Opportunity Information: Apply for RDBCP RBOG 2013
Apply for RDBCP RBOG 2013
- The Business and Cooperative Programs in the agriculture business and commerce community development other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.773 Rural Business Opportunity Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2013 and posted on May 21, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2013 Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than June 28, 2013 to be eligible for FY 2013 grant funding. If you would like to submit an electronic application, your application must be received by June 24, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 grant funding. An applicant may also hand carry their application to Rural Development field office, but it must be received by close of business on the deadline date. Please note that if you are applying for Partnership funds, your application must be received prior to the June 30, 2013, reservation of funds deadline date. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2013 grant funding.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,600,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments County governments City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Eligible applicants are Public bodies, non profit corporations, Indian Tribes, and rural cooperatives.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) is a discretionary USDA Rural Development program (Business and Cooperative Programs) designed to strengthen rural economies by funding practical, on-the-ground support that helps communities plan for growth and build stronger local businesses. The core purpose is sustainable economic development in rural areas with exceptional needs, with a strong emphasis on training and technical assistance. In practice, this means helping entrepreneurs, existing small and rural businesses, and the local officials and economic developers who support them. Typical grant-funded work includes business development assistance, guidance for entrepreneurs, and broader economic development planning that helps a rural region identify opportunities, organize partnerships, and prepare bankable strategies for long-term job creation and investment.
A major feature of this FY 2013 opportunity is its connection to the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP), an Administration-wide initiative aimed at accelerating manufacturing growth and encouraging communities to compete more effectively for manufacturing-related private investment. Under IMCP, multiple federal agencies (including EDA, USDA, SBA, and EPA) align resources to support regional implementation strategies that tie together long-term planning and targeted investments across areas like workforce training, infrastructure, research, and other assets that matter to manufacturers. The idea is that RBOG and other agency funds can help regions develop or strengthen credible, coordinated strategies that make them more competitive not only for near-term implementation strategy grants, but also for potential future IMCP awards that could be substantially larger (described as 10 to 100 times the size of these implementation strategy grants). IMCP also emphasizes interagency coordination to leverage complementary activities and reduce duplication, so communities are encouraged to build integrated approaches rather than isolated projects. The notice points applicants to Section V.10 for specifics on IMCP participation.
For FY 2013, the opportunity was posted May 21, 2013 under Funding Opportunity Number RDBCP RBOG 2013, with an estimated total funding amount of $2,600,000 and an expectation of about 40 awards. Individual awards were capped at $100,000 (award ceiling), and the CFDA number associated with the program is 10.773 (Rural Business Opportunity Grants). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement listed, which can make participation more feasible for rural communities and organizations that have limited cash resources but strong needs and strong project ideas.
Eligible applicants were broadly defined to include public and community-based entities positioned to deliver training, technical assistance, and planning services. The eligibility language lists public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian Tribes, and rural cooperatives as eligible, and the broader applicant categories include state, county, and local governments; federally recognized tribal governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. The listing also references for-profit organizations other than small businesses as an eligible applicant category, but the eligibility statement itself highlights public bodies, nonprofits, tribes, and rural cooperatives, reflecting the program’s typical focus on mission-driven or public-serving organizations that can provide broad community benefit rather than direct subsidies to private firms.
Key dates for this cycle were tight and format-dependent. Electronic applications had to be received by June 24, 2013 to be eligible for FY 2013 funding, while paper applications needed to be postmarked no later than June 28, 2013. Hand-delivered applications were allowed, but had to arrive by close of business on the applicable deadline date. The notice also flagged an additional timing consideration for applicants seeking partnership-related funds: those applications needed to be received before the June 30, 2013 reservation of funds deadline. Late submissions were not eligible, and the archive date for the posting was July 24, 2013.
Overall, RBOG is best understood as a capacity-building and strategy-building grant for rural places: it helps communities organize their economic development efforts, strengthen the support systems around entrepreneurs and businesses, and create actionable plans that can attract investment and lead to durable job growth. In FY 2013, the program also served as one pathway for rural regions to align with the IMCP manufacturing competitiveness agenda by developing stronger regional strategies that connect workforce, infrastructure, and innovation priorities into a coherent plan that multiple federal partners could support. For more information beyond the notice, the posting referenced the RBOG Program Web Site and provided a program contact number (202-690-1376) for the RBOG Program Manager.
Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) FY 2013 - FAQs
What is the Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG)?
The Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) is a discretionary USDA Rural Development program (Business and Cooperative Programs) intended to strengthen rural economies. It funds practical, on-the-ground support that helps rural communities plan for growth and build stronger local businesses, with an emphasis on sustainable economic development in rural areas with exceptional needs.
What types of projects does RBOG support?
RBOG supports capacity-building activities such as training, technical assistance, and economic development planning. Typical grant-funded work includes business development assistance, guidance for entrepreneurs, and broader regional planning efforts that help rural areas identify opportunities, organize partnerships, and prepare actionable strategies aimed at long-term job creation and investment.
Who benefits from RBOG-funded activities?
The grant is designed to help entrepreneurs, existing small and rural businesses, and the local officials and economic developers who support them. The overall focus is strengthening the local support system around business and entrepreneurship in rural communities.
What is the core purpose of the RBOG program?
The core purpose is sustainable economic development in rural areas with exceptional needs, largely through training and technical assistance and by helping communities build credible plans and strategies for growth.
How is the FY 2013 RBOG opportunity connected to the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP)?
This FY 2013 opportunity emphasized alignment with the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP), an Administration-wide initiative focused on accelerating manufacturing growth. RBOG could be used to help regions develop or strengthen coordinated implementation strategies that tie together long-term planning and targeted investments (for example, workforce training, infrastructure, and research assets) relevant to manufacturers.
Which federal agencies are involved in IMCP?
The notice describes IMCP as involving multiple federal agencies, including EDA, USDA, SBA, and EPA, aligning resources to support regional implementation strategies and reduce duplication across programs.
What is the practical value of aligning an RBOG project with IMCP?
Aligning with IMCP is presented as a way for regions to strengthen credible, coordinated strategies that can help them compete more effectively for manufacturing-related private investment and for potential future IMCP awards. The notice indicates those future awards could be substantially larger, described as 10 to 100 times the size of these implementation strategy grants.
Where does the notice point applicants for specifics about IMCP participation?
The notice points applicants to Section V.10 for specifics on IMCP participation.
What was the Funding Opportunity Number for FY 2013?
The FY 2013 opportunity used Funding Opportunity Number RDBCP RBOG 2013.
When was the FY 2013 opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 21, 2013.
What was the estimated total funding amount for FY 2013?
The estimated total program funding amount for FY 2013 was $2,600,000.
About how many awards were expected for FY 2013?
The notice indicated an expectation of about 40 awards.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for FY 2013?
Individual awards were capped at $100,000.
What is the CFDA number for RBOG?
The CFDA number associated with the Rural Business Opportunity Grants program is 10.773.
Was cost sharing or matching required for this FY 2013 RBOG cycle?
No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed in the provided opportunity information.
Who was eligible to apply for RBOG in FY 2013?
Eligible applicants were broadly defined to include public and community-based entities positioned to deliver training, technical assistance, and planning services. The eligibility language lists public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian Tribes, and rural cooperatives as eligible.
Which applicant categories were included in the listing for eligibility?
The broader applicant categories included state, county, and local governments; federally recognized tribal governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. The listing also referenced for-profit organizations other than small businesses as an eligible applicant category.
Does the program mainly focus on funding private businesses directly?
Based on the notice description, the program is framed as supporting mission-driven or public-serving organizations (public bodies, nonprofits, tribes, and rural cooperatives) that deliver broad community benefit through training, technical assistance, and planning, rather than direct subsidies to private firms.
What were the application deadlines for FY 2013?
Electronic applications had to be received by June 24, 2013 to be eligible for FY 2013 funding. Paper applications needed to be postmarked no later than June 28, 2013.
Were hand-delivered applications allowed, and if so, what deadline applied?
Yes. Hand-delivered applications were allowed, but they had to arrive by close of business on the applicable deadline date.
What happens if an application is submitted late?
Late submissions were not eligible for funding.
Was there an additional timing consideration related to partnership-related funds?
Yes. The notice flagged that applications seeking partnership-related funds needed to be received before the June 30, 2013 reservation of funds deadline.
What was the archive date for the FY 2013 posting?
The archive date for the posting was July 24, 2013.
How should RBOG be understood in terms of overall strategy for rural communities?
RBOG is best understood as a capacity-building and strategy-building grant for rural places. It helps communities organize economic development efforts, strengthen the systems that support entrepreneurs and businesses, and create actionable plans that can attract investment and lead to durable job growth.
Where can applicants find more information or official program resources?
The posting referenced the RBOG Program Web Site for more information beyond the notice.
Is there a contact number for the RBOG Program Manager mentioned in the posting?
Yes. The posting provided a program contact number: 202-690-1376.
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