Please note that RSVP to sbir@htdc.org is requested. The seminars are being offered in Manoa on June 28, Kona on June 29, and Hilo on June 30.

Release No. HI-10-10

USDA Invites Applications for Renewable Energy Funding

Funds Will Help Increase Production and Use of Renewable Energy, Create Jobs, and Protect Natural Resources

HILO, HI, May 4, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is seeking applications to increase the production and use of renewable energy sources. Funding is available from four USDA Rural Development renewable energy programs authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill).

“This funding will help spur investments in technologies that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, conserve natural resources and help build a sustained renewable energy industry in rural America,” Vilsack said. “Support provided by USDA through these programs will not only benefit the environment, it will create green jobs and help America become more energy self-sufficient.”

USDA is accepting applications for grants and loan guarantees in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) until June 30, 2010. More information on how to apply for funding is available in the April 26, 2010 Federal Register. The Rural Energy for America Program provides funds to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.

Eligible projects include installing renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar, geothermal, biomass, anaerobic digesters, hydroelectric, and ocean or hydrogen systems. Funding may also be used to purchase energy-efficient equipment, add insulation, and improve heating and cooling systems. In fiscal year 2009, this program helped fund 1,485 REAP projects in 50 states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Western Pacific Islands.

“The Rural Energy for America Program enables owners of small rural businesses, farms and ranches to reduce energy consumption, part of President Obama’s effort to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and the destabilizing effects of a changing climate,” Vilsack said. “Through this program, farmers, agricultural producers and small business owners will be able to upgrade or replace outdated, inefficient systems in their operations. That not only saves money, it supports job creation.”

One rural company that used REAP funds to reduce energy costs is Energex American, Inc., a Mifflintown, Penn., based pellet manufacturing firm. In 2009, the company received a $476,685 grant to help fund the installation of an industrial dryer powered by woody biomass. The company reduced its annual demand for propane by 150,000 gallons and realized energy savings of nearly 98 percent.

The Hawaii State Rural Development Office has received an allocation of REAP funds. State Director Chris J. Kanazawa has established a deadline of May 21 2010 for the receipt of applications from the State of Hawaii and American Samoa; and a deadline of June 4, 2010 for the receipt of applications from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Applications received after these due dates will have to compete Nationally for funding consideration. Please contact Denise Oda, Business Programs Specialist in Hilo at 808-933-8323 (denise.oda@hi.usda.gov) for further information.

In addition to the REAP program, Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA is also planning to accept applications for three other renewable energy programs: the Biorefinery Assistance Program, Repowering Assistance Program and the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. Details on how to apply will be released later this week in the Federal Register. USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program provides guaranteed loans to develop and construct commercial-scale biorefineries or to retrofit existing facilities using eligible technology for the development of advanced biofuels. The amount of a loan guaranteed for a project under this program cannot exceed 80 percent of total eligible project costs.

The Repowering Assistance Program is designed to encourage the use of renewable biomass as a replacement fuel source for fossil fuels used to provide process heat or power in the operation of eligible biorefineries (those biorefineries in existence on June 18, 2008 — the date the 2008 Farm Bill was enacted).

The Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels works to support and ensure expanding production of advanced biofuels by providing payments to eligible advanced biofuels producers. Advanced biofuels are derived from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. These include cellulose, sugar and starch, crop residue, vegetative waste material, animal waste, food and yard waste, vegetable oil, animal fat, and biogas (including landfill gas and sewage waste treatment gas). This program is an important part of achieving the Obama administration’s goal to increase biofuels production and use. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of 6,100 employees located in the nation’s capital and 500 national, state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $134 billion in loans and loan guarantees. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

FYI.  See information below.  I apologize if you receive this more than once.  Please forward to others who may want to take advantage of this opportunity.  As a reminder, only rural small businesses and farmers/ranchers are
eligible.  Non-profits, units of government, and institutions of higher
education are not.

To qualify as a farmer/rancher, the entity, including
corporate parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, must derive at least 50% of
total income from the farm operations.
To qualify as a small business, the
entity, including corporate parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, must meet
the definition based on the Small Business Administration guidelines  

(http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/serv_sstd_tablepdf.pdf).

All
of Hawaii and the Western Pacific are considered ?rural?, except theHonolulu
Census Designated Place (CDP) which is defined as Red Hill to Makapuu Point,
S and W of the crest of the Koolau Mts. Available on request are a list of
grant writers and a list of energy auditors/assessors.  These lists can be
provided as information only. There are no guarantees or assurances on the
quality of work, or any other representation made by any of the people
listed. There have been some changes made, primarily to do with funding
deadlines and funding availability.  The bottom line is to submit a
complete application ASAP.  There is a final due date of 7/31/09, but if you
wait until then, your chances of obtaining funding diminish.  The
funding
priorities are:
1.  Grants $20,000 or less.  Funding can be
accessed twice a month through
7/31/09, starting 6/15/09.
2.  Grants with
a corresponding guaranteed loan request.  Funding can be
accessed twice a
month through 7/31/09, starting 6/15/09.

