Skip navigation barsU S D A and Rural Development Logos            Committed to the future of rural communities    
Business and Cooperative Programs

 

  

Business Programs
Cooperative Programs
Special Initiatives
Farmbill 9006 Resources
National Rural Development Partnership
RD Instructions/Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations
RBS En Espaņol


USDA Office Locator
Rural Development Field Offices
USDA eForms
B&I Loanpack 2000
Library of Publications

Discover RBS
Job Opportunities
Administrator's Bio



 Features: O n   t h e   C o v e r:
AGP soybean meal is loaded at the Port of Grays Harbor, Wash., for transport to the Pacific Rim. Photo by Marc Sterling, courtesy Port of Grays Harbor. Inset photo: Peaches are processed for canning at Tri Valley Growers' plant in Modesto, Calif. Photo courtesy Modesto Bee. Story on page 20.



Go To USDA Faith-Based and Community Initiatives web page

Go To RBS Energy Webpage

Rural Area Determinations Here: Link to ERS site that calculates new coordinates for business-loan-eligible rural areas

2002 Farm Bill Logo (farm building encircled by stars and stripes): Link to U S D A Rural Development 2002 Farm Bill Site
Rural Development 2002 Farm Bill Site

 Business Programs Powerpoint Presentation Directory

Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP)

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA) will select and license applicants to become Rural Business Investment Companies (RBIC), and provide financial assistance and grant awards under the RBIP. The Secretary of the USDA invites applications from newly-formed venture capital companies seeking to be licensed as a RBIC. USDA has delegated to the SBA receipt of applications under this Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA). SBA will begin accepting applications on June 8, 2004. The application deadline is 4 p.m. EST on Friday, September 17, 2004. See NOFA and regulations for details. Additional information such as announcements, factsheet, forms, and more on RBIP is available on SBA's website at www.sba.gov/INV/RBIP/

Update:  The Rural Business Investment Program application period, associated with the June 8, 2004, Notice of Funds Availability, has closed. Five Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) applications were received and are under review.






Funded in part by USDA Rural Development, the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) is a national virtual resource center providing the latest information on value-added agricultural enterprise development. The center has grown from a small Web site with a few areas of expertise to more than 150 different commodity areas over the past year. The variety is far-reaching. From biomass to dairy, beef and swine to horticultural crops, hard cider to tilapia, AgMRC covers a wide array of marketing, processing and production issues that are an integral part of value-added agriculture now and in the future.

 Check out the AgMRC Web site (www.agmrc.org) for a quick and research-based information source for producers to make better decisions.




 2002 Farm Bill Renewable Energy Site
 Programs Supporting Renewable Energy Systems





Special Initiatives Quick Find

1890 Land-Grant Institution Initiative
ARMS Loan Guarantee Program
Biobased Products and Bioenergy Program
Business Information System Network [BISNet]
The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Community Adjustment and Investment Program (CAIP)
The National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC)
The Native eDGE
Research on Rural Cooperative Opportunities and Problems Program
Rural Cooperative Development Grants
Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG)
Agriculture Innovation Centers (AIC)
Value-Added Innovation Center Stakeholder Meeting Transcript


New Link to Ethanol Presentation - RBS
Energy Webpage
Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program



Go To Biomass Webpage

Accessibility Statement
Go to USDA Go to Rural Development Questions/Comments
Privacy Statement Nonprofit Gateway Site Index
USDA's Quality of Information Website
RD's QOI Website: