Innovation Matters Funding Opportunities 08/15/2023

Funding Opportunities Supporting Infrastructure

Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in Presidentially Declared Disasters Pilot
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program for very-low-income homeowners to repair disaster related damage caused to their homes. Specific requirements apply. Application Deadline: Open

Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program (PACE)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to help make clean, affordable, and reliable energy accessible to the people of rural America. Rural Utilities Service program to forgive a percentage of loans for specific renewable energy projects. Letters of Interest (Required): 9/29/2023

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to assist in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies such as advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Application Deadline: 10/3/2023

HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD provides grants for small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district, or “Main Street” area, by replacing unused, obsolete, commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides grants to help eligible processors expand their processing capacity, to creates new, better and more processing options for meat and poultry producers. Application Deadline: 11/22/2023

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development HBIIP seeks to increase the availability of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel derived from U.S. agricultural products by sharing the costs to build and retrofit biofuel-related infrastructure. Federal Register. Application Deadline: Various through 9/30/2024

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Federal Register Notice. More Flexible Inflation Reduction Act Changes. Contact your State Energy Coordinator. Application Deadline: Various through 9/30/2024

Funding Opportunities Supporting Community and Economic Development

ParkVentures Program
The National Park Foundation (NPF)
NPF program to engage historically excluded audiences at national parks through recreational activities. Application Deadline: 10/05/2023  

Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete Pilot Program)
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
DOC’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) program designed to make focused investments in communities most in need of economic resources to provide options supporting a path to economic prosperity. Application Deadline: 10/5/2023

Farm To School Technical Assistance-Cooperative Agreement
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Food and Nutrition Service offers farm-to-school stakeholder funding to expand qualified activities. Application Deadline: 10/10/2023

Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Fixed Award Grant Program
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE offers this grant program to provide financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that benefit rural and remote communities. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

USDA Forest Service Inflation Reduction Act Forest Landowner Support
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Forest Service offers incentives for forestry practices and support for underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners in emerging private markets for climate mitigation or forest resilience. Application Deadline: 10/21/2023

T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program
T-Mobile offers funding for shovel-ready projects to create outdoor spaces, community centers or hiking trails. Application Deadline: Quarterly

Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture offers grants to qualified applicants that meet program guidelines to reduce food insecurity while improving access to services. Application Deadline: 10/30/2023

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offers funding for new tools, approaches, and technologies to further conservation on private lands. Two separate funding opportunities are available: CIG On-Farm Trials and CIG Classic. Proposals Due By: 10/30/2023  

High Energy Cost Grant
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers funding to acquire, construct, extend, upgrade, or otherwise improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities. Grants may also be used to install on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems and to make energy efficiency improvements. Application Deadline: 10/31/2023

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers funding to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas, create and preserve quality jobs and revitalize low-income communities. Application Deadline: 11/03/2023

Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Disaster Repair Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funding to support technical assistance for repairing essential community facilities damaged by Presidentially declared disasters in calendar year 2022. Specific requirements apply. For more information, visit the Federal Register. Application Deadlines: Paper submissions by 11/29/2023 | via Grants.gov by 11/24/2023

Innovation Matters Funding Opportunities 08/24/2023

Funding Opportunities Supporting Infrastructure 

Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT investment for projects that reconnect communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity. The program seeks to award funding to rural and tribal communities that face unique challenges related to mobility and economic development, including isolation, transportation cost burden, and traffic safety. Application Deadline: 9/28/2023

Solar for All
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for distributed solar investments. Grantees will use funds to expand existing low-income solar programs or design and deploy new programs nationwide. Application Deadline: 9/26/2023

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to assist in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies such as advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Application Deadline: 10/3/2023

HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD provides grants for small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district, or “Main Street” area, by replacing unused, obsolete, commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this pilot program that makes funds available to repair and rebuild homes damaged in specific areas of presidentially declared disasters. Application Deadline: Open

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Energy Future Grants
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE program to provide support for multijurisdictional teams to further partner with community benefit organizations to turn innovative ideas into solutions addressing barriers to clean energy deployment. Application Deadline: 9/30/2023

Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete Pilot Program)
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
DOC’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) program is designed to make focused investments in communities most in need of economic resources to provide options supporting a path to economic prosperity. Application Deadline: 10/5/2023