I will be scheduling a
teleconference in a few weeks to go over the
changes.

Tim
Timothy W.
O’Connell
Assistant to the State Director/Rural Energy
Coordinator
USDA/Rural Development
154 Waianuenue Ave., Room 303
Hilo,
HI  96720
(808) 933-8313
(808) 933-8326 (F)

Committed to the future of
rural communities -o5/26/09
The Notice of Funding has finally been published in the
Federal Register today, May 26, 2009. 

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-12178.pdf

Grants
are available for up to 25% of a project?s cost, not to exceed $250,000 for
energy efficiency improvements and $500,000 for renewable energy
systems. The maximum amount of a guaranteed loan is $25
million. Guaranteed loan only requests and combination guaranteed loan and
grant requests cannot exceed 75% of eligible project costs.
Summary of
Changes:
1.      Submit applications to the appropriate USDA Rural
Development State Office by July 31, 2009 (address above). All applications
must be received at the appropriate State Office by 4:30 p.m. local time on
the deadline date.  Neither complete nor incomplete applications
received after this date and time will be considered, regardless of the
postmark on the application.
2.      National set-aside for applications
for grants less than $20,000. The reserve funds for these grants will be
accessible to the States on the 15th and the last of day of each month prior
to August 31, 2009.
3.      No renewable energy system or energy efficiency
improvement, orportion thereof, can be used for any residential purpose,
including any residential portion of a rural small business, farm, ranch,
or agricultural facility. However, an applicant may apply for funding for
the installation of a second meter or provide certification in the
application that any excess power generated by the renewable energy system
will be sold to the grid and will not be used by the applicant for
residential purposes.
4.      The applicant for a grant or combination
guaranteed loan and grant must demonstrate financial need. Only those
packages that demonstrate financial need will be considered for
funding.
5.      There has been an allocation of funds to States.  Funds not used by a State by 9/8/09, will be pooled and revert to the National
Office Reserve and made available to other States on a competitive
basis.
6.      After a State?s grant only allocation is used up, there will
be only one opportunity to compete for grant funds nationally after
9/8/09.
7.      Requests for Reserve funds for loan-only and
loan/grant combination requests may be made at any time.  Loan/grant
combination requests will be allocated to States on a competitive basis using
priority scores of the applications on the 15th and the last of day of each
month.
 

http://ofrf.org/action/ofan/090507_alert.html

OFRF
Resource Page for EQIP-OI

http://ofrf.org/policy/federal_legislation/farm_bill_implementation/EQIP_OI_Resource_Page.html

NSAC
memo with program details

http://sustainableagriculture.net/our-work/conservation-environment/organic-initiative/

Nancy
Beaumont

Director, Regional Office Davis

Risk Management
Agency

United States Department of Agriculture

Office: (530)
792-5871

Cellphone: (415) 680-0416

Fax: (530) 792-5893
 

Release No. 0146.09Contact:Terry Bish (202) 720-5974  AGRICULTURE
DEPUTY SECRETARY MERRIGAN ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR
NEW ORGANICS INITIATIVE $50 Million
in Funding Available Nationwide  

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2009

]]> http://www.hawaiiteasociety.org/news/available-grants/ogranic-initiative-grant/feed/ 0 http://www.hawaiiteasociety.org/news/available-grants/business-programs-specialist/ http://www.hawaiiteasociety.org/news/available-grants/business-programs-specialist/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 04:03:48 +0000 HTS Web Admin

Lori Nekoba, Business Programs Specialist
USDA/Rural
Development
154 Waianuenue Ave., Room 311
Hilo, HI  96720
(808)
933-8312
lori.nekoba@hi.usda.gov

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-10424.pdf

Approximately
$18 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year
(FY) 2009 to help
independent agricultural producers enter into
value-added activities.  Ten
percent is available to Beginning Farmers
or Ranchers and Socially
Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers-applications
must be postmarked by June 22,
2009 and sent to the Hawaii State Office
(address above).  All other
applications must be postmarked on or before
July 6, 2009 and sent to the
Hawaii State Office (address above).

Grants may be made for planning
activities or for working capital
expenses, but not for both. The maximum
grant amount for a planning
grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount
for a working capital
grant is $300,000.  Matching Funds are required and
must be at least
equal to the grant amount (1:1).

