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SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households

Detailed information about this program is below:

Category	Information About This Specific Program
Title	SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households
Purpose	This program helps very small, financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects.
Type of Assistance	Grant
Eligible Applicants	Most state and local government entities, nonprofits, and federally recognized Tribes Areas to be served must be rural and financially distressed: Rural areas with a population of 2,500 or less. Have a median household income below the poverty line or less than 80 percent of the statewide non-metropolitan median household income based on latest Census data.
Eligible Activities	To pay predevelopment planning costs, including: Feasibility studies to support applications for funding water or waste disposal projects. Preliminary design and engineering analysis. Technical assistance for the development of an application for financial assistance. The predevelopment planning costs must be related to a proposed project that meets the following requirements: Construct, enlarge, extend or improve rural water, sanitary sewage, solid waste disposal and storm wastewater disposal facilities. Construct or relocate public buildings, roads, bridges, fences or utilities, and to make other public improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities. Relocate private buildings, roads, bridges, fences, or utilities, and other private improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities.
Excluded Activities/Other Restrictions	Not applicable
Pre-Funding Requirements (if applicable)	Not applicable
Typical Award Amount (if applicable)	The Secretary may use not more than four percent of the total amount of funds made available for a fiscal year for water and waste disposal activities for SEARCH grants. The Secretary may fund up to 100 percent of the eligible grant costs, not to exceed $30,000.
Total Awarded Fiscal Year 2022 (if applicable)	47 grants for $1,346,550
Match Requirement (if applicable)	None
Solicitation Process/Timeline	Applications for this program are accepted year- round through your local Rural Development office. Program resources are available online (includes forms needed, guidance, certifications, etc.).
Proposal Elements/Scoring Criteria	Projects will be selected based primarily on the funding priorities in Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 1774.
Contact Information (primary contact and website or other source)	Local U.S. Department of Agriculture Office Water and Environment Program SEARCH Grant webpage Fact sheet about this funding opportunity (pdf)(102 KB)
Website Information About Successful Tribal Applicants/Projects	Not Applicable
Headquarters Office	United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development – Rural Utilities Service Water and Environmental Programs 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 4101, Stop 1548 Washington, D.C. 20250

Search the database for other Tribal waste management assistance.