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The Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBCS) of USDA Rural Development offers programs to help businesses grow as well as job training for people living in rural communities. Such Programs include loans or grants to nonprofit entities, public bodies, or Indian Tribes who use the funds to assist development of private businesses and other economic development activities. Due to current regulations and policies, Tribes and tribally owned businesses, corporations and enterprises have faced recurring challenges and barriers in accessing certain RBCS programs. At this time the current interpretation of tribal enterprises and tribally owned business as an extension of the tribal government versus a private business restrict tribal access to the programs and the Office of Tribal Relations has asked RBCS to look into how best to address this issue. RBCS is considering refining and adjusting certain eligibility requirements related to Tribes, tribally owned businesses, tribal corporations and tribal enterprises with the hope of addressing this concern.

In advance of any potential rulemaking to enact consistent eligibility requirements intended to reduce barriers to program access, RBCS proposes to publish an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to invite comments on whether this action is needed and how relationships between a Tribe and its businesses, corporations, enterprises or governmental instrumentalities should be treated for program eligibility. The Agency intends to use the feedback and input to improve RBCS program delivery to Tribes, tribally-owned business, tribal corporations and tribal enterprises