USDA Grants for Rural Business Development: May 29 Webinar

Rural communities across the country are facing familiar challenges: workforce shortages, aging infrastructure, limited access to technical assistance, and increasing pressure to support local economic growth. The US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program may provide an opportunity to address many of these needs while opening new pathways for propane-related projects and partnerships. 

Administered through USDA Rural Development, the RBDG program supports economic development and job creation efforts in rural communities through grants awarded to eligible public entities, nonprofits, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and cooperatives. Unlike many infrastructure programs, RBDG grants are specifically designed to assist small and emerging businesses and strengthen local economic ecosystems through planning, technical assistance, workforce development, and business support activities.

The program is divided into two primary categories: Business Enterprise Grants and Business Opportunity Grants. Enterprise grants support activities that directly benefit small and emerging businesses, while Opportunity grants support broader economic development initiatives and strategic planning efforts.

Eligible activities are broad and can include workforce training, business counseling, technical assistance, leadership development, feasibility studies, revolving loan funds, distance learning programs, and planning initiatives.

For the propane industry, the range of possibilities is significant.

Potential propane-related projects could include technician workforce development programs, CDL and driver training initiatives, emergency preparedness planning, propane education programs for agricultural communities, rural energy resilience projects, small marketer technical assistance initiatives, and feasibility studies related to propane-powered infrastructure or transportation systems.

To help members better understand the opportunity, NPGA is hosting a webinar on May 29^th at 2:00 PM covering the USDA Rural Business Development Grant program. The webinar will provide an overview of eligible project types, discuss how propane-related initiatives may fit within program requirements, and explain strategies for building stronger, more competitive applications.

The webinar will also highlight how NPGA can assist members and partners throughout the process—from identifying opportunities and evaluating project concepts to helping applicants understand requirements and strengthen submissions.

As rural communities continue searching for tools to support economic growth and workforce development, programs like RBDG may provide another avenue to advance propane priorities while delivering meaningful local benefits.

To access the webinar, follow this link:

https://us04web.zoom.us/launch/jc/79972483331

Meeting ID: 799 7248 3331

Passcode: 3nFjGy

For more information, please reach out to NPGA’s Grants and Agency Engagement Manager, Nicholas Edward, at [email protected].