REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program | RDBCP REAP EA REDA 2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for RDBCP REAP EA REDA 2021

The REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program is a mandatory USDA grant opportunity administered through the Department of Agriculture, Business and Cooperative Programs. It is designed to support efforts that help rural small businesses and agricultural producers move forward with energy-related projects by paying for professional assistance such as energy audits and the early-stage development work needed to plan renewable energy systems. In practice, the program is meant to help applicants identify energy efficiency improvements, evaluate potential cost savings, and develop the technical and financial groundwork required before a larger energy project can be financed or constructed.

This opportunity was posted under the funding opportunity title "REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program" with the funding opportunity number RDBCP REAP EA REDA 2021. The catalog reference is CFDA 10.868. The funding instrument is a grant, and the listed activity categories span education, energy, environment, and regional development, reflecting the program's emphasis on both technical planning and broader community and economic impacts. The announcement date is December 8, 2020, with an original application closing date of February 1, 2021.

Awards under this competition have an upper funding limit (award ceiling) of $100,000, and the agency anticipated making about 23 awards. That ceiling indicates the program is aimed at discrete, targeted assistance scopes (for example, completing an energy audit or assembling the feasibility and engineering documentation for a renewable energy project), rather than funding full construction of large-scale systems. Applicants should expect the funding to be structured around clearly defined deliverables and documentation that demonstrate the value of the audit or development assistance to the end client and the readiness of the proposed next steps.

Eligibility is broad and includes multiple types of governmental and educational entities, as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations. Specifically, eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The listing also includes an "Others" category with a note to consult the opportunity's additional eligibility text for clarification, which usually means there may be other eligible entity types (often nonprofits or other qualified organizations) depending on the detailed program rules in the full notice.

The announcement instructs applicants to rely on the official Application Package and Application Instruction links to ensure they use the correct, complete set of required forms. Because USDA grant submissions are typically form- and attachment-heavy, the notice emphasizes that a complete application depends on following those instructions closely. For questions and state-specific guidance, applicants are directed to contact a USDA Rural Development State Energy Coordinator, with the coordinator directory provided at http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBSStateEnergyCoordinators.pdf. This is an important step because program implementation details, priorities, and procedural expectations can vary by state, and coordinators can clarify application components, timelines, and common compliance issues before submission.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as planning and technical-assistance funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives in rural contexts: it helps organizations perform the analyses and preparatory work that enable energy projects to be properly scoped, justified, and positioned for implementation financing later on, with awards capped at $100,000 and a limited number of expected grants in the cycle referenced by the notice.

• The Department of Agriculture, Business and Cooperative Programs in the education, energy, environment, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.868.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 01, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 23 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RDBCP REAP EA REDA 2021

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