Deadline: 26-Jul-21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Utilities Programs is seeking applications for the Rural Place-making Innovation Challenge (RPIC) to support rural community leaders to create places where people want to live, work, and play.
This initiative is to provide planning support, technical assistance, and training to communities to foster place-making activities in rural communities.
Funds can help enhance capacity for broadband access, preserve cultural and historic structures, and support the development of transportation, housing, and recreational spaces.
Applicants must demonstrate existing and proposed partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and community partners to provide assistance.
This funding announcement supports the delivery of technical assistance and training in visioning, planning, and assisting communities to implement place-making efforts in rural communities under RPIC.
The intention of RPIC is to provide cooperative agreement funding to eligible applicants working to promote public-private-philanthropic partnerships in rural communities that encourage economic and social development.
These projects are intended to support rural America and align with the mission of existing USDA RD programs to increase rural economic growth and improve the quality of life in rural America by supporting essential services such as housing, economic development, and required infrastructure.
RPIC operates under the following concepts:
- Creating livable communities is important for community developers and practitioners who implement these strategies in rural communities and areas.
- Place-making practices include both innovative and adaptive as well as established technical processes and solutions.
- Partnerships are a key element to the RPIC and must be developed with public, private, and philanthropic organizations creating new collaborative approaches, learning together, and bringing those learned strategies into rural communities.
- Place-making contributes to long-term investment and therefore supports a community’s resiliency, social stability, and collective identity.
- Broadband is an essential component to supporting place-making initiatives.
For the purpose of this notice, place-making is the process of creating quality places where people want to live, work, and play.
Ultimately, the goal is to create greater social and cultural vitality in rural communities aimed at improving people’s social, physical, and economic well-being.
The key elements of quality places include, but are not limited to, a mix of uses; effective public spaces; broadband capability; transportation options; multiple housing options; preservation of historic structure; and respect of community heritage, arts, culture, creativity, recreation, and green space.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $3,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $250,000
- Period of Performance: The maximum Period of Performance is 2 years. Applicants should anticipate a Period of Performance beginning October 1, 2021 and ending no later than September 30, 2023.
Regions
- The Northeast includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
- The Midwest includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.
- The South includes Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Oklahoma.
- The West includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Pacific Island Territories.
Eligibility Criteria
- Federally recognized Tribes and Native American Tribal Organizations; institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)); nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status; public bodies or small private entities meeting the size standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
- All eligible applicants must demonstrate the capacity to deliver and support rural place-making planning activities within at least one of the four regions found. Capacity is defined as previous experience with federal grant administration and demonstrated experience in economic development and place-making technical assistance.
- Entities are not eligible if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded from, or ineligible for, participation in Federal assistance programs. In addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a cooperative agreement due to an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax Court) or if the applicant is delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes or Federal debt.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333852