Funding Opportunities
March 26, 2020
Dear Members, Partners and Friends:

Finding resources is even more critical to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance in the form of low-interest loans to businesses.

The Administration for Native Americans has announced their funding opportunity. ANA has tourism development as one of the program areas it supports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) supports farmers and ranchers by funding unique, partner-led approaches to addressing natural resource concerns at local, regional and landscape scales.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding for essential community facilities, which include public facilities such as museums, community centers and fairgrounds.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting applications for several programs, including Native American and Hawaiian services.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development's National Tribal Broadband Grant program is soliciting proposals from Indian Tribes for funding to hire consultants to perform feasibility studies.

In February the awards from IEED’s Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) Feasibility Study Program were announced. A listing of tourism-related awards is presented to give ideas for future proposals.

Join us for our upcoming AIANTA webinar on April 7, 2020, with the Administration for Native Americans on Project Planning and Development for Cultural Heritage Tourism.
Small Business Administration Provides Disaster Loan Assistance

Deadline: December 17, 2020
All 50 states have been declared disaster zones due to COVID-19. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance in the form of low-interest loans to businesses, renters, and homeowners.

SBA will provide working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

For More Information
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at SBA's website . Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
Administration for Native Americans Releases SEDS Funding Opportunity

Deadline: June 15, 2020
The Administration for Native Americans supports Native American communities by providing financial assistance and capacity building, gathering and sharing data, and advocating for improved policies within HHS and across the federal government. ANA has several programs. to view the funding opportunity announcements click the individual opportunities below:


SEDS grants fund social and economic development projects in on- and off-reservation native communities and provide federal support for self-determination and self-governance among Native American people. SEDS program areas that support tourism include:

  • Tourism - Planning or developing resources, services, and businesses that promote travel, recreation, and tourism, or branding to tell the story of Native Americans as the First Peoples of the United States. Projects may utilize the arts or other cultural resources to help revitalize Native communities, promote economic development, increase livability, and present the uniqueness of the Native communities to visitors in a way that celebrates the diversity of the United States.

  • Native Arts and Culture - Developing or enhancing activities that promote, preserve, or restore Native culture and arts.

  • Entrepreneurship and Microbusiness - Promoting entrepreneurial development through business incubators and other activities that support businesses and market the availability of local products or services.

For More Information
ANA provides regional training and technical assistance through regional providers, click here to find your representative. For other questions, call 1-877-922-9262 or email anacomments@acf.hhs.gov.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Program Funds Partnership Programs

Deadline: May 18, 2020
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation projects. NRCS is looking for unique, partner-led approaches to addressing natural resource concerns at local, regional, and landscape scales.

Through the RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA), NRCS is authorized to fund up to 15 projects where partners will be given greater liberty to manage an RCPP project and the associated relationships with participating producers and landowners.

RCPP projects may include a range of on-the-ground conservation activities implemented by farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. 

  • Projects that use innovative approaches to leverage the federal investment in conservation;
  • Projects that deploy a pay-for-performance conservation approach; and,
  • Projects that seek large-scale infrastructure investment that generate conservation benefits for agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest owners.

NRCS seeks projects that integrate multiple conservation approaches, implement innovative conservation approaches or technologies, build new partnerships and effectively take advantage of program flexibilities to deliver conservation solutions.

A webinar for new applicants is scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd at 3pm EDT. Details can be found on the RCPP How to Apply page.

For More Information
RCPP AFA project proposals are due by May 18. Proposals must be submitted through the  RCPP portal .  Information about this request for proposals is available on the RCPP website or grants.gov.
USDA Commuity Facilities Technical Assistance & Training

Deadline: April 30, 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications to help rural communities with limited resources and staff access USDA funding for essential community facilities. Funds may be used to help rural communities identify financial resources, improve community facilities management functions and prepare reports, surveys and applications.

Grants will provide technical Assistance and/or training with respect to essential community facilities programs. Funds can be used to:
  • Assist communities in identifying and planning for community facility needs;
  • Identify resources to finance community facility needs from public and private sources; and,
  • Prepare reports and surveys necessary to develop community facilities.

Essential community facilities include public facilities such as museums, community centers and fairgrounds. The maximum grant award is $150,000. Partnerships with other federal, state, local, private and nonprofits are encouraged.

