Let Farmers Fly › Federal › USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) microloan
USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) microloan
USDA Rural Development, through a local Microenterprise Development Organization: Up to $50,000, or 75% of the project cost; fixed rate; up to 10 years. Through a local lending organization any time; USDA's new organization competitions are paused under the continuing resolution.
Verified Oct 14, 2026 against rd.usda.gov · Report a change
What it pays
Up to $50,000,
Up to $50,000, or 75% of the project cost; fixed rate; up to 10 years. · not confirmed
You pay first
25% match
At least 25% of the project cost.
Buy before approval?
Ask
Ask the organization. · not confirmed
Drones
Ask USDA Rural Development
Equipment is an allowed purpose; drones are not named; the local organization decides.
Who can apply
Rural microentrepreneurs with 10 or fewer employees, including agricultural producers, borrowing from a local Microenterprise Development Organization.
What it covers
Working capital, equipment and supplies, debt refinancing, business acquisition.
Drones: ask the agency before you count on it
Equipment is an allowed purpose; drones are not named; the local organization decides.
What that means for you: equipment is an allowed purpose and drones are not named. Nobody can promise approval. If you plan to ask, describe the exact use and tie it to a practice the agency already recognizes.
Question to send USDA Rural Development (copy and edit)
"I farm [acres, crop] in [county]. Would a [make, model] agricultural drone used for [spot spraying / variable-rate fertilizer / cover-crop seeding] be considered eligible under USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) microloan, and what would you need from me to decide?"
Money and timing
Up to $50,000, or 75% of the project cost; fixed rate; up to 10 years. · not confirmed At least 25% of the project cost.
| Item | What the record says |
|---|---|
| Opens | Not stated |
| Deadline | None; ask the local organization. |
| When money arrives | Loan disbursement by the organization. · not confirmed |
| Repayment | Repaid with interest over up to 10 years. · not confirmed |
| Equipment origin rules | Not addressed. · not confirmed |
Through a local lending organization any time; USDA's new organization competitions are paused under the continuing resolution.
Paperwork
Set by the organization; usually a business plan and financials. · not confirmed
Still open
- Which Microenterprise Development Organizations serve SE Washington, NE Oregon and north Idaho?
Where this comes from
Every quoted line below was copied from the official page the research harness captured, and checked again against that capture when this site was built. Lines marked "not confirmed" elsewhere on this page have no quote yet.
| Fact | Official wording | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program name | Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Agency | Rural Development | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Kind of help | Purchasing equipment and supplies | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | The following are eligible to apply for a loan from the MDO as an ultimate recipient | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | Businesses located in an eligible area with 10 or fewer full-time employees. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it covers | Purchasing equipment and supplies | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Status | Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Deadline | Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | Up to $50,000. Fixed interest rate. Limited to 75 percent of project cost. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| You pay first | Limited to 75 percent of project cost. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Fixed interest rate. | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | Purchasing equipment and supplies | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Official page | Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program | rd.usda.gov · capture 191 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Record usda-rd-rmap v2, approved; automatic checks run Oct 15, 2026.
Ask about this program
Answers come only from the verified program records on this site. Every answer shows the agency's own words and the date we checked them. When the records don't say, it tells you to ask USDA Rural Development.
Not live yet: the assistant is being built. Until then, use the program pages and the contact on each one.