Apply In Person:

1. To Apply for Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP), the applicant has to approach the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development link
2. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer. or it can be downloaded from the following link
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit all the documents with the completed form to the concerned office.
7. Once the application is determined to be complete, USDA will conduct a further review of the management team and business plan.
8. Fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority request.
9. If the initial review is favourable, USDA will proceed to conduct an interview with the applicant.
10. The notification will take between 12 – 13 weeks from the receipt of the initial application.
11. The applicant will be advised of the results of the meeting within 60 days.

• Application form link
• If a non-profit entity, evidence that the applicant organization meets the
• citizenship requirements (at least 51% of persons who control the MDO must be US citizens).
• If a non-profit entity, a copy of the applicant’s bylaws and articles of incorporation, which include evidence that the applicant is legally considered a non-profit organization.
• If an Indian tribe, evidence that the applicant is a Federally-recognized Indian tribe, and that the tribe neither operates nor is served by an existing MDO.
• If a public institution of higher education, evidence that the applicant is a public institution of higher education.
• For non-profit applicants only, a Certificate of Good Standing, not more than 6 months old, from the Office of the Secretary of State in the State in which the applicant is located. If the applicant has offices in more than one state, then the state in which the applicant is organized and licensed will be considered the loan location.
• Certification by the applicant that it cannot obtain sufficient credit elsewhere to fund the activities called for under this program with similar rates and terms.

USDA Rural Development
Rural Housing Service
1400 Independence Ave., SW,
Rm 5014, STOP 0701
Washington, DC 20250-0701
Application assistant Phone: (202) 690-0433
Contact link
Regional link

The following are eligible to be a Microenterprise Development Organization:

• Non-profits.
• Federally-recognized tribes.
• Institutions of higher education.

• Fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority request.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

• Application form link

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

• This entire process can be completed within 30 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

• Applicant must complete the application form before submitting. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicant must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

• Narrative work plan.
• The date that it began business as an MDO.
• Microenterprise development training.
• Number of employees.
• Caseload.
• Training organizations.
• Continuing training relationships.
• Internal benchmarking system.
• Administrative expenses.
• History of provision of microloans.
• Portfolio management.
• History of Provision of technical assistance.
• Ability to provide technical assistance.
• Proposed administrative expenses to be spent from TA grant funds.

It offers Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) loans and grants to help them:

• A Rural Microloan Revolving Fund will be established to assist microenterprises with their starting and expansion.
• Microloan borrowers and micro enterprises should receive training and technical help.

• For more information Link

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

• Link
  

More information which might help people.