U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development

Any legal entities, including cooperatives, individual, public and private organizations and federally recognized Indian tribal groups are eligible. A lead lender is required and Rural Development (RD) can guarantee loans up to $25 million and there is no minimum loan amount Priority is given to application for loans in rural communities, projects in areas of high unemployment, and to projects, which show a low amount of investment per job, created or saved. (more about B&I Loan Guarantees)

Any legal entity can borrow for a business loan in area of population up to 50,000. Other credit must be considered before a direct loan is made at treasury interest rates for eligible projects. The maximum loan is $10,000,000 from Rural Development.

RD makes grants to finance and facilitate development of small and emerging private business enterprises in rural areas or cities with populations up to 50,000. Eligibility is limited to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations and tribal groups. Costs that may be paid from grant funds include the acquisition and development of land, and the construction of buildings, plants, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utility and service extensions, refinancing, fees and technical assistance. Grants may also be used to establish a revolving loan fund. (more about Rural Business Enterprise Grants)

The purpose of IRP program is to finance business facilities and community development projects in rural areas. This is achieved through loans made by RD to intermediaries. Intermediaries establish revolving loan funds, so the collections from loans made to ultimate recipients, in excess of necessary operating expenses and debt payments, is to be used in further loans within the revolving fund. Relending in a city with a population of 25,000 or more is ineligible. Financing is limited to 75% of the total cost of the ultimate recipient’s project. Loans to ultimate recipients cannot exceed $150,000. (more about IRP)