USDA ANNOUNCES $5.7 MILLION IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2001 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced 48 applications, totaling $5.7 million, have been selected as finalists for rural business grant funding consideration. The funds will be used to facilitate the development of small and emerging private business enterprises and provide technical assistance, training, and planning activities for economic development in 24 states.

The applicants selected represent 47 public bodies, private nonprofit corporations and federally recognized Indian tribes who will use the funds to assist some of America's more distressed rural areas. Distressed areas identified include: federally designated rural Enterprise Communities and Empowerment Zones (EC/EZ), Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) zones, and Native American Tribes and tribal organizations.

Grant funding has been made available through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) and Rural Business Opportunities Grant (RBOG) programs, which are administered by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency within USDA Rural Development. The 24 states and their funding levels include:

Alaska - $70,000 Arkansas - $390,810 California - $621,974

Georgia - $85,190 Florida - $327,863 Idaho - $85,000

Illinois - $252,100 Kentucky - $375,000 Maine - $148,180

Mississippi - $336,500 Missouri - $253,655 Montana - $113,000

New Mexico - $97,300 North Carolina - $300,000 North Dakota - $50,000

Oklahoma - $146,900 Oregon - $80,000 South Carolina - $578,500

South Dakota - 113,600 Tennessee - $36,000 West Virginia - $90,000

Washington - $430,988 Wisconsin - $694,910 Vermont - $25,909

USDA serves as the lead federal entity for rural development needs, and administers program assistance through three agencies: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. Further information on USDA Rural Development can be obtained by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov

A list of individual loan recipients being considered for funding can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/newsroom/2001/rbogrbeglist.html.

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