For More Information:
Contact your local RD office or visit the USDA Community Facilities Programs webpage.
Institute of Museum and Library Services Upcoming Proposals Due

Deadlines: April 13-May 15, 2020
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today that several upcoming application deadlines for library services grants will be changed to support libraries and their communities as they respond to COVID-19. 
 
 
Applications should still be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm ET on the deadline day for the grant program. For more information, please visit   imls.gov/coronavirus , or contact an IMLS staff member with any questions or concerns. 
 
For More Information
To learn more, visit www.imls.gov or click on the programs listed above.
REMINDER: National Tribal Broadband Grants Available from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Deadline May 8, 2020
The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development's National Tribal Broadband Grant program is soliciting proposals from Indian Tribes for funding to hire consultants to perform feasibility studies for deployment or expansion of high-speed internet (broadband) transmitted, variously, through digital subscriber line (DSL), cable modem, fiber, wireless, satellite and broadband over power lines (BPL).

IEED anticipates award of approximately twenty-five (25) to thirty (30) National Tribal Broadband grants ranging from $40,000 to $50,000. NTBG grants may be used to fund:
  • Assessment of the current broadband services;
  • Engineering assessment of new or expanded broadband services;
  • Estimate of the cost of building or expanding a broadband network;
  • Determination of the transmission medium(s) that will be employed, and more.

For More Information
To view the announcement, click here. Contact James R. West, National Tribal Broadband Grant (NTBG) Manager, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Room 6049-B, 12220 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191; telephone: (202) 595-4766; email: jamesr.west@bia.gov.
IEED Native American Business Development Institute Tourism-Related Programs Funded
In February the awards from IEED’s Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) Feasibility Study Program were announced. These awards enable tribal leaders to better evaluate and identify viable economic opportunities for their communities. The following programs included tourism activities.

Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana: $29,500 for a feasibility study on developing and operating a hotel and conference center.

Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, Montana: $30,000 for a feasibility study on building and operating an on-reservation, combined fuel station, convenience store and oil change facility.

Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah: $36,000 to examine a 16-acre proposed commercial site on the Tribes’ reservation land parcel in Nevada for tourism, including a recreational vehicle (RV) park.

Elk Valley Rancheria, California: $30,000 to study the development of a destination resort comprised of a hotel, conference center, casino and parking facility.

Hoopa Valley Tribe, California: $39,750 for a feasibility study to determine the size, scope and viability of a travel center to be located on the Tribe’s reservation.

Hualapai Indian Tribe, Arizona: $40,000 to study utilizing the Tribe’s location on Route 66, its close proximity to and having the only road access to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, for a major tourist attraction that includes an RV park.

Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York: $40,000 for a feasibility study, and for business and capitalization planning, to assist the Tribe with its plans to renovate and re-purpose a historic 92-year old former hydroelectric power dam building as an art park/art gallery.

Sitka Tribe of Alaska: $35,834 for a feasibility study to determine if a proposed project to create value-added products and ensure a safe, educational tannery experience for tourists visiting Sitka is a good economic opportunity for the Tribe.

South Fork Band (Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada): $35,000 for a financial feasibility study on its RV park project, and ensure the enterprise’s options are economically sustainable over an extended period of time.
AIANTA Upcoming Webinar on
ANA Project Planning & Development will be held on April 7, 2020

AIANTA has joined with our partners to provide a webinar series on resource development opportunities and tips for success. Each webinar is designed to introduce and equip organizations with the knowledge needed to find and apply for funding opportunities to support cultural heritage tourism development. To register for a webinar, visit the AIANTA Webinar Series webpage and click the To Register button on the webinar of your choosing.

Administration for Native Americans: Project Planning and
Development for Cultural Heritage Tourism
April 7, 2020

Cultural tourism not only creates and grows new businesses and jobs, it can also help to strengthen and preserve local traditions, customs, language, and culture. Learn how an ANA Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) grant, designed to reduce or eliminate community problems and achieve community goals, can help your Tribe thrive through Cultural Heritage Tourism.

For More Information:
To register for a webinar, visit the AIANTA Webinar Series webpage and click the To Register button on the webinar of your choosing. For more information, contact Glenda Toledo at (505) 433-2120 or gtoledo@aianta.org , or Sherrie Bowman at (505) 209-2479 or sbowman@aianta.org .

#DiscoverNativeAmerica

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