Innovation Matters Funding Opportunities July 20, 2023

Inflation Reduction Act Funding Opportunities

Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program (PACE)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to help make clean, affordable, and reliable energy accessible to the people of rural America. Rural Utilities Service program to forgive a percentage of loans for specific renewable energy projects. Letters of Interest (Required): Open

Empowering Rural America Program (New ERA)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy by reducing air and water pollution. Funding improves health outcomes and lower energy costs for people in rural communities. Federal Register Notice. Letter of Interest (Required): Opens 7/31/2023

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Federal Register Notice. More Flexible Inflation Reduction Act Changes. Contact your State Energy Coordinator. Application Deadline: 6 quarterly Cycles

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Technical Assistance Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to award grants to eligible entities to provide services to assist potential Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) applicants in submitting complete applications. Funding Announcement. Application Deadline: 8/15/2023

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development HBIIP seeks to increase the availability of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel derived from U.S. agricultural products by sharing the costs to build and retrofit biofuel-related infrastructure. Federal Register. Application Deadlines: 9/30/2023; 12/31/2023; 3/31/2024; 6/30/2024 and 9/30//2024  

For more USDA RD IRA information please visit our website.

Funding Opportunities supporting Infrastructure 

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program supporting the development of 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. Direct Loan Applicant Guidance Book: PDF | Spanish. Application Deadline: Open

Resilient Supply Chain Infrastructure
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Agriculture Marketing Service provides funding to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, to provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, to support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. Application Deadline: 8/23/2023

Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, offer grant funding to organizations to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans' primary residences. Application Deadline: 8/31/2023

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to assist in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies such as advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Application Deadline: 10/3/2023

HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD provides grants for small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district, or “Main Street” area, by replacing unused, obsolete, commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023  

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Technical Assistance and Construction for Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions Grant Pilot Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development  funding to provide wastewater technical assistance, conduct needs assessments, test wastewater options, assist with preliminary designs, develop regulatory guidance, and prepare applications for financial assistance. Federal Register. Application Deadline: 7/31/2023

Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
VA grants for new organizations to assist veterans with transportation in highly rural areas. Application Deadline: 7/31/2023

OUR TOWN
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
NEA’s creative placemaking grants program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Application Deadline: 8/3/2023

NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge Grants
National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)
The goal of this program is to enable multi-sector community teams to develop promising mobility solutions that are inspired and informed by the results of community research. Application Deadline: 8/4/2023

NEH Media Projects
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
NEH program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Application Deadline: 8/9/2023

EDA Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs)
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
DOC’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) seeks to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to become globally competitive in the technologies and industries of the future. Application Deadline: 8/15/2023

Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellowship
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
DOC’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the International Economic Development Council join together for this program to help build a nationwide network of diverse practitioners and leaders to advance new ways of doing economic development that promotes transformative change and leads to a more just, equitable, and sustainable economy. Application Deadline: 8/15/2023

1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grants to 1890 Land-Grant Institutions to support projects that strengthen the research, teaching and extension capacity needed to advance fundamental sciences, including research and development to support food and agricultural sciences. Application Deadline: 8/30/2023

Climate Smart Humanities Organizations
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
NEH Office of Challenge Programs offers matching funds for comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans. Webinar. NOFO. Application Deadline: 9/14/2023

Solar for All
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for distributed solar investments. Grantees will use funds to expand existing low-income solar programs or design and deploy new programs nationwide. Application Deadline: 9/26/2023

Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete Pilot Program)
U.S. Department of Commerce
DOC’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) program is designed to make focused investments in communities most in need of economic resources to provide options so that all communities have a path to economic prosperity. Application Deadline: 10/5/2023

National Clean Investment Fund
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
This EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund competition will provide grants to support two-to-three national clean financing institutions, enabling them to partner with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

Clean Communities Investment Accelerator
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
This EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund competition will provide grants to 2–7 hub nonprofits that will provide funding and technical assistance to specific industry networks of public, quasi-public, not-for-profit, and nonprofit community lenders, supporting the goal that every community in the country has access to the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects in their homes, small businesses, schools, and community institutions. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE)
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
ARC provides support to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through collaborative projects across Appalachia. NOSA. Concept Paper (Required): Rolling 10/2023 to 6/2024

Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA Sea Grant and Climate Program Office and the Office of Coastal Management opened this funding opportunity for organizations to lead partnerships and place workers in quality jobs that enhance climate resilience in coastal states or territories. Letters of Intent: 11/30/2023

