This newsletter contains federal, state and foundation grants. The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is committed to vetting funding for member governments throughout the region.

If you have a project that aligns with the opportunities listed here, please reach out to our office so that we may provide technical assistance in supporting project development. Even though our concentration is providing direct assistance to member governments, we want to keep non-profits and other businesses informed of grant opportunities as well!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Thank you for your commitment to the Kerr-Tar region.

Desiree Brooks

• Similar to Cycle 19, all Cycle 20 applications will follow a multi-part structure. Conservation Easement applications will have three application portions – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. All other applications will have two application portions – Part 1 and Part 2. Failure to complete each application portion by its deadline will result in the application being ineligible. Partially completed applications will not be accepted. Please refer to the Important Cycle 20 Dates at a Glance chart below for information on the deadlines associated with each application portion.
• Please note: All applicants for conservation easements, agricultural development projects, and agricultural plans must be non-profit conservation organizations or county agencies, per N.C.G.S.106-744. Farmers, landowners, and others interested in applying must partner with a non-profit conservation organization or county agency to participate in an ADFP Trust Fund grant proposal.
• The Conservation Easement Resubmission process will not be used in Cycle 20. Applicants proposing an easement area previously submitted to the Trust Fund must complete a full Conservation Easement application. These applications will follow the standard Conservation Easement application process and policies.
• No Beehive Grant Fund applications will be accepted this year. For apiary-related questions, contact the Apiary Services section of the Plant Industry Division.

The Frances Abbot Burton Powers Endowment will be accepting grant applications from nonprofits and government entities benefitting and physically located in the city of Henderson, NC.

Applications are available beginning August 14, 2026 and the deadline to apply is September 15, 2026.

Applicants should submit a grant application, the program/project budget or organizational budget via email to NCCF Donor Engagement Officer Jan Pender at jpender@nccommunityfoundation.org. A board of advisors will determine grant awards.

The Frances Abbot Burton Powers Endowment is a fund of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Download the application HERE.

Award: $5,000 - $15,000

The Division of Parks and Recreation, the North Carolina Trails Program and the North Carolina Trails Committee value trail projects that are legal, safe, managed and provide connectivity, reasonable public access and parking.

The Trails Program staff are ready, willing and available to assist in all phases of the application process of projects that are construction ready for grant funding. These sustainable, "shovel-ready" projects leverage local funds to meet recreational trail and trail needs, in an effort to provide low infrastructure economic development opportunities through natural resource tourism.

The Trails Program staff are also available to assist applicants with conceptual projects, in order to meet the technical requirements of an RTP Grant before applying.

Eligible Applicants:

North Carolina municipalities with less than 25,000 in population and located within 6 miles of an existing or planned segment of a state trail are eligible for CCST grants. Two or more local governments may apply jointly, with one serving as the primary sponsor. View the eligible municipalities HERE.

Award: Up to $100K

Match: 25%

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Carolina to offset economic losses caused by a drought beginning on April 14.

The disaster declaration covers the North Carolina counties of Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Nash, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Vance, and Wake, and the South Carolina county of Marlboro, as well as the Virginia counties of Halifax and Mecklenburg.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs — including faith-based organizations — with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.

“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms of up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) has a robust history of supporting economic development in North Carolina. Through its diversified portfolio of programs, EDA provides customized investments that help distressed communities build upon their available assets, catalyze on their available opportunities, and leverage regional partnerships to drive economic development. 

What does EDA do?

EDA provides grant resources that can support a wide array of activities, including but not limited to:

·        Construction or renovation of new public facilities or assets, including: water and sewer lines (extensions and upsizing), pumps, tanks, and systems; workforce training centers; port improvements; access roads; rail spurs; commercialization centers; airport hangars; incubators.

·        Disaster mitigation and regional resiliency initiatives;

·        Technical assistance activities related to regional economic development priorities;

·        Data analysis, feasibility studies, economic impact studies, supply chain analysis, or other data-based analysis to inform decision-making;

·        Innovation and entrepreneurship focused initiatives; and

·        Capitalization or recapitalization of revolving loan funds.

How much money does EDA provide through its regularly appropriated Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance programs? 

The average construction award generally ranges between $500k-$2 M depending on the program through which it is funded, the average non-construction project generally ranges from $20k - $200k. EDA grants require matching share funds, and funds must be committed to the project, readily available to be used, and for the same scope of work. EDA generally requires 50 percent match; communities impacted by a Presidential Disaster Declaration may apply up to 80 grant rate. Grant rates and available funding may vary based on appropriation, so applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the NC EDR for current information and to discuss their project.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include an EDA District Organization; Indian Tribe; State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities; institutions of higher education; or public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision.

To be eligible, the project must generally be in a distressed region, as defined by EDA regulations, and must meet at least one of the following three criteria: (1) the region identified has a unemployment rate that is at least one point or higher than the national average for the most recent 24-month period for which data are available; OR (2) the region identified has a per-capita income of not more than 80 percent of the national average for the most recent period for which data are available; OR (3) the region meets some other special need criteria, such as population loss, job closings, disaster declarations, etc.

How are grants funded and what are current investment priorities?