DATES: Applications
for grants must be submitted on paper or
electronically.  Late applications
are not eligible for FY 2009 grant
funding.
* Paper copies must be
postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent
overnight no later than March 31,
2008, to be eligible for FY 2008 grant
funding.
* Electronic copies must
be received by March 31, 2008, to be
eligible for FY 2008 grant
funding.

An application guide and other materials may be obtained
at
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm (note:  it may take
several days for the web-site to be updated with FY 08
information).

Paper applications must be submitted to the Rural
Development State
Office (address above for the State of Hawaii, American
Samoa, Guam,
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Republic of
Palau,
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of
Micronesia
(Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei) in which the Project will primarily
take
place.

Electronic applications must be submitted through the
Grants.gov Web
site at: http://www.grants.gov, following the
instructions found on this
Web site.

What is Value-Added?
The term
‘value-added agricultural product’ means any agricultural
commodity or
product that-
(i) has undergone a change in physical state (e.g., wheat into
flour);
(ii) was produced in a manner that enhances the value of
the
agricultural commodity or product, as demonstrated through a
business
plan that shows the enhanced value (e.g., organic
tomatoes);
(iii) is physically segregated in a manner that results in
the
enhancement of the value of the agricultural commodity or product
(e.g.,
identity-preserved corn);
(iv) is a source of farm- or ranch-based
renewable energy, including
E-85 fuel (e.g., electricity generated from an
anaerobic lagoon); or
(v) is aggregated and marketed as a locally-produced
agricultural food
product

Eligible Applicants
1. Independent
producers;
2. Farmer or rancher cooperatives;
3. Agricultural producer
groups;
4. Majority-controlled producer-based business
ventures.

Eligible Purposes
1. Planning activities, such as conducting
feasibility studies and
developing business plans for processing and
marketing value-added
agricultural products
2. Working capital expenses
for processing and marketing
value-added agricultural products, including
inventory, salaries, and
office supplies.

Ineligible Uses of
Funds
1. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building
or
facility, including a processing facility;
2. Purchase, rent, or
install fixed equipment, including processing
equipment;
3. Purchase
vehicles, including boats;
4. Pay for the preparation of the grant
application;
5. Pay expenses not directly related to the funded
Venture;
6. Fund political or lobbying activities;
7. Fund any activities
prohibited by 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019;
8. Fund architectural or engineering
design work for a specific
physical facility;
9. Fund any expenses related
to the production of any commodity or
product to which value will be added,
including seed, rootstock, labor
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the
commodity to a processing
facility;
10. Fund research and
development;
11. Purchase land;
12. Duplicate current services or replace
or substitute support
previously provided;
13. Pay costs of the Project
incurred prior to the date of grant
approval;
14. Pay for assistance to
any private business which does not have
at least 51% ownership by citizens
of the U.S. or reside in the U.S.
after being legally admitted for permanent
residence; or
15. Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States;
or
16. Conduct activities on behalf of anyone other than a
specific
Independent Producer or group of Independent Producers.
17. Pay
for any goods or services provided by a person or entity who
has a Conflict
of Interest. Also, note that in-kind Matching Funds may
not be provided by a
person or entity that has a Conflict of Interest.

Grant
Selection
Planning grants will be evaluated based on the following
criteria:
1. Nature of the proposed venture (0- 8 points),
2.
Qualifications of those doing work (0-8 points),
3. Commitments and support
(0-5 points),
4. Project leadership (0-8 points),
5. Work plan/budget (0-8
points),
6. Amount requested (0 or 2 points),
7. Project cost per
owner-producer (0-3 points),
8. Business management capabilities (0-10
points),
9. Sustainability and economic impact (0-15 points),
10.
Innovation (including renewable energy (0 or 10 points),
11. Type of
applicant (0 or 8 points),
12. Administrator points (up to 5 points, but not
to exceed 10% of
the total points awarded for the other 10
criteria).

Working Capital grants will be evaluated based on the
following
criteria:
1. Business viability (0-8 points),
2. Customer
base/increased returns (0-8 points),
3. Commitments and support (0-5
points),
4. Management team/work force (0-8 points),
5. Work plan/budget
(0-8 points),
6. Amount requested (0 or 2 points),
7. Project cost per
owner-producer (0-3 points),
8. Business management capabilities (0-10
points),
9. Sustainability and economic impact (0-15 points),
10.
Innovation (including renewable energy (0 or 10 points),
11. Type of
applicant (0 or 8 points),
12. Administrator points (up to 5 points, but not
to exceed 10% of
the total points awarded for the other 10 criteria).

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