Innovation Matter, Funding Opportunities June 23, 2023

Funding Opportunities Supporting Housing

Featured USDA Housing Programs -

Programs for Individuals and Lenders:

• Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Program provides loans directly to families and individuals so they can buy or build homes in rural America.
• Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program enables USDA to partner with private lending institutions, backing their loans to help families and individuals buy homes in rural areas. Lender Webpage. Training & Resource Library.
• Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants Program provides loans and grants to help families and individuals repair their homes to make them safer, healthier places to live.
• Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants provides grants to very-low and low-income homeowners to repair homes damaged in a Calendar Year 2022 Presidentially Declared Disaster Area.

Programs For Non-Profits, Municipalities, and Federally Recognized Tribes:

• Rural Housing Site Loans for organizations purchasing and developing sites for eligible households.
• Housing Preservation Grant for organizations administering the repair and rehabilitation of eligible housing.
• Mutual Self Help Housing Technical Assistance Grants for qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction project.
• In addition to programs that boost homeownership, USDA RD offers Multifamily Housing Programs that increase access to affordable multifamily rental opportunities, such as rental assistance.

Contact your Rural Development State Office to learn more about our USDA homeowner programs!

Multifamily Housing (MFH) Loan Guarantees
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development Loan guarantees for qualified private-sector lenders to provide financing to qualified borrowers with the intent of increasing the supply of affordable rental housing for low to moderate income individuals and families in eligible rural areas and towns. Application Deadline: Open

Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development’s 515 MFH NP TA Grants are intended to provide technical assistance to multifamily housing borrowers and applicants to facilitate the acquisition of section 515 properties by nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities. Off-FLH TA Grants are intended to provide technical assistance to qualified section 514 loan and section 516 grant applicants to encourage the development of domestic and migrant Off-FLH projects. Federal Register. Application Deadline: 7/3/2023

HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD provides grants for small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district, or “Main Street” area, by replacing unused, obsolete, commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Application Deadline: 10/12/2023

Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD loan program that provides Community Development Block Grant recipients with the ability to leverage their annual grant allocation to access low-cost, flexible financing for economic development, housing, and infrastructure projects. Application Deadline: Ongoing

HAC Affordable Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities
Housing Assistance Council (HAC)
HAC offers short-term loans at below market interest rates to local nonprofits, for-profits and government entities that are working to develop affordable housing for low-income, rural communities. Application Deadline: Open

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding Opportunities 

Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program (PACE)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program provides loans that may be forgiven by up to 40% of the loan amount. The maximum loan amount is $100 million. Applicants in Puerto Rico, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and Tribal communities are eligible for up to 60% loan forgiveness. Federal Register Notice. Letters of Interest (Required): Opens 6/30/2023

Funding Opportunities for Community and Economic Development

Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funds to help non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities and federally recognized tribes support housing, community facilities and community and economic development. Application Deadline: 6/28/2023 via Grants.gov | Paper Applications: 7/3/2023

Technical Assistance and Construction for Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions Grant Pilot Program
The funding may be used to provide wastewater technical assistance, conduct needs assessments, test wastewater options, assist with preliminary designs, develop regulatory guidance, and prepare applications for financial assistance. The grant funds also may be used to construct the identified solutions. Visit the Federal Register or program webpage for more information. Application Deadline: 7/31/2023

OUR TOWN
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
NEA’s creative placemaking grants program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Application Deadline: 8/3/2023

Resilient Supply Chain Infrastructure
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Agriculture Marketing Service provides funding to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, to provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, to support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. Application Deadline: 8/23/2023

Funds closing soon:

USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development supports zero-interest loans and grants for current and former eligible Rural Utilities Service borrowers who then use the funds to help local businesses finance projects that create/retain jobs or support community facility projects. Stakeholder Announcement. Federal Register. Application Deadline: To your RD State Office by 6/30/2023

Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development loans and grants support Microenterprise Development Organization to establish revolving loan funds. Application Deadline: To your RD State Office by 6/30/23

Intermediary Relending Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides funds to local lenders or “intermediaries” that re-lend to businesses to improve economic conditions and create new opportunities in rural communities. Stakeholder Announcement. Application Deadline: To your RD State Office by 6/30/23

Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) Program
USDA Rural Development offers covered programs reserved funding. To gain that advantage apply by the June 30^th Deadline!