U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Arkansas State Director Jill Floyd announced that USDA is accepting applications to implement regional economic and community development projects to create thriving communities for Arkansans living in rural areas.
The 2018 Farm Bill authorized the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) initiative to support projects that will help rural families and economies prepare for the future. This funding can be used to implement projects that are included in multi-county and multi-sector strategic community investment plans.
Funding is available under the following USDA Rural Development programs:
- Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program
- Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program
- Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and Grant Program
- Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees
- Rural Business Development Grants
Applicants must meet program requirements and deadlines, and must also submit a Form 1980-88, along with the strategic community investment plan. Plans may be implemented in whole or in part by the proposed project’s completion date. Points of contacts listed in the program links can answer specifics of each program.
Additional requirements:
- Applications for SECD reserved funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and Grant Program should be submitted electronically via RD Apply. If submitting an electronic application is not possible, applicants may submit paper forms to the USDA Rural Development office where the project is located.
- To apply for SECD reserved funding under other covered grant programs or direct loan programs, applicants must submit forms to the USDA Rural Development office where the project is located.
- To apply for SECD reserved funding under covered loan guarantee programs, applicants must submit their Form 1980-88 concurrent with the Form 5001-1 and any documentation required under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiativeapplication guidelines.
For more information on requirements and deadlines under the covered programs, visit www.rd.usda.gov. For additional information on SECD reserved funding, see page 10026 of the Feb. 13, 2024, Federal Register.
