Environmental Entrepreneurship Program for Minority Serving Institutions
Organization: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Deadline: October 29 Activities: NOAA is soliciting proposals for funding under its Environmental Entrepreneurship Program. The program is a mechanism to provide student training in the application of NOAA sciences for the creation of business opportunities. It is designed to strengthen the capacity of Minority Serving Institutions to foster student careers, entrepreneurship opportunities and advanced academic degrees.

Rural Entrepreneurship Outreach Program
Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deadline: July 26 Activities: USDA is soliciting proposals for funding under the Rural Entrepreneurship Outreach Initiative. The program seeks to develop future entrepreneurs and businesses in rural America in those communities that have the most economic need. Approximately $1.5 million is expected to be available for awards of up to $150,000; cost sharing of at least 25 percent is required.

Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program
Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deadline: July 26 Activities: The USDA is requesting applications for the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program. The goal of this program is to improve the economic conditions of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives. Approximately $6.5 million is available, with 25 awards anticipated.

USDA Value-Added Producer Grants Program
Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deadline: July 30 Activities: The USDA is requesting proposals for the Value-Added Producer Grants Program. This program makes funds available to help producers enter into value-added activities. Grants are awarded for both the marketing and processing of an agricultural product. Approximately $13.2 million will be available, with 78 awards anticipated.

Neighborhood Excellence Initiative
Organization: Bank of America Charitable Investments Deadline: July 31 Activities: The Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is a two-year, $15 million program designed to recognize and support organizations and individuals helping to rebuild and revitalize their neighborhoods. The initiative is composed of three programs: Neighborhood Builders, Local Heroes, and Student Leaders.

Peoples Bancorp Foundation Grants
Organization: Peoples Bancorp Deadline: Applications reviewed four times per year: Feb. 10, May 10, Aug. 10, Nov. 10. Activities: Peoples Bancorp, a diversified financial products and services company, has formed Peoples Bancorp Foundation, an independent nonprofit corporation, to make charitable distributions to organizations located in its service areas in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The foundation focuses its charitable giving in four major areas: community investment and economic development; youth and education; human services; and arts and culture.

U.S.-Mexico Partnership Awards
Organization: Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development (ALO) Deadline: August 27 Activities: ALO has announced the release of a 2004 Special Request for Applications for its U.S.-Mexico Training, Internships, Exchanges and Scholarships Initiative. ALO, in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development, is issuing this request to make approximately six awards of up to $300,000. Five of these partnerships will focus on contributing to rural development in Mexico and one will focus on strengthening Mexico’s capacity to prevent, diagnose, and control tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

$8 Million Program to Spark Rural Entrepreneurship Development
Organizations: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Deadline: August 13 Activities: The Kellogg Foundation in cooperation with the Corporation for Enterprise Development will award up to $8 million in grants to foster rural regional entrepreneurship development systems. Four grants of up to $2 million each will be awarded. Each of the regional systems that receive a grant will be organized and led by a collaboration of organizations that will develop and implement products and services to encourage and stimulate entrepreneurship.

Technology-Related Grants for Nonprofits
Organization: SBC Foundation Deadline: August 13 Activities: The SBC Foundation is accepting applications for funding under the SBC Excelerator technology grants program. This program funds projects that build the technology infrastructure of nonprofits, enabling them to increase their organizational effectiveness or service-delivery capability. Approximately $9 million is available for one-year grants, which typically range from $2,500 to $25,000.

SBIR, STTR Program Grants
The federal agencies listed below are accepting proposals for funding under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and/or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. SBIR is a three-phase program that enables small businesses to propose innovative ideas that meet specific research and research and development (R&D) needs of the federal government. STTR, also a three-phase program, reserves federal R&D funding for award to small businesses in partnership with nonprofit research institutions to move ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace and to meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges. For details, click on the appropriate link.

