Rbdg rural business coop native american enterprise grant

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded a Rural Business Development Grant (CFDA 10.351) to Nebraska Enterprise Fund in the amount of $200,000 on August 22, 2025, with a completion date of August 22, 2027. This project grant supports Nebraska Enterprise Fund's delivery of comprehensive business development services and technical assistance to small and emerging private businesses in rural Nebraska communities. Through this funding, the organization will provide services such as feasibility studies, business counseling, market research, entrepreneurship training, and technical assistance to qualifying business enterprises that employ 50 or fewer new employees and project less than $1.0 million in gross revenue.

As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and nonprofit community development corporation, Nebraska Enterprise Fund will utilize this grant to expand access to capital and economic development support for underserved populations, including women, minorities, veterans, and low-income entrepreneurs across rural Nebraska. The award supports the program's strategic priorities of promoting sustainable economic development, creating and preserving jobs, and facilitating business growth in communities with elevated unemployment rates and significant low-income populations. Grant activities align with the Rural Business Development Grant program's mission to strengthen rural economies through targeted intermediary support rather than direct business awards.