Modernizing Grant Program Regulation

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register on September 16, 2024, to implement the provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 related to the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program and the Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC) Program and to modernize the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG). These changes will also help simplify and streamline RD program delivery. Through this action, RBCS is confirming the final rule as it was published and providing responses to the public comments that were received.