Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program

Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program is sponsored by USDA Rural Utilities Service (through Development District of Central Texas). This program provides zero-interest loans and grants to current and former eligible Rural Utilities Service borrowers. Funds can be used to help local businesses finance projects to create and retain jobs or finance community facility projects.

P. O. Box 729, Belton, TX 76513 david.

rodriguez@ctcog. org Water and Wastewater Funds Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program in Texas- Applications are accepted year round .

Contact local Rural Development Office to apply This program provides long term, low interest loans for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas-including areas and towns with populations of 10,000 or less.

Eligible uses of funds include the acquisition, construction or improvement of: Drinking water sourcing, treatment, storage and distribution Sewer collection, transmission, treatment and disposal Solid waste collection, disposal and closure Storm water collection, transmission and disposal Loan terms are up to 40 years with fixed interest rates.

Click here to access website Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant- Applications are accepted year round . Contact local Rural Development Office to apply This program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Eligible entities include State and local governments and nonprofits serving areas with a population of 10,000 or less.

Funds may be used for: Water transmission line grants up to $150,000 to construct waterline extensions, repair breaks or leaks in existing water distribution lines, and address related maintenance necessary to replenish the water supply Water source grants up to $1,000,000 are to construct a water source, intake or treatment facility Grants may be applied for after a qualifying emergency event, though no Presidential Disaster Declaration is required.

No match is required, but partnerships with Federal, State, local, and nonprofit entities are encouraged. Click here to access website Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program- Applications Currently Closed This program provides funds that can be used for a nonprofit to create a revolving loan fund for individuals who own and occupy a home in an eligible rural area.

The fund may be used to construct, refurbish, or service individually-owned household water well and septic systems. Terms for the loans include 1% fixed interest rate, 20-year term, and $15,000 max loan per household. Eligible areas are those with less than 50,000 people, and eligible non-profits are those with experience promoting the productive use of household water wells.

Minimum 10% match. Click here to access website Texas Water Development Board Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds- Applications Year Round, Deadlines at the end of every March Provides below market rate loans for wastewater or drinking water-related projects at interest rates lower than those offered by commercial markets.

Projects include planning, acquisition, and construction of Collection/distribution systems Nonpoint source pollution control Consolidation and source water protection. The program also provides additional subsidies, in the form of principal forgiveness, for applicants meeting certain program criteria, such as disadvantaged communities or green infrastructure.

For the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund, $150 million is available for FY 2022. Click here to access website For the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, $250 million is available for FY 2022. Click here to access website Agricultural Water Conservation Grants Program – Applications Currently Closed This program offers up to $1.

2 million grants to state agencies and political subdivisions for projects that: support agricultural irrigation conservation strategies in alignment with the state water plan , and demonstrate agricultural water conservation best management practices Eligible projects include those that: Improve irrigation efficiency through irrigation system improvements, such as the adoption of irrigation metering, irrigation scheduling practices, and irrigation district Enhance resilience to weather extremes and climate variability Promote innovation in agriculture by incorporating the latest water conservation technological advancements Match is not required, but encouraged.

Click here to access website Flood Infrastructure Fund- Currently Closed for Applications The Flood Infrastructure Fund program provides financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to political subdivisions for flood control, flood mitigation, and drainage projects, including: Planning and design activities Work to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; and Construction and/or implementation of flood projects.

There are four categories of funding available: Category 1 – Flood Protection Planning for Watersheds Category 2 – Planning, Acquisition, Design, Construction, Rehabilitation.

Category 3 – Federal Award Matching Funds Category 4 – Measures Immediately Effective in Protecting Life and Property Click here to access website Texas Water Development Fund- Applications on Rolling Basis The Water Development Fund (DFund) is a state funded loan program that enables the Board to fund multiple eligible components in one loan to our borrowers, e.g. an application for funding of water and wastewater components can be processed in a single loan.

Political subdivisions and nonprofit water supply corporations can apply for water, wastewater, and flood control projects (for details on eligible projects visit the Program page). The TWDB will sell bonds as needed to obtain proceeds for DFund which will be used to fund loans for our applicants.

