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<p class="MsoNormal">Good Day OK Main Street,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Oklahoma USDA office in Stillwater has informed our office that the
<b>2024 Rural Business Development Grant</b> <b>(RBDG)</b> is open for application with deadline falling on
<b>Wednesday,</b> <b>February 28, 2024.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The purpose of the program is to promote economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities. Applications will compete in two separate categories, business opportunity grants and business
enterprise grants, for use in funding various business and community projects that serve rural areas.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our office has received the attached documents which pertain to the grant including interested applicant letter, application toolkit, and federal notice. In addition, I have attached link below with overview of grant. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/rural-business-development-grants/ok__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!qbFkVoF9cIJVBttafdg8rpjwggAXvK2h9jxawfDiqFtJIac9rCZu45X7XcQA52cC-Exl6cKq7Ksm2nBGIkdDDocOabmpdHnFX81zlg$">Rural
Business Development Grants in Oklahoma | Rural Development (usda.gov)</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In partnership with USDA, we will have Ms. Amy Cowley, Director of Business & Cooperative Programs, provide a general presentation on the grant along with a Q/A session.
<b>The presentation will be held on</b> <b>Wednesday, January 10<sup>th</sup> from 10:30 to 11:30 am</b>. I will send zoom invite here shortly should you be interested in participating. You can also forward invite to your board president and EV chair as well.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>NOTE</b>: <b>Please keep in mind that your main street program must be in an eligible rural area as defined by USDA to apply for this grant. If you are uncertain, please click on the link below and follow the steps:</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Click on
<a href="https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do">Eligibility (usda.gov)</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">At the top, click on
<i>“<u>Rural Business</u></i>” link<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Click on “<i><u>Click Here for the following programs</u></i>” link<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Click on “Accept”
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Enter your program’s physical address including city, state/ZIP to determine eligibility or not.<o:p></o:p></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Should you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free in reaching out to myself or to Ms. Amy Cowley whose contact information can be below.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Thank you<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Jesse<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Amy Cowley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Director - Business & Cooperative Programs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Rural Development | Stillwater, Oklahoma<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">United States Department of Agriculture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Phone: (405) 742-1039 | Fax: (855) 423-4044<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.rd.usda.gov/ok__;!!NZFi6Pppv9YRQw!rfy1nY9W4GzQIMcahw5Xr3G0kU4h9xCiooKDq_Bbyd6JxJ0VIfhb0pf46INgbuOLlNLi8er0osPhtDoMuuUohWNWNyvd2A$"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none">http://www.rd.usda.gov/ok</span></a><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">Jesse Garcia, Economic Vitality Specialist
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">Oklahoma Main Street Center | Oklahoma Department of Commerce<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:Jesse.Garcia@okcommerce.gov"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Jesse.Garcia@okcommerce.gov</span></a></span><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#004D9A;mso-ligatures:none">
<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">p. 405-815-5136 | c. 405-312-3088 (text capable)</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://okcommerce.gov/"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#004D9A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">OKcommerce.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#004D9A;mso-ligatures:none">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="176" height="55" style="width:1.8333in;height:.5729in" id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image008.png@01DA2C41.B80D80C0" alt="Title: State of Oklahoma logo - Description: Multi-color chevron pinwheel with the word Oklahoma to the right. "></span></b><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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