Rural Business Financing

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development

The USDA provides funding opportunities for rural small businesses through loans, loan guarantees, and grants.

• Advanced Biofuel Payment Program
• Biorefinery Assistance Program
• Business & Industry Loan Guarantees
• Community Connect Grants
• Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants
• Distributed Generation Energy Project Financing
• Farm Bill Broadband Loans & Loan Guarantees
• Intermediary Relending Program
• Repowering Assistance Program
• Rural Business Development Grants
• Rural Business Investment Program
• Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program
• Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants
• Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
• Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant
• Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantees
• Value Added Producer Grants

Other Resources

Additional programs may be found by searching the following resources.

• California Grants Database. Allows users to identify grant sources within California’s agencies and departments through a single search, without being required to know the name of the department administering the grant.
• CoolCalifornia.org Funding Wizard. Where can you find money to pay for cost-saving upgrades? Use this tool to learn about currently available rebates, grants, low-interest loans and other services to help finance a strategy that will reduce your costs and your greenhouse gas emissions.
• U.S. EPA Region 9 Community Funding Sources. EPA provides financial assistance grants to qualified applicants to support a variety of environmental programs and activities. EPA Region 9 works within the context of EPA’s national grants program to provide funding opportunities specific to EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Allows users to identify grant sources within federal government agencies and departments through a single search, without being required to know the name of the department administering the grant.
• U.S. Department of Energy Grants and Funding. Many resources, including grant-writing tutorials and a listing of known private and government grants available for research and implementation of projects focused in areas related to energy efficiency, sustainable development, and the environment.
• U.S. EPA Waste Management in Indian Country. Remoteness, small community size, and lack of resources make funding solid waste management programs more acute in Indian Country. The information on this page may help you locate the funding you need.

Grow Your Business: Financial and Market Development Assistance