The first step in the application process is to schedule a pre-application conference with your Regional Project Implementation Team to discuss the project’s eligibility. The purpose of the conference is to discuss the proposed project and receive any needed guidance and assistance. For tax-exempt borrowers, the applicant, the applicant’s financial advisor, and the applicant’s consulting engineer should attend this conference.

Requesting a preapplication conference does not in any way obligate an applicant to continue the process.

Special requirements are: Water supply projects must be consistent with the current TWDB State Water Plan Entities receiving assistance greater than $500,000 must adopt a water conservation and drought contingency plan U.S. Iron and Steel Manufactured Goods requirements Review of legislative requirements regarding water loss threshold limits Click here to access website Economically Distressed Areas Program- Recently closed for FY 2024 applications in May, will open again for FY 2026 fiscal year.

This program provides financial assistance for projects serving economically distressed areas where water or sewer services do not exist or systems do not meet minimum state standards. Funds can be used for the planning, acquisition, and construction of first-time service or improvements to water supply and wastewater collection and treatment works. A typical EDAP funding commitment includes both a grant and a loan.

The ratio is determined by a calculation that considers the median household income for the proposed project area and the political subdivision’s ability to repay the financial assistance. Projects with Public Health Nuisance determinations from TWDB or DSHS are eligible for grant portions up to 70%, and without one up to 50%.

Projects must be located in economically distressed areas with Median household incomes less than 75 percent of the median state household income Facilities inadequate to meet residents’ minimal needs, and Was an established residential subdivision as of Jun. 1, 2005. Political subdivisions must adopt Model Subdivision Rules prior to applying.

Eligible applicants are Cities, Counties, water districts, and non-profits. Click here to access website State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Program- Closed February 2024, Will Reopen in Late 2024 for FY 2025 The SWIFT program helps communities develop and optimize water supplies at cost-effective rates.

The program provides low-interest financing, extended repayment terms, deferral of repayments, and incremental repurchase terms for projects with state ownership aspects. It also includes additional interest rate subsidies for rural and agricultural projects. To be eligible for SWIFT program financial assistance, projects must be recommended in the 2022 State Water Plan .

Political subdivisions of the State and nonprofit water supply corporations are eligible to apply.

Eligible projects must be: Recommended water management strategy projects with an associated capital cost in the most recently adopted state water plan at the time abridged applications are due to the TWDB for consideration Projects include conservation and reuse, desalinating groundwater and seawater, building new pipelines, developing reservoirs and well fields, and purchasing water rights, as well as numerous other strategies Click here to access website Other loan programs for water conservation, quality enhancement, wastewater treatment, or financing for rural water utilities can be found on the TWDB website here National Rural Water Foundation Rural Water Loan Fund- Applications Accepted on Ongoing Basis This program is funded by a USDA grant to the NRWF, and supports loans up to $200,000 (or 75% of project costs, whichever is less) to small water and wastewater utilities for: Pre-development costs for infrastructure projects.

Replacement equipment, system upgrades, maintenance and small capital projects. Energy efficiency projects to lower costs and improve system sustainability. Loan terms are ten years with interest rates below market level and turnaround time of several days for applications.

Emergency loans for disaster recovery are 90 day terms with no interest. Eligible applicants must be public entities, including cities, counties, and non-profit corporations and cooperatives, and must serve a rural area or urban area with 10,000 or less people. Click here to access website Infrastructure-Including Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program- Applications are accepted year round .

Contact local Rural Development Office to apply This program provides affordable funding to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities in rural areas (20,000 or less residents), which 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.

Examples include: Water or waste disposal facilities Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses Awards are a combination of grant and loan funds based off of median household income and population.

Match is determined by the combination: 75% if </= 5000 population, <60% State non-metro median income or below poverty line 55% if </= 12,000 population, <70% State non-metro median income or below poverty line 35% if </= 20,000 population, <80% State non-metro median income or below poverty line 15% if </= 20,000 population, <90% State non-metro median income or below poverty line Click here to access website Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program- Closed September 29, 2023 This program provides loans of $1-100 million to entities that generate electricity for resale to residents in both rural and nonrural areas including cities, municipality districts, cooperatives, and non-profits for wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, or biomass energy storage projects.

