Five for Friday: June 9, 2023

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Curated by: The Western Nevada Development District…

This edition of Five for Friday focuses on opportunities for economic development around the region in the areas of infrastructure, access to capital, homeownership, climate change and broadband.

Grant Opportunities & More

Join the Electric Highway:
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI)

The CFI Grant program provides funding to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and other alternative fueling infrastructure.

This grant program has two tracks:

Corridor Charging: to deploy electric vehicle charging and hydrogen/propane/natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors

Community Charging: to install electric vehicle charging and alternative fuel in locations on public roads, schools, parks, and in publicly accessible parking facilities

Community Charging grants will prioritize rural areas as well as low-and moderate-income neighborhoods with low ratios of private parking, or high ratios of multiunit dwellings.

Project Minimum: $500,000

Application Deadline: June 13, 2023

CFI Program

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements

Strategic Planning Grants to Address Climate Change

The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Climate Smart Humanities Organizations supports efforts from organizations such as museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities for comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans.

Grants of up to $300,000 are available with a 1:1 match required. Through the Climate Smart program, humanities organizations can undertake activities such as energy audits, risk assessments, and meetings with consultants. The resulting climate smart planning will establish goals and prioritize actions that reduce impacts on the environment through mitigation and vulnerability from extreme events through adaptation.

Application Deadline: September 14, 2023

Climate Smart Humanities Organizations

EDA Launches Build to Scale Supporting Innovators, Entrepreneurs, and Startups

The U.S. Economic Development Administration is accepting applications for its $50 million Build to Scale (B2S) Program to support projects that strengthen equitable ecosystems and increase access to capital for innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups. The program strengthens regional economies by supporting scalable startups which help communities and regions grow technology-driven businesses, create high-skill/high-wage jobs, and build industries of the future.

The FY 2023 Build to Scale Program is comprised of two competitions:

Venture Challenge:

Venture Challenge supports programs that enable high-growth technology entrepreneurship and foster inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models.

Capital Challenge:

Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, networks, and training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based financing.

Application Deadline: July 28, 2023

Build to Scale (B2S) Program

Venture Challenge

Capital Challenge

NOFO

Apply Here

USDA Rural Development Programs Highlight Homeownership Month

June is National Homeownership Month!

As part of this nationwide celebration, USDA Rural Development (RD) is showcasing programs that help people in rural and Tribal areas buy, build and repair affordable homes in America’s smallest towns and communities.

The USDA has invested $37 billion to help nearly 216,000 families and individuals through RD’s Single Family Housing programs:

Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Program: provides loans directly to families and individuals to buy or build homes in rural America

Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program: enables USDA to partner with private lending institutions, backing their loans to help families and individuals buy homes in rural areas

Home Repair Loan and Grant Program: provides loans and grants to help families and individuals repair their homes to make them safer, healthier places to live

Mutual Self-Help Housing Grant Program: provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects

Single Family Housing Programs

Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans

Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program

Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants

Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants

Community Connect Grants Provide Internet Access and Economic Opportunities

The USDA’s Community Connect provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband service in rural, economically challenged communities where service does not exist.

Eligible applicants include:

  • Incorporated organizations
  • Federally recognized Tribes
  • State and local units of government
  • Any other legal entity, including cooperatives, private corporations, or limited liability companies organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis

Funds may be used for the construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land or buildings used to deploy broadband service for all residential and business customers located within the Proposed Funded Service Area and all participating essential community facilities (such as public schools, fire stations, public libraries, and public safety stations).

The Community Connect program helps rural communities receive access where broadband service is least likely to be commercially available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people and businesses.

Application Deadline: June 20, 2023

Community Connect Program

NOFO

WNDD Awarded EDA Partnership Planning Grant

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WNDD to Receive $240,000

The U.S. Economic Development Administration this week announced a $240,000 Partnership Planning grant for the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) for FY2023 thru FY2025. This EDA planning investment supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by WNDD, which consists of nine counties and six municipalities. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.

