Iowa League of Cities

Leave No Stone Unturned: Federal and State Economic Development Programs

2014 Annual Conference – Council Bluffs

Dustin MillerIowa League of Cities

dustinmiller@iowaleague.org(515) 244-7282

FEDERAL PROGRAMSDustin Miller, Director of Government Affairs

Common Issues: Departments and Agencies

• Department of Transportation• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)• Department of Commerce

• Economic Development Administration (EDA)• Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS)• United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA)• Rural Development

• Rural Business and Cooperative Service• Rural Utilities Service• Rural Housing Service

Common Issues: Finding Federal Programs

• www.grants.gov

• Federal Register - https://www.federalregister.gov/

• Department or Agency Website

• Department or Agency Listserve

Grants.gov

Federal Register

Agency Website

Common Issues: Eligible Entity

• City or Municipality

• Nonprofit vs 501(c)3

• Partnering with Other Entities

Common Issues: Application Process• Timing

• Appropriations and Federal Register Process

• Online• Grants.gov • System for Award Management (SAM)

• Paper• Number of Copies• Office Address• Postmark Dates

• Communication• Speak with Agency Staff (if possible)

Common Issues: Application Content• Details Matter!!!

• Narrative• Questions in Application

• Budget• Overall Budget• Cost of Project/Program• Breakdown of dollars / Matching• Other Grants

• Standard Forms

• Additional Forms

• Additional Statements

USDA EXAMPLES

USDA: Rural Development

Housing Grant Assistance• Housing Preservation Grants

• Summary: The objective of the HPG program is to repair or rehabilitate individual housing, rental properties, or co-ops owned and/or occupied by very low- and low-income rural persons. Housing Preservation Grant assistance is available from grantees to assist very-low and low-income homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their homes. Assistance is also available to rental property owners to repair and rehabilitate their units providing they agree to make such units available to very-low and low-income families. Financial assistance provided by the grantee may be in the form of a grant, loan, interest reduction on commercial loans, or other comparable assistance.

• Eligible Areas: The population limit of towns served is 20,000.• Eligible Entities: Includes state and local governments, non-profit corporations including, but not be limited to faith-based and community

organizations.

Utilities Grants• Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program

• Summary: Through loans, grants and loan/grant combinations, advanced telecommunications technologies provide enhanced learning and health care opportunities for rural residents.

• Eligible Entities: Entities providing education and medical care via telecommunications including corporations or partnerships, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, state or local units of government, consortia, and private for-profit or not-for profit corporations.

• Eligible Areas: Priority scoring for more rural areas but still available at <20,000 population.

• Community Connect Grant Program• Summary: The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can

make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens.• Eligible Entities: State or local units of government.• Eligible Areas: Rural area means any area which is not located within:

• (1) A city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or • (2) An urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants. For purposes of the definition of rural

area, an urbanized area means a densely populated territory

• Grant Amount: minimum $100,000 and maximum $3,000,000.

• Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loans and Grants• Summary: To develop water and waste disposal systems in rural areas and towns with a population not in excess of 10,000.• Eligible Entities: The funds are available to public bodies, non-profit corporations and Indian tribes.

• Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) Program• Summary: To make predevelopment planning grants for feasibility studies, design assistance, and technical assistance to financially distressed

communities in rural areas with populations of 2,500 or fewer inhabitants for water and waste disposal projects.• Grant Amount: maximum $30,000.

USDA: Rural Development

• Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG Program)• Summary: The RBEG program provides grants for rural projects that finance

and facilitate development of small and emerging rural businesses help fund distance learning networks, and help fund employment related adult education programs.

• Eligible Entities: Rural public entities and nonprofits• Eligible Areas: Rural is defined as any area other than a city or town that has a

population of greater than 50,000 and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such a city or town

• Grant Amount: Generally grants range $10,000 up to $500,000.

• Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG) • Summary: The primary objective of the RBOG program is to promote

sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs.

• Eligible Entities: Public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and rural cooperatives are eligible to apply.

• Eligible Areas: Any area other than a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants including the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such a city or town.

• Grant Amount: Maximum $100,000

USDA: Rural Development

Community Facilities Loans and Grants

• Community Facilities Direct and Guaranteed Loan Program • Summary: Can make and guarantee loans to develop essential community facilities in rural

areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. • Eligible Entities: Municipalities• Note: Also a grant portion of the program but usually used for small communities.

• Rural Community Development Initiative• Summary: To develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing

and community development organizations, and low income rural communities to improve housing, community facilities, community and economic development projects in rural areas.