Loan forgiveness works on the following scale: Category 1: Provides up to 20% total loan forgiveness for applicants if they meet the minimum set of standards set forth in the PACE program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Category 2: Provides up to 40% total loan forgiveness if the project is in or serves 50% or more of the population of a designated energy community, disadvantaged community, or distressed community.

Category 3: Provides up to 60% total loan forgiveness if the project: Is located in U.S. territories or in Compact of Free Association areas, serves areas with Tribal populations of 60 percent or greater, are owned by a Tribal government, or are in a Substantially Underserved Trust Area.

Click here to access website Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grant Program- Deadline to apply is quarterly, with final FY 2024 deadline coming up on September 30, 2024 This program provides loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.

Projects must be located in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or less. Loan guarantees are available up to 75% of eligible project costs and grants up to 50% of project costs. Grant terms are: Renewable Energy System Grants: Energy Efficiency Grants: Match is 50-75% depending on certain criteria.

Deadline to apply is quarterly, with deadlines coming up in September 30th, December 31st, and March 31st. Click here to access website U.

S Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program – Deadline March 28, 2024 , Should Open for FY 2025 This program provides $250,000 to $20 million to local governments and non-profits for community infrastructure projects- any complete and useable transportation project, community support facilities (e.g., school, hospital, police, fire, emergency response, or other community support facility), and utility infrastructure projects (e.g., water, waste-water, telecommunications, electric, gas, or other utility infrastructure)-in support of a military installation.

Match is at least 30%, or 0% if population is less than 100,000. Click here to access website Texas Department of Agriculture Community Development Block Grant (TXCDBG) Programs Community Development Fund- Applications for FY 2025-6 Community Application Closed. Communities selected for Project Application must submit by June 30, 2025 The Community Development Fund is the largest fund category in the TxCDBG Program.

This fund is available on a biennial basis for fund ing through a competition in each of the 24 state planning regions. Grant fund s are used for public facilities acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation . Eligible projects include water/sewer infrastructure, street/road reconstruction, residential unit rehabilitation, fire stations/equipment, flood drainage improvements, and sidewalks .

The scoring for these applications is on a 200-point scale with 50 being determined by regional priorities selected by each council of governments. The Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) Executive Committee convened on April 25, 2024 to select regional priorities for PY 2025-26 Community Development Fund applications based on prior fund ing cycle priorities and local priorities from non-entitlement communities.

All of the above listed projects were determined to be first priority (scoring 50/50 points); the full list of priorities can be viewed here . This program cycle awards will be up to $750,000. The application process is now split into two phases; the first phase is the Community Application , which is for determining basic eligiblity, match amount, poverty rate and median household income, and activity category/basic information.

This is due December 9, 2024 . The second phase is the Project Application, due June 2025 ; this is for projects selected after the Community Application and includes full budget information, LMI Benefit Area determination, and full breakdown of community needs, public hearings, and application details.

Match: <2% to >20% depending on population Click here to access website Downtown Revitalization and Main Street Programs- Deadline to apply for Community Application is April 3, 2025 The TxCDBG’s annual Downtown Revitalization Program (DRP) provides funds for infrastructure improvements needed to address slum or blight in a downtown or main street area, or provide city wide benefits to low-to-moderate income (LMI) people.

Funds may be provided for uses including the following activities IF they address blight or provide a city wide benefit to LMI populations: • Sidewalks and lighting. • Activities required to eliminate architectural barriers for the disabled. • Water and/or sewer lines.

• Road construction/rehabilitation to include curb and gutter and related drainage. • Utilities including natural gas and electric. Eligible applicants are non-entitlement units of local government (less than 50,000 population for a city and less than 200,000 for a county)-if you are a certified THC Main Street City you can apply for the Main Street Set Aside category of funding and be scored along only other Main Street communities.