WNDD members and local stakeholders recently participated in a workshop facilitated by the University Center for Economic Development, part of the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno to evaluate and update WNDD’s 2020 through 2025 CEDS. These funds will help sustain these collaborative regional planning efforts.

2023 CEDS Workshop

EDA Planning Program

Register Today!

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Nevada Tourism and Hospitality Industry Sector Value Network and Supply Chain Symposium

Monday, May 15, 2023
9:00 am to 2:00 pm

The University Center for Economic Development and The College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno invites you to attend a Nevada Tourism and Hospitality Industry Sector Value Network and Supply Chain Symposium on Monday, May 15, 2023 from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

Graduate students in The College’s BADM 779.1001 Spring 2023 course, Graduate Seminar in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, have completed a comprehensive assessment and mapping of the value network and supply chain of Nevada’s Tourism and Hospitality industry sector. Their findings, including an assessment of identified gaps and targeted community and economic development approaches designed to address those gaps will be presented during the symposium.

Elected and appointed officials, local, state, and federal government officials, representatives of various community and economic development organizations, private sector representatives from the broader Tourism and Hospitality sector, and even various non-profit and community-based organizations are invited to attend and participate.

When:
Monday, May 15, 2023
9:00 am: Continental breakfast
10:00 to 1:00 pm: Symposium
1:00 to 2:00 pm: Luncheon

Where:
Joe Crowley Student Union, UNR Main Campus
The Theater (Room 309)

Cost: FREE – Space is limited. You must register.
Continental breakfast, refreshments and lunch included

RSVP by Friday, May 5, 2023, 5 pm
Fred Steinmann
Director of the University Center for Economic Development, UNR
775.784.1655
Fred@unr.edu

Symposium Flyer

Five for Friday: April 28, 2023

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Curated by: The Western Nevada Development District…

This edition of Five for Friday focuses on opportunities for economic development around the region in the areas of business cooperatives, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, cultural development and clean energy.

Grant Opportunities & More

USDA Grants to Strengthen Rural Cooperatives and Expand Access to New and Better Markets

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. Grants up to $200,000 are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for this program. Public bodies, cooperatives, for-profit business and individuals are NOT eligible. A Center can be in any area, but the individuals and business assisted must be located in an eligible rural area.

Examples of technical assistance and other services the Centers provide are:

• Conducting feasibility studies
• Developing business plans
• Providing leadership and operational improvement training
• Facilitating strategic planning

Application Deadline: June 26, 2023

Federal Register

Stakeholder Announcement

Empowering Entrepreneurship: Nevada Ecosystem Assessment and Plan April 2023

EDAWN in partnership with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, and America’s SBDC of Nevada came together to conduct a comprehensive assessment and strategy for empowering entrepreneurship in Nevada in order to foster economic growth, vitality, and stability.

The assessment, commissioned by GOED, was conducted by Entrepreneurial Communities, a team of experts who interviewed hundreds of stakeholders across the state, including entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and educators, to assess the areas for improvement within the entrepreneurial ecosystem and recommend implementation strategies.

More Information

Full Report

Funding Available to Help Rural Communities Improve Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

Whether you need to build, expand, or renovate your system, USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program has funds available.

Program Highlights:

• Projects must be in a rural area with a population of 10,000 or less
• Eligible applicants may be public bodies, nonprofits, or Federally-recognized Tribes
• Low interest rate funding can be combined with grants to keep user costs reasonable
• Longer financing terms are available with typical projects financed over 40 years

Application Deadline: Ongoing

USDA Nevada Program Information

File Application Online

USDA Nevada Contacts

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grants Support Wide Range of Nonprofit Activities

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation supports worthwhile activities for which nonprofit organizations have made their best case for receiving funding. Funding is provided for specific projects/activities and operating support.

The Foundation will consider:

• Museums, cultural, and performing arts programs
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Educational and skills training programs
• Programs for youth, seniors, and the handicapped
• Environmental and wildlife protection activities
• Support for the homeless and other community-based organizations and their programs

Eligible applicants are IRS-qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations located within the United States.

