BioPreferred Program to Implement New “Streamlining” Rule
This new rule simplifies key processes, enabling the BioPreferred® Program (formally known as the Biobased Markets Program) to respond more quickly to consumer demand for biobased products and boost Catalog integrity. Changes include merging guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement and the Voluntary Labeling Initiative for Biobased Products into one streamlined regulation.
Mayors’ Institute on City Design – Call for Session Hosts (extended)
This program is open for universities and 501c3 nonprofit organizations interested in hosting 2025-2026 Special Sessions of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design. Up to four eligible applicants will be selected to host Special Sessions in 2025-2026. Learn more from the informational webinar and apply by 1/24/2025 (extended deadline).
A Toolkit for Developing Local Multisector Plans for Aging in Rural Areas
The SCAN Foundation offers 10 steps for developing a master plan for aging with rural focus, covering leadership development, community engagement, implementation planning, evaluation, and sustainability. Highlights rural-specific challenges for aging in rural communities.
Continuous Improvement: Better Grants Better Service (BGBS)
USDA Rural Development (USDA RD) moves to improve grant program access and efficiency through BGBS! Through BGBS we will make it easier to successfully apply for grants, improve the speed and consistency of our customer service, and provide a better, overall grant application experience.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs – Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) as well as Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from Jan. 21 to April 15 and for DMC for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31. For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact their local USDA Service Center.
| EDA Indigenous Community of Practice upcoming trainings: 1/22 | Virtual: Implementing an Economic Development Plan or Strategy (Virtual Training Session). – Given that many tribal and Native economic development plans are never fully implemented, this section will focus on the critical shift from planning to plan implementation, including the timing or sequencing of coordinated and diversified economic development activities. This discussion will also address the transforming of relatively noncommittal planning partnerships into concrete development partnerships. 2/19 | Virtual: So I Screwed Up (Speakers Describe Overcoming Early Mistakes to Strengthen Your Approach) (Virtual Informational Session) – Most new entities or enterprises must overcome at least one critical mistake in the course of their development and how they respond to these mistakes often dictates whether they will survive and, if so, their trajectory in the future. Speakers will share their mistakes and recovery from them to demonstrate that failure, to some degree, is almost inevitable and to share effective strategies for turning apparent failure into an opportunity for recalibration and a revisiting of purpose, goals, process and self-evaluation. ____ 2/27-28, 2025 | Virtual or in person in Arlington, VA: USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. Please join USDA Rural Development for their session on 2/28 called “Farm and Rural Workforce Housing Needs and Solutions”. There is no charge for attending the Forum virtually. Register now before spaces fill up! ____ Subscribe here to get future information on GRANTS! |