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Revolving Funds for Financing Water and Wastewater Projects in Oregon

closed
May 10, 2023 – June 10, 2023 11:59 p.m. EST


FY 2023 Funding Opportunity Announcement

What does this program do?

This program helps qualified nonprofits create revolving loan funds that can provide financing to extend and improve water and waste disposal systems in rural areas.

Who may apply for these grants?

Nonprofits that have:

  • Legal authority to operate a revolving loan fund.
  • Financial, technical and managerial capacity to comply with relevant state/federal laws and regulations.

How may the grant funds be used?

To create a revolving loan fund for eligible water and wastewater systems operated by:

  • State and local governmental entities
  • Nonprofits
  • Indian tribes on federal and state reservations and other federally recognized Indian tribes

What may the revolving loan fund be used for?

  • Pre-development costs for water and wastewater treatment projects.
  • Short-term small capital improvement projects that are not part of the regular operations and maintenance.

What are the revolving loan fund terms?

  • Maximum loan per borrower is $200,000.
  • Maximum term is 10 years
  • The interest rate is determined by the nonprofit that manages the revolving loan fund and approved by Rural Utilities Service.

What is an eligible area?

Are matching funds required?

Yes, the applicant must contribute at least 20 percent. 
•    Matching funds may be from the applicant or a third party. 
•    Matching funds may not be in-kind. 

Are there any Environmental requirements associated with this grant?

RUS will notify a successful applicant by an award letter accompanied by a grant agreement and multi-tier action environmental compliance agreement.  The grant agreement will contain the terms and conditions for the grant; the multi-tier action environmental compliance agreement will detail the Recipient’s responsibilities in meeting the Agency’s Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 1970, in particular §1970.55 which applies to multi-tier actions or relending actions.  The multi-tier action environmental compliance agreement acknowledges that further “tiered” environmental review may be required and coordinated by the Recipient prior to approving Subrecipient applications for re-lending purposes.  The applicant must execute and return the agreements, accompanied by any additional items required by the award letter or grant agreement.

How do we get started?

Who can answer questions?

What governs this program?

  • Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR Part 1783
  • Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act

Why does USDA Rural Development do this?

This program helps very small communities extend and improve water and waste treatment facilities for households and businesses. Good practices can save tax dollars, improve the natural environment and may be necessary for manufacturers and other types of businesses to locate or expand operations.

A revolving loan fund is a pool of public- and private-sector funds that recycles money as loans are repaid (revolved funds). Funding by a grant or a long-term/low-cost loan is used to start, replenish and expand revolving loan funds. Grant recipients under this program must have legal authority to operate a revolving loan fund.  They must provide a work plan that documents the ability to make and service loans to eligible entities under this program and demonstrates the feasibility of their lending program to meet the purpose of the Revolving Fund Program.

NOTE: Program details may change over time. Before you begin an application, please confirm you have the most current information by contacting a program specialist in your local office for assistance, or consult the Program Instructions listed in the section above titled "What Governs this Program?"

Learn how to prepare wastewater system planning documents for projects that anticipate joint funding from USDA Rural Development and Business Oregon, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, or Rural Community Assistance Corporation in the Guide to Preparing Wastewater Planning Documents and Environmental Reports for Projects with Multipe Funding Sources (PDF, 1.23 MB), updated July 23, 2018.

Additional resources and funding options for Oregon water and wastewater infrastructure projects are provided in the Rural Community Assistance Corporation's 2016 Oregon Water & Wastewater Funding and Resource Guide* (PDF, 314 KB). 

*This document was developed by a local nonprofit and is being shared by USDA as a public service to our customers. Please note that the guide may not capture all resources and funding opportunities that may be available or relevant to water and wastewater infrastructure projects, and the inclusion of an organization or program does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by USDA over similar options not named.

NOTE: Please select your state in the dropdown menu above to find the state office contact information for this program, and speak to a program specialist before attempting to fill out any forms or applications. This will save you time in completing your application. Please also refer to the application guide listed below.
 

Application Resources:

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: RDRUS-23-RFP

State Environmental Requirements:

Guide to Preparing Wastewater Planning Documents and Environmental Reports for Projects with Multiple Funding Sources (PDF, 1.23 MB), updated July 23, 2018

For further information, please contact the Charlotte Bentley at (503) 414-3362 or charlotte.bentley@usda.gov.

There are no other additional requirements at the national level. If there are additional state-specific requirements they will be listed above.

STATEWIDE CONTACTS:

Main Phone: (866) 923-5626 ext. 3
Relay Service: Dial 711 for a free relay service operated by the FCC
Fax: (855) 824-6181

USDA Rural Development
Attn: Community Programs
1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 1801
Portland, OR 97204

LaDonn McElligott, Community Programs Director
(541) 624-3087, ladonn.mcelligott@usda.gov

Ella Nichols, Community Programs Specialist
(503) 414-3354, ella.nichols@usda.gov

Tangent Office:

Holly Halligan, Community Programs Specialist
(541) 801-2682, holly.halligan@usda.gov

Roseburg Office:

Jennifer Bacigalupo, Community Programs Specialist
(541) 378-3532, jennifer.bacigalupo@usda.gov

There are currently no events scheduled.