REAP Feasibility Study Grant Program

Applications Being Accepted for Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Grants

Lincoln, Neb., August 24, 2010 – USDA Rural Development is accepting applications for the Section 9007 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Feasibility Study Grant program.

The REAP/Feasibility Study Grant Program provides grants to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to conduct a feasibility study for a renewable energy system.

The grants are awarded on a competitive basis for up to 25 percent of total eligible project costs or $50,000 whichever is less.

Eligible feasibility studies for renewable energy systems include projects that will produce energy from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro power and hydrogen-based sources. The energy to be produced includes, heat, electricity, or fuel.

For all projects, the system must be located in a rural area and must be owned by the applicant.

Applications must be received in your local USDA Rural Development office no later than 4:30 p.m. CT on October 5, 2010. You can locate the Rural Development office nearest you by visiting: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ne/Contact_Us.htm. Application materials can be located online at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ne/Energy_Section%209007%20Renewable%20Energy%20Feasibility%20Study%20Funding.htm. Applications can also be downloaded and submitted through http://www.grants.gov. The Notice of Funding Availability for Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies Grants under the REAP can be found in the August 6, 2010 Federal Register Vol. 75 No. 151 page 47525. Contact Deb Yocum, rural energy coordinator at 402-437-5554 or debra.yocum@ne.usda.gov.

USDA Announces Efforts To Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will award grants of up to $5 million to improve access to and increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly the Food Stamp Program. Read more

Cooperative Grants – Due March 19th

2010 Initial and Advanced Assistance Grants Applications are now available! The UNL-Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (NCDC)is providing mini funding grants to new and existing cooperatively owned businesses to complete the critical stages in business development and expansion. It is often critical to have professional services when beginning or expanding a business venture and the NCDC is equipped to provide grants to cooperatives and groups who are in need of assistance in obtaining legal services, accounting, consulting, and other development services.

Two Types of Grants Available

Initial Assistance Grants are available to unincorporated cooperative groups or steering committees and can be awarded for amounts up to $2,000. The grant is designed for groups or steering committees, and others who are exploring a business idea and will conduct exploratory research.

Advanced Development Grants are available to incorporated cooperatively owned businesses (LLCs, Cooperatives, etc.) and can be awarded for amounts up to $3,500. The grant is designed for groups who are ready to hire professional services (i.e. legal/ financial) or develop marketing materials.

2010 Timeline

Call for Proposals: February 5, 2010
Applications Due: March 19, 2010 by 4:00pm Central Time
Expected Awards Made: April 9, 2010
Grant Activities Completed no later than September 30, 2010
Final Reports submitted to NCDC by October 29, 2010
Approximately six months to complete grant.

NO EXTENSIONS

These are competitive grants. Funding is limited so not all grants will be funded. Grant applications will be reviewed by Nebraska Cooperative Development Advisory Board members.

For an application, visit the NCDC website. Questions can be addressed to Jim Crandall, jcrandall3@unl.edu and Elaine Cranford, ecranford2@unl.edu

CCR Federal Debt Flag Information

Effective February 2010, a notification of outstanding federal debt will be active on the Central Contract Registration system. CCR receives updated data from the Financial Management Service (FMS), a bureau of the United States Treasury, for the Federal Debt Flag once per week. Any vendors with questions about the flag are to contact the FMS at 800.304.3107.

The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system is a secured repository of vendor data used for governmentwide contracts. The preferred method for completing a registration is via the World Wide Web at www.ccr.gov. Businesses only need to register once. The information submitted will be accessible to all Federal agencies for conducting business. The business owner has access to update the information whenever necessary. Annual renewal is required to remain active.

A CCR Handbook is available at www.ccr.gov to assist with registration. It provides detailed instructions on data needed prior to beginning the on-line registration, as well as steps to help with the registration process.

For additional help with government contracts, contact Andy Alexander, PTAC Program Manager/Counselor, Nebraska Business Development Center. ph: (402) 554-6253

Federal Contractor Certification

The Nebraska Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is offering a Federal Contractor Certification (FCC) Program. The program helps the business owner understand federal contracting guidelines. The training also gives the business owner a solid understanding of federal contracting principles and the motivation and skills to successfully complete a government contract.