EDA reviews and evaluates all applications in accordance with the requirements set forth in the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity. EDA receives more applications than the agency can support; the most competitive applications generally include the following:

·        Clearly defined project that defines region, discusses current economic conditions of area and need, defines how the proposed project will address or meet this need, and defines clear benefit to the region

·        Ability of the project to support creation/retention of high-quality jobs and private investment and/or drive other quantifiable economic value for communities

·        Ability to start promptly and be effectively managed

·        Matching share funds that are available, committed, and unencumbered

·        For EDA construction projects, the ability to provide EDA a lien for 20 years on the asset and no mortgages or other encumbrances or restrictions on the title or deed

·        Strong regional support for the project

·        Feasibility of proposed project

·        The extent to which the proposed project advances at least one strategic Investment Priority. Current investment priorities for EDA include:

• Critical Infrastructure: Economic development planning or implementation projects that support development of public facilities, including basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, or telecommunications infrastructure.
• Workforce: Economic Development planning or implementation projects that –
• Support job skills training to meet the hiring needs of the area in which the project is to be carried out and that result in well-paying jobs; or
• Otherwise promote labor force participation.
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Economic development planning or implementation projects that –
• Support the development of innovation and entrepreneurship-related infrastructure;
• Promote business development and lending; or
• Foster the commercialization of new technologies that are creating technology-driven businesses and high-skilled, well-paying jobs of the future.
• Economic Recovery Resilience: Economic development planning or implementation projects that enhance the ability of an area to withstand and recover from adverse short-term or long-term changes in economic conditions, including effects from industry contractions or economic impacts from natural disasters.
• Manufacturing: Economic development planning or implementation projects that encourage job creation, business expansion, technology and capital upgrades, and productivity growth in manufacturing, including efforts that contribute to the competitiveness and growth of domestic suppliers or the domestic production of innovative, high-value products and production technologies.

·         The extent to which project supports broader regional economic development strategic goals articulated in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

·        The extent to which the applicant can successfully manage and implement the proposed project

·        The extent to which the project will leverage other activities underway in the area

·        The extent to which an applicant will be able to comply with federal requirements

How do I apply?

Links to EDA’s current funding opportunities are available at https://www.eda.gov/.

EDA requires applications to be submitted electronically via EDA’s grant management system, available at https://sfgrants.eda.gov/s/.

The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to assist with building improvements to real property, that will lead to the direct creation of new, full-time, private sector jobs. The program requires a cash match equal to the grant request amount.

The three categories of funding are vacant buildings, existing business buildings, and rural health care.

Eligible Applicants:

Eligible applicants are units of local government located in Tier 1 or Tier 2 counties, or within a rural census tract in a Tier 3 county. As prescribed in N.C.G.S. 143B-472.127(a)(2), a rural census tract is an area having a population density of less than 500 people per square mile in accordance with the most recent decennial federal census. Tier ranking information can be found HERE on the NC Department of Commerce website. 

Funding Availability: 

The potential funding available for each project will be assessed through analysis of the project and will be based upon the project's location, the quantity and quality of jobs committed, and the overall economic impact of the project, at the discretion of the Rural Infrastructure Authority.

The grant award will never exceed one-half of the renovation and/or construction cost. The program requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match equivalent to the grant request amount. The program includes claw-back provisions requiring repayment of the grant if the jobs committed are not created and/or maintained for six consecutive months during the two-year grant period.

This USDA program provides predevelopment grant funding to help very small, financially distressed rural communities plan water and waste disposal projects before construction begins. Grants can support feasibility studies, preliminary design and engineering work, and technical assistance needed to prepare an application for future financial assistance. Eligible applicants include state and local governmental entities, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes serving rural areas with populations of 2,500 or less and median household incomes below the poverty line or below 80% of the statewide non-metropolitan median household income. Applications are accepted year-round through local USDA Rural Development offices.

Through the AIC program, RBCS makes grants to Centers that provide Producer Services to Agricultural Producers seeking to develop and market Value-Added Agricultural Products.

Matching Funds Requirement:

Matching Funds are required for at least one-third of the total project budget. For example, if the total project budget is $1,500,000, matching funds must be at least $500,000. Matching funds may be provided in cash by the applicant or a third party or in-kind by a third party. They must be available for use during the period of performance, and they must be used for allowable expenses.

How may funds be used?

Grant and matching funds may be used to operate an agriculture innovation center, and to provide the following services to agricultural producers:

• Business development services, such as feasibility studies and business plans.. 
• Market development services, such as marketing plans, branding, and customer identification.
• Organizational assistance, such as legal and technical advisory services related to the development, expansion, or operation of a business. 
• Financial advisory services related to the development, expansion, or operation of a business, such as assistance with obtaining credit for operating costs, training on using financial management software, and guidance on use of cash flow. 
• Process development services, such as engineering services, scale production assessments, and systems development.
• Product development, such as idea generation, concept testing, feasibility and cost analysis, product taste-testing, demographic and other types of consumer analysis, production analysis, recipe development, evaluation of packaging and labeling options, and brand development for a value-added agricultural product.
• Value chain coordination, or directly working with an agricultural producer to connect that producer to a distribution system, processing facility, or commercial kitchen.
• Grants to agricultural producers for the above services, where the individual award does not exceed $5,000.