WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the United States Department of Agriculture has selected a Nebraska project and 26 other projects to receive grants to help fund rural businesses, start new businesses, save and create jobs, and train workers in Native American communities in 12 states.

“USDA is working to ensure that members of tribes have the tools they need to create a livelihood, expand economic opportunity and improve their quality of life,” Vilsack said. “The grants. … represent USDA’s ongoing commitment to strengthen tribes and support sustainable business opportunities.”

For example, the Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation in Walthill, Neb., is being selected to receive $114,615 to support professional development of local entrepreneurs and business owners creating jobs through new and expanding businesses. HCCDC will conduct a needs assessment of existing and potential demand and enhance their understanding of its clients, so it can better match its financing products and technical assistance services to the needs.

Focus will be placed on technical assistance for private business entities in the form of credit building and repair through a credit counseling course. A business plan development course will be offered to bring in small business owners and local merchants to study the process of developing a business plan. HCCDC will contribute $28,748 towards the project. This project will assist five businesses and has the potential to create 17 jobs.

The $3.4 million in grants announced is administered through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant program. This program provides grants for rural projects that finance the development of small and emerging rural businesses, help fund distance learning networks, and help fund employment-related adult education programs.

Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the grant agreement, and is not provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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 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.