USDA and Treasury Open Funding Windows for Rural, Agricultural, and Community Development Programs

CDFI and NACA Program Applications Under Review

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) is soliciting public comments on the CDFI Program and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA) Applications. The notice, issued as part of the agency's continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, is required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Written comments must be received on or before December 29, 2026, to be assured of consideration.

The FA Application includes optional questions addressing three initiative areas: Persistent Poverty Counties–Financial Assistance (PPC-FA), Disability Funds–Financial Assistance (DF-FA), and the Healthy Food Financing Initiative–Financial Assistance (HFFI-FA). The CDFI Fund states that changes were made to ensure the Applications are aligned with the Administration's Executive Orders and efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs.

USDA Rural Development: Cooperative and Utility Loan Programs

The USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has issued two notices of funding opportunity for the Affordable Rural Cooperative (ARC) Program for fiscal year 2026, with key dates of September 14, 2026, and September 16, 2026, respectively. Under both notices, RUS is soliciting Letters of Interest (LOI) for loan applications, announcing the application process, and providing deadlines for applications from eligible entities. Both notices carry an important procedural change: in future years, this funding opportunity will only be announced on the agency website and grants.gov, without a Federal Register notice. The agency explicitly states that neither the funding opportunity nor reference to it in grants.gov will appear in the Federal Register going forward, and directs applicants to make note of this change in their records.

Agriculture Innovation Center Demonstration Program

The USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) has announced acceptance of applications for the Agriculture Innovation Center Demonstration (AIC) Program for fiscal year 2026, with a key date of September 10, 2026. Like the ARC Program notices, the AIC Program notice states that in future years the funding opportunity will only be announced on the agency website and grants.gov — not in the Federal Register — and directs applicants to update their records accordingly.

SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program Opens for FY 2027

RBCS has also announced the acceptance of guaranteed loan applications under the Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program for fiscal year 2027. According to the notice, completed applications may be submitted beginning October 27, 2026, and will be accepted until funds are exhausted. The fees established in the notice are effective October 1, 2027; the agency notes that should fees need to be adjusted, it will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

The SPUR program makes guaranteed funds available to eligible lenders to make loans to eligible borrowers seeking to support a range of activities to increase and diversify the processing capacity of American Meat, Poultry, and Seafood. The notice also states that USDA is making funding available for technical assistance through providers who are experts in the fields of meat, poultry, and seafood processing, and business planning. The notice provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Loan Guarantee percentage, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for FY 2027.

What to Watch

• December 29, 2026: Deadline for written comments on the CDFI Fund's CDFI Program and NACA Program FA and TA Applications.
• October 27, 2026: SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program begins accepting completed applications; applications accepted until funds are exhausted.
• October 1, 2027: SPUR FY 2027 fee schedule takes effect.
• Going forward: ARC Program and AIC Program funding opportunities will no longer be published in the Federal Register; applicants must monitor the USDA agency website and grants.gov directly.

What This Means for Recipients

State, local, and tribal governments and their consultants should note that the December 29, 2026 comment deadline is the only assured window for influencing the CDFI Fund's FA and TA application design for CDFI and NACA Program participants. For rural cooperatives and utilities pursuing ARC or AIC Program loans, the shift away from Federal Register publication means that future eligibility and deadline information will only be accessible through the USDA agency website and grants.gov — requiring a change in monitoring practices. Eligible lenders and borrowers in the meat, poultry, and seafood processing sector may submit SPUR guaranteed loan applications beginning October 27, 2026, with the FY 2027 fee schedule governing those applications effective October 1, 2027.

Related

• Money hub
• NIH, ARO, and NSF Post Open Funding Opportunities Spanning Neurotechnology, Native Health, and Basic Research
• FAA Extends Slot-Usage Waiver at DCA, JFK, and LGA Through October 2027 Amid N90 Staffing Shortfall
• Education Dept. Sets 2026-27 FAFSA Deadlines; NIH Posts Three Research Grant Opportunities