• Eligible Areas: Any area other than (i) a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants; and (ii) the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such city or town.

• Eligible Purposes: (a) training sub-grantees to conduct a program on home-ownership education; (b) training sub- grantees to conduct a program for minority business entrepreneurs; (c) providing technical assistance to sub-grantees on how to effectively prepare a strategic plan; (d) provide technical assistance to sub-grantees on how to access alternative funding sources; (e) building organizational capacity through board training; (f) developing training tools, such as videos, workbooks, and reference guides to be used by the sub-grantee; (g) providing technical assistance and training on how to develop successful child care facilities; and (h) providing training on effective fundraising techniques.

• Funding amount: minimum $50,000 and maximum $300,000

USDA: Rural Development Loans• Business & Industry Loan Guarantee

• Summary: Loan guarantee• Eligible Entity: Very broad• Eligible Area: Other than cities or towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area of such

cities or towns.• Percentage of Guarantee: The maximum percentage of guarantee is 80 percent for loans of $5 million or less, 70 percent for

loans between $5 and $10 million, and 60 percent for loans exceeding $10 million • Loan Amounts: The total amount of Agency loans to one borrower must not exceed $10 million. The Administrator may, at

the Administrator’s discretion, grant an exception to the $10 million limit for loans of $25 million under certain circumstances. • Loan Terms: The maximum repayment for loans on real estate will not exceed 30 years; machinery and equipment repayment

will not exceed the useful life of the machinery and equipment purchased with loan funds or 15 years, whichever is less; and working capital repayment will not exceed 7 years.

• Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) • Summary: Loans are provided to local organizations (intermediaries) for the establishment of revolving loan funds.• Eligible entities: Private non-profit corporations, public agencies, Indian groups, and cooperatives with at least 51 percent

rural membership aimed at increasing income for producer members or purchasing power for consumer members may apply for intermediary lender status.

• Project Types: IRP funding may be used for a number of purposes but to be eligible, ultimate recipients must be located in a rural area. Under the IRP, a rural area is any area that is not inside a city with a population of 25,000 or more.

• Funding: An intermediary may borrow up to $2 million under its first financing and up to $1 million at a time thereafter. Total aggregate debt is capped at $15 million.

• Rural Economic Development Loan And Grant (REDLG)• Summary: USDA provides zero interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate

recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas.• Eligible Area: Other than cities or towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area of such

cities or towns.• Eligible Entities: To receive funding under the REDLG program (which will be forwarded to selected eligible projects) an entity

must:• Have borrowed and repaid or pre-paid an insured, direct, or guaranteed loan received under the Rural Electrification Act or,• Be a not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive assistance from the Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Program• Be a current Rural Development Electric or Telecommunication Programs Borrower

USDA: Agricultural Marketing Service

• Farmer’s Market Promotion Program (FMPP)• Summary: Offers grants to help improve and expand

domestic farmers’ markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.

• Eligible Entities: Agricultural cooperatives, producer networks, producer associations, local governments, nonprofit corporations, public benefit corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers’ market authorities and Tribal governments.

• Eligible Areas: No population restrictions• Grant Amount: Maximum $100,000

USDA: National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

• Community Food Project (CFP) Grant• Summary: Designed to meet the needs of low-income

people by increasing access to fresher, more nutritious food supplies; increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs; promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues; meets specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agricultural needs for infrastructure improvement and development; plans for long-term solutions; and create innovative marketing activities that benefit both agricultural producers and low-income consumers.

• Eligible Entities: Only private, nonprofit entities• Eligible Areas: No population restrictions• Grant Amount: No single CFP award shall exceed $125,000

in any single year or more than $300,000 over three years.

USDA: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)• Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP)

• Summary: Each day, 3.3 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. The program also provides meals and snacks to 120,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible afterschool care programs.

• Administration: Federal program administered by the Iowa Dept of Education• Eligible Entities: Child Care Centers, Day Care Homes, Afterschool Programs,

Emergency Shelters and Adult Care Centers• Funding: Reimbursement for eligible meals.

• Summer Food Service• Summary: Free meals, that meet Federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all

children 18 years old and under at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children.

• Administration: Federal program administered by the Iowa Dept of Education• Eligible Entities:

• Public or private nonprofit schools• Units of local, municipal, county, tribal, or State government• Private nonprofit organizations• Public or private nonprofit camps• Public or private nonprofit universities or colleges