Friday January 30, 2009
01-29-2009 DELEGATION APPLAUDS SELECTION OF DOE-IDAHO INTERIM MANAGER
Washington, DC – Idaho’s Congressional Delegation applauded today’s announcement that Dennis Miotla has been named interm manager...(More)
01-28-2009 BE OUTSIDE!
“Eventually, most of us figure out that it’s people, not nature, who create morality, values, ethics—and even the idea that nature...(More)
01-27-2009 CRAPO: PRESIDENT MAKES HIS CASE, BUT IT STILL COSTS TOO MUCH
Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo was among a group of Republican Senators meeting with President Barack Obama today on Capitol Hill...(More)
Owyhee Initiative
Links and information on the Owyhee Initiative.
111th Congress Preview
Mike outlines some of his legislative priorities for the 111th Congress.
Visiting DC?
Find out about popular government buildings and monuments you can visit on your trip.
ESRA
Check out Senator Crapo's Endangered Species Recovery Act, which provides incentives to private property owners for conservation.
Audio
Other Federal Agency Resources
Many federal government agencies, including those listed below, offer services to assist business owners, entrepreneurs, and economic development officials.
Department of Agriculture
Creating opportunities for rural America is the mission of United States Department of Agriculture Rural Develop Office. In addition to providing rural communities with a variety of valuable resources, it also offers a number of programs and services that can help you grow or expand you business.
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service works in partnership with the private sector and community-based organizations to provide financial assistance and business planning.
Information on other Rural Development programs can be found at the Rural Development Agency's Idaho office website.
Economic Development Administration
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was created by Congress to create jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the nation experiencing high unemployment, low incomes, or other severe economic distress.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a number of programs that can be especially useful for economic development efforts.
1. Renewal Community/ Empowerment Zone/ Enterprise Community (RC/EZ/EC) Initiative
The RC/EZ/EC Initiative is vital to development in more than 100 distressed urban and rural areas nationwide. The Initiative, through a combination of innovative tax incentives, federal grants, and partnerships with government, for-profit and non-profit agencies, has opened new businesses and created jobs, housing, and new educational and healthcare opportunities for thousands of Americans.
2. Competitive Economic Development Initiative (EDI)
The EDI provides grants on a competitive basis to entitlement communities. Non-entitlement communities are eligible as supported by their state governments. EDIs must be used in conjunction with loans guaranteed under the Section 108 Program to enhance the feasibility of economic development and revitalization projects financed with Section 108 Loan Guarantee funds.
3. Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
The BEDI provides grants on a competitive basis to local entitlement communities. Non-entitlement communities are eligible as supported by their state governments. BEDIs must be used in conjunction with loans guaranteed under the Section 108 Program. Communities fund projects with the BEDI grants and the 108 guaranteed loan financing to clean up and redevelop environmentally contaminated industrial and commercial sites, commonly known as "brownfields."
4. Youthbuild
Youthbuild provides grants on a competitive basis to non-profit organizations to assist high-risk youth between the ages of 16-24 to learn housing construction job skills and to complete their high school education. Program participants enhance their skills as they construct and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons. For additional information on this program, check the YouthBuild USA web site.
5. Rural Housing and Economic Development (RHED)
Enacted in 1999, RHED provides grants on a competitive basis principally to non-profit organizations to support capacity building, housing, and economic development programs.
6. Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program (Section 108 Program)
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement communities are eligible to apply for a guarantee from the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program. CDBG non-entitlement communities may also apply, provided that their State agrees to pledge the CDBG funds necessary to secure the loan. Non-entitlement applicants may receive their loan guarantee directly or designate another eligible public entity such as an industrial development authority, to receive it and carry out the Section 108 assisted project.
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created a Vendor Information Site to invite businesses in the emerging homeland security industry to submit details about information technology (IT) products and services for enhancing the security of the homeland. This initiative will serve as another step in the department's ongoing effort to harness American ingenuity to develop partnerships with the private sector to research, develop and deploy homeland security technologies that will make America safer. The department is launching this site to invite the submission of IT product and service descriptions with the potential to broaden the invitation to include all products and services. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the Small Business Administration and numerous high-technology associations to alert small and disadvantaged businesses of this opportunity.
General Government
FedBizOpps is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers are able to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet. Through one portal - FedBizOpps (FBO) - commercial vendors seeking Federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community.
Senator Crapo is not responsible for the programs or content of the websites of the federal, state, and local agencies included here to assist Idaho businesses. Rather, these sites are provided as references and points of contact to assist companies. Please contact these agencies directly for additional information on their programs.