Deadline: 19-Nov-20
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) is offering a grant opportunity to promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure that benefits rural communities.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is comprised of six divisions that use a customer-driven, solution-oriented approach to cultivate and expand new economic opportunities for the food and agricultural sector; safeguard the public’s food supply; inspect and enforce sound animal health practices; control and eradicate plant pests and diseases threatening the $104.7 billion food and agriculture system; preserve the environment by which the farming community makes their living and feeds consumers; and protect consumers by enforcing laws relating to weights and measures.
The grant funds are available for projects that address expansion and sustainability of land-based industries; worker training related to land-based industries; and energy, transportation, communications, water and wastewater infrastructure to benefit rural communities and metropolitan statistical areas.
Funding Areas
Funding will be focused on the following types of projects in rural areas:
- Infrastructure Development: Examples of projects could be roadways, bridges, renewable energy, wastewater, rural housing, etc.
- Rural Capacity Building: Examples of projects include museums, local and regional tourism campaigns, feasibility studies, etc.
- Business Development: Examples for projects include business expansion ensuring long-term creation or retention of jobs with a strong local and/or regional impact. For this year, projects with a focus on livestock processing are encouraged.
- Talent Development and Training: Examples of projects include local and regional workforce development programs, workforce training, rural housing projects, etc.
Grant Criteria
The criterion was established by the Rural Development Fund Board on August 13, 2020.
- The maximum limit on grant fund requests is $100,000. The total allotment for funding is approximately $1.4 million. (Please submit budget in whole dollar amounts and round to the nearest $100.)
- Applicants must provide a minimum 30% match.
- The match is 30% of the grant amount you are requesting. For example, if you are requesting a $100,000 grant, you must provide a match amount of at least $30,000. If you are requesting a $50,000 grant, you must provide a match amount of at least $15,000.
- Cash match is required.
- Projects with a stronger match will receive increased scoring by the Joint Evaluation Committee.
- In-kind match will be considered as part of the review criteria but will not count towards minimum match requirements.
Eligible Applicants
- Individuals;
- Organizations;
- Businesses;
- Local Units of Government (county, city, township, village, school district; any authority composed of counties, cities, townships, villages and school districts or combination of these entities);
- Federally Recognized Tribes;
- Educational Institutions.
For more information, visit https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1570_51684_78392—,00.html