Rbdg rural business coop business enterprise reap zones grant

This $199,000 Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) award, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service and Rural Business Cooperative Services, aims to promote sustainable economic development and facilitate the growth of small and emerging private businesses in rural communities. The grant recipient, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund Inc., is a nonprofit community development financial institution that provides financing and support for affordable housing, community facilities, and small businesses in low and moderate income communities across New Hampshire. The funding will support the organization's efforts to expand meat and poultry processing capacity in the state, as well as respond to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding lending, grantmaking and investment activity in disadvantaged communities. This 2-year project grant, with a completion date of June 2026, aligns with the program's core mission of improving the economy in rural areas through business opportunity and enterprise grants.