Application Deadline for Fall 2023: May 10, 2023

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grants: Community Charging

The US Department of Transportation Community Charging grants are made available annually to install electric vehicle charging and alternative fuel in locations on public roads, schools, parks, and in publicly accessible parking facilities. These grants will be prioritized for rural areas, low-and moderate-income neighborhoods, and communities with low ratios of private parking, or high ratios of multi-unit dwellings.

Minimum grant amount is $500,000.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2023

Community Charging Program

USDA Offers New Funding to Promote the Expansion of High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas

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$20 million in Technical Assistance Funding is Available to Plan High-Speed Internet Projects in Rural Communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the $20 million Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) grant program to deliver broadband technical assistance resources for rural communities, and to support the development and expansion of broadband cooperatives.

Funds can be used to promote broadband expansion in eligible rural areas and include activities such as project planning and community engagement, operations, financial sustainability, environmental compliance, construction and engineering planning, accessing federal resources.

Grant awards range from $50,000, to the maximum award amount of $1 million.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Federally recognized Tribes and Tribal entities
• State or local governments, including agencies and subdivisions, among others
• Territories or possessions of the United States
• Institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status
• Cooperatives or mutual organizations
• Corporations
• Limited Liability Companies or Limited Liability Partnerships

BTA Funding Opportunity Announcement Webinar: May 8, 2023, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM PT

BTA Funding Opportunity Announcement Webinar for Tribes and Tribal Entities: May 18, 2023, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM PT

Broadband Technical Assistance Program

Webinar Registration: May 8, 2023

Webinar Registration: May 18, 2023

In the News: Mineral County

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Thriving Communities Program USDOT

Congratulations to Mineral County and community partners Walker River Paiute Tribe and Mineral County School District for their successful application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.

The County is working to implement a shared community revitalization plan by merging the community capacity needs for the Babbitt Industrial Park site with the infrastructure needs of the town of Hawthorne. Thriving Communities Program support will help to advance local storm water infrastructure improvements to repair roadways from flooding events and improve community walkability.

Through the Thriving Communities Program, USDOT selects and funds Capacity Builder teams to provide deep-dive technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities across the U.S.

The goal is to assist communities with the technical tools and organizational capacity to comprehensively plan for and deliver quality infrastructure projects and community development projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.

The FY 2023 Thriving Communities Program opportunity for Capacity Builders and communities is expected to open in summer 2023. USDOT will update the Thriving Communities Program website with more information when it is available.

Thriving Communities Program

In the News:
2023 Annual CEDS Workshop

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The Western Nevada Development District and the University Center for Economic Development, part of the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno, conducted the annual evaluation and update workshop for WNDD’s 2020 through 2025 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy last Friday. This strategic economic development planning workshop was hosted by the City of Fernley in the City Council Chambers.

Workshop participants included WNDD members and key community stakeholders who were given an opportunity to evaluate the existing strategic economic development vision, goals, and actionable items. They also prioritized projects, assessed existing local and regional socio-demographics, and economic and housing conditions. The workshop completed a revised Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis for the region, and teed up the final selection of revised priority CEDS projects for the coming year.

Shout out to Frederick Steinmann, DPPD, Director of the University Center for Economic Development for facilitating a brisk and meaningful workshop.

Five for Friday: March 31, 2023

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Curated by: The Western Nevada Development District…

This edition of Five for Friday focuses on opportunities for economic development around the region in the areas of broadband, placemaking, infrastructure, and the arts.

Grant Opportunities & More

USDA’s Community Connect Grants Reopen

The Community Connect provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband service in rural, economically-challenged communities where service does not exist. Eligible applicants include:

• State and local governments
• Federally recognized Tribes
• Nonprofits
• For-profit corporations
• Limited liability companies

Funds may be used for the construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land or buildings used to deploy broadband service for all residential and business customers located within the Proposed Funded Service Area and/or all participating essential community facilities (such as public schools, fire stations, public libraries, and public safety stations).