Phase 1 Deadlines
Environmental Protection Agency (SBIR): May 25
Environmental Protection Agency (SBIR): March 25
CDC and the National Institutes of Health (SBIR): November 5
Public Health Service (SBIR/STTR): April 1, August 1, December 1

Funding for Innovation-Based Economic Development
Organization: Department of Commerce Deadline: Ongoing Activities: The Economic Development Administration is soliciting proposals for funding to support comprehensive, entrepreneurial and innovation-based economic development efforts. The goal is to enhance the competitiveness of regional business environments that result in increased private investment and higher-skill, higher-wage jobs. Approximately $285 million is available.

Microsoft Funds Community-Based Technology Centers
Organization: Microsoft Corp. Deadline: Ongoing Activities: Microsoft will contribute more than $1 billion in funding to its new global initiative Unlimited Potential (UP) over the next five years. UP focuses on providing technology skills for disadvantaged individuals through community-based technology and learning centers.

Funding for Entrepreneurs in Appalachian Counties
Organization: Small Business Administration (SBA) Deadline: Ongoing Activities: SBA is sponsoring a new fund, the Southern Appalachian Fund, which is offering almost $13 million in capital to start-up companies in Appalachia’s poorest regions. The fund offers up to $600,000 per start-up. Start-ups must be located in counties where the median income is less than 80 percent of the national average.

Grants for Regional Economic Development Projects
Organization: Economic Development Administration (EDA) Deadline: Ongoing Activities: EDA invites proposals for economic development projects that seek to enhance regional competitiveness and support long-term development of regional economies. More than $288 million has been appropriated for the program in FY 2003.

Cisco Networking Equipment for Nonprofits
Organizations: Cisco Systems and TechSoup Activities: Cisco and TechSoup are offering small- and midsize nonprofit organizations high-quality networking equipment and support for about 90 percent off the retail price. To qualify, organizations must have fewer than 20 physical locations and annual budgets of less than $10 million.

EDA Grants for State, Regional and Community Economic Development
Organization: Economic Development Administration (EDA) Deadline: Ongoing Activities: The EDA is making available $335 million in grants to support state, regional and community efforts to create wealth and minimize poverty in areas with substantial economic distress by promoting a favorable business environment to attract private capital investment. Potential applicants must submit a pre-application proposal to the appropriate EDA representative for the area or regional office.

Broadband Pilot Loan Program
Organization: Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Deadline: Ongoing Activities: RUS has made available $80 million for loans in the Broadband Pilot Loan Program during fiscal 2002. These loans are available to those financing the dy; an Indian tribe; a cooperative, nonprofit, limited dividend or mutual association;construction of facilities and systems providing broadband transmission service to rural consumers. To be eligible for a loan, the applicant must be a public bo an incorporated or limited liability company; or other legally organized entity. The applicant my not be an individual or a partnership.

Incubators Eligible for Rural Utilities Funding
Organization: Rural Utilities Service (RUS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Deadline: Ongoing. Activities: Under the Rural Economic Development Loan program, local telephone and electric companies that are involved with the RUS make available interest-free loans for rural economic development projects, including incubator projects, feasibility studies and other expenses. Info: Contact your local USDA Rural Development office (a state-by-state index is available at www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html) to find out if RUS services your local utilities and if they participate in the program. Apply through participating utilities and encourage nonparticipating utilities to join the program.

Grants Fund Rural Incubators
Organization: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Deadline: Ongoing. Activities: The USDA makes available Rural Business Enterprise Grants on a state-by-state basis to finance and facilitate the development of small and emerging private business enterprises in rural areas, including purchasing land and constructing buildings. Eligibility: Public bodies, private nonprofits and federally recognized Indian tribal groups.

Government Grants Database
There is a Web site designed for easy research on the government grants. Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) are now in a database designed to allow expedient access in looking up grants by department, topic, or date. The listings are brief, but include contact information and a link to the fuller NOFA on the appropriate Department's Web site.

Updated by the Center for Innovation in September 2004