What does this program do?
This program provides affordable funding to develop 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.
Who may apply for this program?
Eligible borrowers include:
- Public bodies
- Community-based non-profit corporations
- Federally-recognized Tribes
What is an eligible area?
Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.
How may funds be used?
Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.
What kinds of funding are available?
- Low interest direct loans
- Grants
- A combination of the two above, as well as our loan guarantee program. These may be combined with commercial financing to finance one project if all eligibility and feasibility requirements are met.
How do we get started?
- Contact your local office to discuss your specific project
- Applications for this program are accepted year round
- Program resources are available online (includes forms needed, guidance, certifications)
- Request a Unique Entity ID number if your organization doesn’t already have one. It should not take more than a few business days to get your number.
- Register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM) if you aren’t already registered. The registration is free, but you need to complete several steps.