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Business Programs
Business Programs provide financial backing and technical assistance to stimulate business creation and growth. The programs work through partnerships with public and private community based organizations and financial institutions to provide financial assistance, business development, and technical assistance to rural businesses. These programs help to provide capital, equipment, space, job training, and entrepreneurial skills that can help to start and/or grow a business. Business Programs also support the creation and preservation of quality jobs in rural areas.
Loans, loan guarantees, and grants are available to individuals, businesses, cooperatives, farmers and ranchers, public bodies, non-profit corporations, Native American Tribes, and private companies in rural communities. The financial resources of the Business Programs are often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business and credit needs in under-served areas. The funding is intended to help improve the quality of life in rural communities by enhancing economic opportunities and ensuring self-sustainability for generations to come.
Rural Development Business Programs
Agriculture innovation center program.
This program makes grants to Agriculture Innovation Centers that may be used by the Centers to provide technical assistance to agricultural producers to help them develop and market value-added agricultural products using a variety of options, except joint marketing efforts.
BioPreferred Program
Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products.
Business and Industry Loan Guarantees (B&I)
This program offers loan guarantees to lenders for their loans to rural businesses.
Energy Programs
Our programs, authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014, offer funding to complete energy audits, provide renewable energy development assistance, make energy efficiency improvements and install renewable energy systems.
Fertilizer Production Expansion Program
The Fertilizer Product Expansion Program (FPEP) provides grants to help eligible applicants increase or otherwise expand the manufacturing and processing of fertilizer, nutrient alternatives, and other nutrient management products and technologies and their availability in the United States.
Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program
The Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program is a part of USDA’s Build Back Better initiative to strengthen critical supply chains and our food system.
Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program
The purpose of the HBIIP is to increase significantly the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products.
Intermediary Relending Program (IRP)
This program provides 1 percent low-interest loans to local lenders or “intermediaries” that re-lend to businesses to improve economic conditions and create jobs in rural communities.
Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program
The Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) provides grant funding to intermediary lenders who finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of slaughter, or other processing of meat and poultry.
Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP)
The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) provides grants to help eligible processors expand their capacity. USDA Rural Development designed the MPPEP to encourage competition a
Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG)
This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.
Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP)
This program provides a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) license to newly formed developmental capital organizations to help meet the equity capital investment needs in rural communities.
Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG)
The Rural Cooperative Development Grant program improves the economic condition of rural areas by helping individuals and businesses start, expand or improve rural cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses through Cooperative Development Centers.
Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG)
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. 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.
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program
The Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program offers grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas.
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
It provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:
- To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund.
- Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.
Socially-Disadvantaged Group Grants (SDGG)
The primary objective of the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program is to provide technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups through cooperatives and Cooperative Development Centers.
Strategic Economic and Community Development Program
SECD bolsters participating USDA Rural Development program funds by supporting projects that promote and implement strategic community investment plans.
Value Added Producer Grants (VAPG)
The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase producer income.
Other Resources
- RBCS's New How-To Video Series: SF424
- Small Business Information
- RBCS Program Schedule
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