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

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.

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.

SBA Basic Loan Information

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government. Its purpose is to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. There are numerous loan programs offered through the SBA that businesses can access through SBA preferred and certified lenders.

USDA Rural Development Grants and Loans

Promoting a dynamic business environment in rural America is the goal of Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs (BCP), and Business Programs (BP). BP works in partnership with the private sector and the community-based organizations to provide financial assistance and business planning. BP helps fund projects that create or preserve quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural environment. The financial resources of BP are often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business and credit needs in under-served areas. Recipients of these programs may include individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and private companies.