All infrastructure improvements must be located on public property within the designated downtown district-which typically will meet 2 or more of the following: • The city’s historic area of commerce. • May be the area around the courthouse or city square. • Commercial area for the community.

• Buildings of historical significance, but not primarily residential. • Must be areas included in or contiguous to the economic center of the community and • The retail area for the community that does not include single-family dwellings. The application process is now split into two phases.

The first phase is the Community Application where basic eligibility information is obtained to determine who will be selected to move to the full Project Application. Scoring is out of 90 points and will cover your community’s median household income, benefit to LMI population, match, and performance on previous DRP awards.

Main Street Set Aside applicants will be scored out of 100 with 10 points automatically added for participating in a Main Street Program. Maximum Award Amount: $1,000,000 Match: Minimum $20,000 cash match. Click here to access website The State Urgent Need (SUN) The State Urgent Need (SUN) Fund is available following natural disasters and events that are not eligible for federal disaster assistance.

The SUN program provides financial assistance to address disaster-related damage to public infrastructure and utilities, including repair, replacement, and mitigation measures. SUN funding is available to repair, replace, rehabilitate, or improve public infrastructure impacted by a natural disaster, including mitigation measures appropriate to the project.

Funds cannot be used for: Repair costs that are covered by insurance or other funding sources Temporary improvements or emergency measure that are not a long-term solution Redundant or backup systems Repair of residential or commercial properties Costs of preparing an application for funding Click here to access website Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (TxPACE) – No Deadline Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (TX-PACE) is a long term financing tool for improvements to energy efficiency, water-conservation, and on-site generation for commercial, industrial, and multifamily properties.

The program allows property owners to finance 100% of their project costs with private funding paid off through a senior lien as long as the useful life of the equipment, allowing all PACE Projects to be cashflow positive. A non-profit, Texas PACE Authority, can administer the financing and is paid a user fee by the property owner.

The Texas Pace Authority has also created a “PACE in a Box” toolkit for local governments to use to create uniform and sustainable local PACE programs.

Click here to access website Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)- Recurring Deadlines Every January and July; Next Application Period is January 1-31, 2025 Community Development Partnership Program This Program offers grants of up to $50,000 in January and July for capital projects that benefit the entire community.

In the past, awards have included emergency equipment for first responders , improvements to fire stations, parks, libraries, and community centers . Lampasas, San Saba, Hamilton, Coryell and Mills counties are both in the LCRA’s service area.

Click here to access website Economic Development, Agriculture, and Business Funding Texas Office of the Governor Click here to access website Housing and Urban Development (HUD) FY 2024 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants Program- Closed February 13, 2024, will reopen for FY 2025 The HUD FY 2023 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants program supports the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans to redevelop severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted housing and catalyze critical improvements in the neighborhood.

The goals of the program are: Housing: Replace severely distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood; People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to income and employment, health, and education; and Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private investment in distressed neighborhoods to offer amenities and assets including safety, good schools, and commercial activity.

Grants will be up to $50 millon for city and township governments, as well as public housing authorities. Eligible target neighborhoods for the plans are neighborhoods with at least 15 percent of the residents estimated to be in poverty or have extremely low incomes based on the most recent Census data. Match is at least 5%.

Click here to access website Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) Program- Closed Dec. 4, 2023, may reopen for future rounds This program awards $1,145,000-$13,500,000 in grant funds for FY 2023 to eligible national and regional non-profit organizations and consortia to purchase home sites and develop or improve the infrastructure needed for volunteer-based homeownership programs for low-income persons and families.

Eligible costs are land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, and reasonable and necessary planning and administration costs (not to exceed 20 percent). Click here to access website Economic Development Administration (EDA) Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs- Ongoing Application Period The FY 2023 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs is now open for applications .

These Programs provide funding for cities, counties, states, private and public institutes of higher education, and non-profits for build, design, or engineer critical infrastructure and facilities that will help implement regional development strategies and advance bottom-up economic development goals to promote regional prosperity if aligned with the current 2022-26 CEDS , and any construction and non-construction activities that help communities experiencing or anticipating economic dislocation.

