a broader program of Business Development grants. The law also provided $150 million in mandatory spending for pending rural development loans and grants and $63 million in mandatory spending for the Value-Added Product Grants program.

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Community Economic Recovery & Resiliency Initiative

Background

In response to the economic challenges communities have faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center’s Rural Planning program developed the Community Economic Recovery & Resiliency Initiative . The initiative, launched in January 2021, is intended to help small towns and rural communities recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic and build local economies that are more resilient to future crises. Through CERRI, the RPP provides participating communities with a planning process to develop local economic recovery strategies and technical assistance to implement them. Key CERRI services offered by the RPP include conducting a community assessment facilitating development of an economic recovery plan of work to build local economic resiliency and support small businesses and providing guidance and assistance, as needed, with plan of work implementation.

The RPP has engaged 28 communities in CERRI: the first 12 in 2021 and 16 more in 2022 .

Quarterly Impact Reports

The RPP prepares CERRI Impact Reports on a quarterly basis. Links to available reports are shown below.

Rural Solutions Workshop Series

Below are materials from the Recruiting Retail Businesses workshop held in Smithfield in September 2019.

Major Authorizing Legislation For Usda Rural Development Programs

USDA’s rural development mission is to enhance rural communities by targeting financial and technical resources to areas of greatest need. Three agencies, established by the Agricultural Reorganization Act of 1994 ” rel=”nofollow”> P.L. 103-354), are responsible for the mission area: the Rural Housing Service , the Rural Business-Cooperative Service , and the Rural Utilities Service .5 An Office of Community Development provides further community development support through USDA Rural Development’s state offices.

Congress has enacted many public laws bearing on rural policies and rural residents. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936, to cite one significant example, was central to the provision of electrical power and telephone service throughout rural America. In 1966, Congress created the National Commission on Rural Poverty, which published its famous report, The People Left Behind, the following year. Various loan and grant programs that target improvements in rural social welfare were also authorized and administered by the Farmers Home Administration , the agency forerunner of today’s USDA Office of Rural Development. Rural policy as an identified congressional concern, however, may be dated to the 1972 Rural Development Act, an amendment to the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961.6

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Loan Terms And Repayment

• Zero-interest loan provided to the RUS borrower on a pass-through basis to the ultimate recipient .
• Maximum 10 year repayment period.
• Payments may be deferred up to two years.
• Repayment by the ultimate recipient may not be more restrictive than the repayment schedule of the RUS borrower.
• Minimum 20% supplemental financing required of ultimate recipient.

About The Design Program

Since March of 2016, the North Carolina Main Street Program has partnered with UNCGs Interior Architecture Department and its Center for Community-Engaged Design to provide design assistance to designated Main Street and Small Town Main Street communities across the state. Undergraduate and graduate students are selected to become Main Street Fellows. The Main Street Fellows work with UNCG Interior Architecture Department Professors to complete facade rehabilitation designs and upper story apartment conversions in designated Main Street communities.

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Rural Water And Waste Disposal Program Account

The Rural Water and Waste Disposal Account, administered by RUS, supports construction and improvements to rural community water systems unable to get reasonable credit in the private market. Funding for the loan program is allocated to state rural development offices by formula where state directors set priorities particular to their state’s rural needs.

The Water and Waste loan and grant programs assist eligible applicants in rural areas and cities and towns of up to 10,000 residents. Drinking water, sanitary sewerage, solid waste disposal, and storm drainage facilities may be financed with direct and guaranteed loans and grants. Applications originate with state rural development offices.

Water and Waste Disposal Direct and Guaranteed Loans

Rural water and waste water disposal loans and grants are administered by USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. Loans are made to public bodies, organizations operated on a not-for-profit basis, and Indian tribes on federal and state reservations for development of storage, treatment, purification, or distribution of water or for collection, treatment, and disposal of waste in rural areas. Loans are repayable in not more than 40 years, or the useful life of the facility, whichever is less.

Statutory Authority: Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 7 U.S.C. 1926.

Water and Waste Disposal Grants

Statutory Authority: Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 7 U.S.C. 1926.

Rural Economic Development Act Of 1990 Rel=nofollow> pl 101

Part of the omnibus 1990 farm bill. Title XXIII amended the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 to establish in USDA the Rural Development Administration . Legislative action saw significant debate between House and Senate Appropriations Committees with the House Agriculture Committee over establishing the RDA. The newly formed RDA absorbed all non-farm FmHA functions. Important provisions included

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Rural Economic Development Loan And Grant Program

A list of Rural Development State Office contacts is available on the USDA website.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program is designed to promote rural economic development and job creation projects.

REDLG provides funding to rural projects through local utility organizations. Examples of eligible projects include:

• Facilities and equipment for medical care to rural residents
• Start-up venture costs, including, but not limited to financing fixed assets such as real estate, buildings , equipment, or working capital
• Business expansion
• Community development assistance to nonprofits and public bodies
• Facilities and equipment for education and training for rural residents to facilitate economic development

Eligible applicants include:

• Any former Rural Utilities Service borrower who borrowed, repaid or pre-paid an insured, direct, or guaranteed loan
• Nonprofit utilities that are eligible to receive assistance from the Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Programs
• Current Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Programs borrowers

Grants: Up to $300,000

Loans: Up to $1,500,000

Up to 10% of grant funds may be applied toward operating expenses over the life of a revolving loan fund.

The application guidance is available in the Federal Register.

Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the appropriate Rural Development State Office to receive further information and copies of the application package.

Pathway To Main Street Designation:

The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center selects communities every other year for the Downtown Associate Community program , via a competitive application process.

The Downtown Associate Community program is the process through which North Carolina communities may become affiliated with the NC Main Street program. The Downtown Associate Community program is based on the National Main Street Center’s downtown revitalization model using the Main Street Approach. State staff work with eligible communities to equip them with the tools to build a sustainable organizational foundation and conduct strategic economic development planning, which strengthens their downtown development efforts.

For more information about applying to the NC Main Street Program,

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Usda Rural Development Mission Agencies

The following sections outline the various loan and grant programs administered by the three principal USDA Rural Development mission agencies: Rural Housing Service , Rural Business-Cooperative Service , and Rural Utilities Service . Program objectives, statutory authority, eligibility, and FY2005-FY2011 funding levels are provided. An overview of the programs administered by USDA’s Office of Community Development is also provided.

Due: July 29 2022 By 5pm

Please Read Carefully

• If you have moved from one NC Main Street community to another NC Main Street community, you MUST obtain a new NCID number. You are considered a “New Director” to that town so your old NCID number will not work.
• Please scroll to the bottom of this page if you have issues with NCID. There is a “Help” section that has their phone number and other contact information. The NC Main Street staff do not have access to the NCID systems.

Online Portal

• Opens: July 1, 2022

• Portal Locks: July 29, 2022 – 5pm

Current Annual Statistics Reports

Previous Year Reporting Directors:

• Password Issues

• Contact NCID to change your password. Unfortunately for security purposes, we cant help you with that part. Look on the NCID Tech Sheet for the contact information.

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