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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is implementing changes to the Biobased Markets Program, also known as the BioPreferred Program, following updates from the 2018 Farm Bill. The updated rule merges two previous sets of guidelines into one, streamlining the regulatory process for designating and labeling biobased products that qualify for federal procurement preferences. This final rule aims to make it easier for these products to qualify for federal use and merges federal guidelines for procurement and labeling into a single, simplified regulation effective January 8, 2025.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service of the USDA released a correction to a previous notice about the Rural Energy for America Program. The original notice contained mistakes regarding the points given for the size of the funding request and for applicants who hadn’t received grants or loan commitments in the past two years. The corrections specify that applicants who haven’t recently received funding can earn 5 extra points. Additionally, smaller grant requests can qualify for 10 extra points, with a total maximum score possible of 100 points for those applications.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service of the USDA has announced an extension for the loan guarantee application deadline for the 9003 Program. This program supports the development of biorefineries, renewable chemicals, and biobased products with loan guarantees up to $250 million. Originally due on October 1, applications can now be submitted until December 31, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Despite requiring a non-binding letter of intent 30 days prior, exceptions can be made, and questions can be directed to the provided USDA contact information.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), part of the USDA, has announced a funding opportunity under the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program for 2024. This program will help lenders provide loans to entities looking to build or improve sawmills and wood processing facilities near priority U.S. Forest Service lands. Over $200 million will be available starting in 2025, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The goal is to support ecological restoration efforts by using byproducts from these projects and to advance rural economic opportunities, while prioritizing climate change mitigation and racial equity.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service under the USDA has issued a notice inviting applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program for the fiscal year 2021. These grants aim to promote economic development and job creation in rural areas by funding business opportunity and enterprise projects. Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2021, to the appropriate USDA Rural Development State Office. Eligibility is limited to public bodies, government entities, Indian Tribes, or nonprofit entities primarily serving rural areas, with strict requirements and a competitive selection process based on specific criteria.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency), USDA released a correction notice to a previous announcement about the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program. The initial notice contained two incorrect funding amounts and did not mention that applicants could submit their applications via email. This correction updates the available funding to approximately $33 million and clarifies that applications can be submitted either in paper or electronically by specific deadlines. The notice also provides guidance on where and how to send applications.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development (RD) division is changing its funding opportunities to remove references to the previous Administration's key priorities and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) criteria. This update follows an Executive Order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing," issued in January 2025. Programs affected by this change will no longer consider these previous criteria for application scoring. Additionally, the Rural Energy for America Program's funding notice is corrected to include $50 million from the 2018 Farm Bill that was previously omitted.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted a request to the Office of Management and Budget for approval of information collection requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Rural Business-Cooperative Service is conducting an annual survey to gather data about farmer cooperatives, which includes statistics on business volume, net income, and financial status. Additionally, they have a voluntary labeling program for biobased products aimed at promoting renewable fuels. The information collected will help determine eligibility for grants and improve service and analysis. Comments on these information collections are invited until February 5, 2025.