E xamples of previously funded Public Works projects include: Acquisition and development of land and improvements for use in public works or other types of development facilities; Design and engineering, construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion, or improvement of public works, public service, or related development facilities, including related machinery and equipment; Water and sewer system improvements; Creation or expansion of industrial parks; Creation or expansion of business incubator and accelerator facilities; Expansion of port and harbor facilities; Construction or expansion of facilities for workforce development; Redevelopment of brownfield sites; Expansion, construction, or improvements of technology-based facilities and research and d evelopment commercialization centers, including the procurement of necessary equipment; Construction, expansion, or improvement of wet labs, including the procurement of necessary equipment; Construction of multi-tenant manufacturing facilities; Expansion or improvement of research, business and science parks; and Expansion or enhancement of public facilities with higher quality fiber optic cables and Telecommunications infrastructure and broadband infrastructure deployment.

Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) projects include infrastructure, design and engineering, technical assistance, economic recovery strategies, and capitalization or re-capitalization of revolving loan funds in regions experiencing adverse economic changes.

Examples of prior funded projects include: C onstr uction or upgrading of public infrastructure; D esign and implementation of sectoral partnerships; A ctivities necessary to strengthen cluster acceleration and expansion; Capitalization or recapitalization of revolving loan funds (RLFs); Development and implementation of long-term disaster recovery and resiliency plans; Enhancement of infrastructure to make it more resilient to natural disasters; Implementation of military base realignments and closures (BRAC) responses; Development or expansion of commercialization and proof of concept centers; Procurement of equipment for workforce training programs; Market or industry research and analysis for larger hard or soft economic projects; Creation or expansion of foreign direct investment, trade, or export initiatives; Economic development projects that enhance density in the vicinity of other economic development; “Strategy grants” to develop, update, or refine a CEDS; and Development of projects that provide technical assistance to enhance the capacity of key economic development actors in the region to promote the region’s locally owned strategies.

Awards are expected to be $600,000-$5 million for the Public Works Program and $150,000-$2. 5 million for the EAA. Match ranges from 50-80% based on the average per capit a income and unemployment rate as well as the actual or threatened economic situation of the region where the project is located.

The DDCT 2022-26 CEDS can be viewed here ! Click here to access website Good Jobs Challenge- Deadline to Apply is September 27, 2024 The EDA opened applications for its FY 2024 Good Jobs Challenge on July 29, 2024. This program offers $1-8 million to 5-8 awardees around the nation to develop regional workforce training systems that place participants in high tech industries with high paying jobs.

Eligible applicants include Economic Development Districts, states, counties, cities, political subdivisions of the state, institutes of higher education, and public or private non-profits. The applicant should be a “backbone organization” of a sectoral partnership. A sectoral partnership will be a collaborative effort between employers of a certain industry and strategic partners in workforce development.

The backbone organization will be the lead entity for the sectoral partnership. The FY 2024 Good Jobs Challenge is designed to fund design and implementation of training programs for established or emerging sectoral partnerships that meet the workforce needs of the region, advance skills and high paying job opportunities for the labor force, and increase economic development.

Different training models include: Registered Apprenticeship Programs Pre-apprenticeship Programs Other Work-and-Learn Models Certification or Credentialing Programs Labor Management Training Program Competitive applications should include committments from employers, including through apprenticeships, conditional hires, and quotas for hiring employees who have completed the training. Match ranges from 20-50%.

Click here to access website Recompete Program- Applications Closed for 2023-24 Cycle, Will Reopen for Future Cycles This Program will award grants of between $250,000 and $500,000 to local governments, political subdivisions of the state, a public entity or non-profit in cooperation with a political subdivision, or a coalition of these entities in Phase One to develop Strategy Development Grants and approve Recompete Plans that address persistent economic distress and support long-term, comprehensive economic development and job creation in places with a high prime-age (25 to 54 years) employment gap.

