USDA Rural Development runs several grant programmes that fund rural business, energy and community projects. They are competitive: applications are scored against published criteria, and the difference between an award and a decline is usually evidence rather than ambition. This page sets out who can apply to each programme, what it pays for, and where independent analysis is part of the requirement rather than an optional extra.
| Programme | Who applies | Share of project | Independent analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| REAP | Agricultural producers and rural small businesses | Up to 25 percent of eligible project costs (7 CFR 4280.115) | Technical report always; energy audit for larger efficiency projects; a feasibility study where the Agency requires one |
| Value-Added Producer Grant | Producers, producer groups, co-ops and majority-controlled producer-based ventures | Up to 50 percent of project costs, matching funds at least equal to the grant (7 CFR 4284.928, 4284.903) | Feasibility study by a Qualified Consultant for working capital applications |
| Rural Business Development Grant | Public bodies, Indian tribes and non-profits — not the business itself | Set by the annual notice; scoring favours smaller requests | Documented need, projected jobs and a basis for judging success or failure |
| Community Facilities grant | Public bodies, non-profits and tribes developing essential community facilities | 15 to 75 percent on a graduated scale (7 CFR 3570.63) | Need, utilisation and financial feasibility for the facility |
A producer processing, branding or marketing their own commodity is the Value-Added Producer Grant case. VAPG
Solar, biogas, efficiency retrofits and similar work for a producer or rural small business is REAP. REAP grants
Enterprise and opportunity projects that support small and emerging rural businesses are RBDG. RBDG
Clinics, schools, fire stations and similar essential facilities are Community Facilities. CF loans & grants
A private business cannot apply for an RBDG for itself, and a public body cannot apply for a VAPG. Getting that wrong is the most common reason an application never reaches scoring.
Scoring criteria differ by programme, but reviewers are answering the same questions: is the need real, is the plan achievable, and will anything be different afterwards? Three pieces of evidence do most of the work:
We prepare that work as USDA grant business plans and grant and incentive feasibility studies.
Several of these programmes sit alongside a guaranteed loan rather than instead of one. REAP funds both grants and guaranteed loans, and where they are combined the total may not exceed 75 percent of eligible project costs with the grant portion capped at 25 percent (7 CFR 4280.137). Community Facilities projects routinely combine a graduated grant with a guaranteed or direct loan. The guaranteed-loan side of USDA is mapped on USDA business financing.
Last reviewed September 2026. Figures are quoted from the current text of the regulations cited.
Fixed fee quoted in one business day; delivery in 10–15 business days. Independent analysis only.
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Wert-Berater, Inc. is an independent provider of feasibility studies and other related services. The firm does not provide financing or equity investment advice, and does not arrange, broker, or place debt or equity capital of any kind.
All appraisal assignments are performed by Bruce E. Jones, MAI, ASA-GC, BCA, CMEA, a member of the Appraisal Institute since 2006, a staff member of Wert-Berater, Inc. and owner of Special Purpose Realty Valuation.