Application Deadline: June 20, 2023

Community Connect Grant

Placemaking Grants and Technical Assistance for Rural Communities

The National Endowment for the Arts seeks rural communities of 50,000 people or less to apply for the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) program which funds technical assistance to support rural communities with placemaking. Selected applicants emerge from CIRD programs with greater capacity and a wealth of resources to lead their community through current and future community design challenges. Design strategies may include:

• Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of community buildings
• Designing quality affordable housing that supports livable, equitable communities
• Creating public or civic spaces that support and integrate cultural expression and local identity
• Developing recreational trails for mobility, active transportation, and economic development
• Designing spaces and places that improve access to healthy food and local food systems
• Integrating cultural identity into the built environment to drive heritage tourism

For questions, contact: cird@ruralhome.org

Application Deadline: April 21, 2023

CIRD Program Info

Submit Application

Want Better Internet? Share your Opinion

The High Speed NV Initiative is a project of the Governor’s Office of Science Innovation and Technology with the goal to ensure that all Nevadans have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. Citizen listening sessions are being conducted through April in all 17 counties. Discussion topics range from access to affordable and reliable internet, to cybersecurity and digital skills training.

Find Listening Dates & Take Survey

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program has $5 billion in appropriated funds available over the next 5 years. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians; bicyclists; public transportation, personal conveyance, and micromobility users; motorists; and commercial vehicle operators.

The following activities are eligible for the SS4A program:

• Develop or update a comprehensive safety action plan (Action Plan)
• Conduct planning, design, and development activities in support of an Action Plan
• Carry out projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan

Grants can range from $100,000 up to $2.5 million.

Application Deadline: July 10, 2023

SS4A Program Info

SS4A Application

Nevada Arts Council: Folklife Community Grants

The Nevada Arts Council Grants Program reflects a significant commitment by the State of Nevada to support the creation of art and access to the arts for its citizens. Nevada Arts Council grants support the efforts of nonprofit arts and community organizations, public institutions, and individual artists to make cultural activities and experiences widely available to those who live in or visit Nevada.

The Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Folklife Community Grant (FLC) supports programs with folk artists and culture bearers presented by small community organizations. Eligible projects focus on the transmission or presentation of folk arts or traditions that are practiced, valued, and shared within culturally specific communities in Nevada. Funds also support Nevada’s individual artists, dance, opera and theatre companies, symphonies, orchestras, choral groups, and local arts councils statewide.

Application Deadline: June 1, 2023

Folklife Grant Fact Sheet

Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants

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Register for Upcoming REAP Webinars!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has announced two virtual events that will provide updates on funding available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers can also apply for new energy-efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

Eligible borrowers include rural small businesses and agricultural producers. Businesses must be in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Agricultural producers can be in rural or nonrural areas.

The webinars will be held over Zoom and will be led by USDA staff.

Upcoming Webinars

IRA REAP Stakeholder Call: March 31, 2023, at 11:30 AM PT
IRA REAP Training Webinar: April 4, 2023, at 11:30 AM PT

Webinar Registration: March 31, 2023

Webinar Registration: April 4, 2023

REAP Stakeholder Announcement

Community Connect Grant Program Now Open

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Register for Informative Broadband Webinars Today!

A new funding window has opened for the USDA’s Community Connect Grant Program. The Community Connect Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that will provide, on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis, broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public safety benefits.

The USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is hosting two webinars to provide information about the Community Connect Program and will cover the recently published Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

This webinar will include:
• A brief overview of the Community Connect Program
• The current NOFO
• A walkthrough of the application process
• Next steps and important dates
• An opportunity to ask questions about the NOFO

The USDA will present this webinar twice. Attendees should select the date that works best for their schedule. The webinars will include the same information at each session.

Webinar: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM PT

Webinar: Tuesday, April 11, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM PT

Webinar Registration: March 28th

Webinar Registration: April 11th