Plans can include: • Coordination and execution of an inclusive, locally-defined planning process, across jurisdictions and agencies, to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to address high prime-age employment gaps in the regions (i.e., a PAEG strategy) • Identification and fostering of regional partnerships for developing and implementing a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy • Implementation or updating of assessments to determine regional needs and capabilities; Development or updating of goals and strategies to implement an existing comprehensive regional PAEG strategy • Identification or implementation of planning, local zoning, and other changes to code, law, or policy necessary to implement a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy • Development of plans for promoting broad-based economic growth in a region • Hiring of the coalition’s RPC to lead the overall effort and other necessary staff • Formation of a workforce development strategy, according to the needs for a skilled and diverse technical workforce aligned with the region’s strengths • Activities necessary to prepare for strategy implementation, which may include workforce development strategies, environmental, and engineering documentation, if applicable Eligible project areas must either be a Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Area with a Prime Age Employment Gap (difference between national 5-year average prime-age employment rate and the 5-year average prime-age employment rate of the eligible area) of at least 2.

5% and a local community with a PAEG of at least 5% and median income of no more than $75,000. Approved Recompete Plans will be eligible for Phase Two Implementation grants.

Click here to access website Build to Scale Program- Closed for FY 2023, Will reopen for future rounds The Venture Challenge awards grants to organizations that enable startups to become the next generation of globally competitive, industry-leading companies and support regions in overcoming barriers that prevent would-be innovators from accessing these opportunities.

Competitive applications will demonstrate the ability to generate sustainable added value for the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by: leveraging unique opportunities to accelerate existing technology-driven industry clusters; encouraging technology transfer, innovation, commercialization, and adoption; unlocking talent, capital, and other resources that, if left untapped, would inhibit regional innovation capacity and resilience; and supporting cluster-aligned companies in expanding access to high-quality jobs.

The Capital Challenge awards provide programmatic and operational support for the formation, launch, or scale of investment funds that seek to invest in scalable startups. This includes eligible entities that work to identify, educate, and connect groups of investors (e.g. angel networks) to facilitate access to equity-based capital within a community, region, or regional industry. These grant funds cannot be used as investment capital.

Competitive applications will demonstrate the ability to generate sustainable value for the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by: expanding the supply and investment of equity-based capital focused on technology startups; increasing the number of regional equity investment managers; developing dealflow, conducting due diligence, and closing investment deals; and introducing new equity-based investment opportunities that increase access to capital for entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs.

Eligible entities include: A city or other political subdivision of a State; An entity whose application is supported by a State or a political subdivision of a State and that is— o a nonprofit organization, o an institution of higher education, o a public-private partnership, o a science or research park, o a venture development organization, or o an economic development organization or similar entity that is focused primarily on improving science, technology, innovation, A consortium of any of the aforementioned entities.

Click here to access website FY 2021-23 Planning and Local Technical Assistance Grant- Applications Ongoing Local governments, states, institutes of higher education, and non-profits can apply for this grant, which is two different program s- Planning and Local Technical Assistance .

The portion of the Planning program for local governments is for short-term and state planning efforts to stimulate and guide the creation and/or retention of high-quality jobs and private investment attraction. The median amount of awards for this program is $70,000.

The Local Technical Assistance Program funds projects that undertake and promote effective economic development, including feasibility studies, impact analyses, disaster resiliency plans, and project planning . The median amount for Local Technical Assistance awards has been $100,000. $33.

5 million is allocated for Planning programs and $10 million for Technical Assistance programs. The period of performance for awards is 12-18 months.

Click here to access website Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Rural Economic Development Finance Program Texas Rural Community (TRC) Loan- Application deadline on rolling basis The TRC loan provides financing to rural political subdivisions including cities, counties, and special purpose districts as well as EDCs to address economic development [riorities, rural economic development, or support the agriculture industry.

Unincorporated areas or cities must have a population under 50,000 and counties must have a population under 200,000. Maximum loan amount is $5 million.

Loans can be used to capitalize economic development projects including infrastructure, business recruitment and expansion, community facilities (i.e. healthcare facilities), and any other eligible use that can be identified to improve or assist in rural economic development and/or impact the agricultural industry. Match is at least 10%. Click here to access website AmeriCorps VISTA Program – Applications Accepted