The FCC program consists of four levels. Each level is built upon the successful completion of the previous level. Participants will take 35-40 hours of self-paced, online course work and on-site final exams for each module. After all four course levels are complete, there will be an on-site final exam based on all four modules. Upon successful completion of the program, you will become a Certified Federal Contractor, which places your company ahead of non-certified bidders.

To be eligible for the training, a business must be have been in business for two years and a client of the Nebraska PTAC program. A Nebraska PTAC counselor will review the company’s federal registration and a FCC Release form must be signed. Cost for Non-Veteran business owners is $250 per module. NBDC will award scholarships to all VOB/SDVOBs.

Contact Julie Burrell Lillig at 402.595.1828, email jburrell@unomaha.edu to register or visit NBDC online at http://ptac.unomaha.edu/events.cfm.

Financial Resources for Business Ownership

This webinar (51 minutes) provides information to current and potential business owners about Nebraska microenterprise statewide resources. Included is discussion on financing a small /micro business, along with saving and building credit for business ownership. Guest speakers were Jeff Christensen of NED, Inc., and Jeff Reynolds of REAP, along with Rose Jaspersen, Executive Director and Glennis McClure, Program Manager of NEF.

To access the webinar, click on the provided link: https://canhelp.webex.com/canhelp/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=58206977&rKey=3fe5e5feb3f41ade

Website to Search for Angel Investors

Angelsoft.net is a new online startup tool to help business owners find venture capital firms and angel investors worldwide, including in and around Nebraska.

Launched in 2009, Investor Search allows users to search by location, investment size, industry, milestone, valuation, and more. You can also search by keyword, and sort results based on closest location, most active, response time, investments, and applications. The tool includes profiles of over 1,000 venture capital firms and angel investor groups.

Angelsoft.net has an online business planning tool that helps the business owner put together a business plan specifically designed for the investors. You will be asked 11 questions that every investor wants answered. Along the way the website provides you with tips on how to best complete each question. When you are finished, you will have a document that you print, share as a PDF, or use to apply to the 1,026 groups that accept the Angelsoft application.

SBA Loans

The SBA offers numerous loan programs to assist small businesses. SBA is primarily a guarantor of loans made by private and other institutions, they do not directly loan to businesses. Contact the Nebraska SBA office for a list of Nebraska approved SBA lenders.

7(a) loans are the most basic and most used type loan of SBA’s business loan programs and are only available on a guaranty basis. The loans are provided by lenders who choose to structure their own loans by SBA’s requirements and who apply and receive a guaranty from SBA on a portion of this loan. The SBA does not fully guaranty 7(a) loans.

November Deadline Quickly Nearing for Value-Added Producer Grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the availability of $18 million for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. The deadline to apply is November 30, 2009. To view more information on this grant click on the pdf file below.

November-Deadline-for-Value-Added-Program

Contact: the article’s author, Traci Bruckner, Assistant Policy Program Director for the Center for Rural Affairs at 402.687.2103 x 1016 or tracib@cfra.org. You can also check out a fact sheet on the program at http://www.cfra.org/resources/vapg/fact_sheet. This article is from the Center for Rural Affairs’ October 2009 monthly newsletter.

How to Find Funds in a Credit Crunch

By Joanne Cleaver | Oct 1, 2008 Inc. Magazine

Banks are cutting back, but capital is still available for worthy companies that know where to look.”We have one of those mortgages that’s all over the news right now,” says Dave Tiller.That mortgage is an option adjustable rate mortgage, which allows borrowers to pay less than the interest that’s accumulating on the loan — so the amount of the loan grows over time. Back in 2005, when Tiller refinanced his house, such loans were the latest thing. Tiller figured that paying $1,100 a month on the mortgage and deferring $1,400 a month in interest would maximize the amount of cash he had to invest in Studeo Legal, the Peoria, Arizona, legal-document management and consulting firm he was launching.

Then came the credit crunch. His five-bedroom home, appraised at $390,000 when he refinanced, is now worth just $320,000 — $10,000 less than he owes. Meanwhile, his monthly payment has ballooned to $3,000, which is $1,000 more than it would have been if he had been paying interest all along. That means he has less to invest in his business, and, thanks to the credit crunch, virtually no other options for finding capital.

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