LINCOLN, NEB. (Sept. 16, 2005)—A free October 6 public hearing and meeting will focus on rules and regulations for Nebraska’s new Value-Added Grant (VAG) program and initiate discussion about application guidelines for this program and the new Building Entrepreneurial Communities (BEC) Grant program. The public hearing/meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the Nebraska State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lower Level, Room D, in Lincoln.

The VAG program will provide grants up to $75,000 with a 25% minimum match (not to exceed a total of $850,000 annually) to cooperatives, associations, and other groups to help offset the costs of research, education, training, market development, and other activities that encourage the expansion of value-added production in Nebraska.

The BEC grant program will provide grants up to $75,000 with dollar for dollar minimum matches from local governments (not to exceed a total of $250,000 annually) to rural communities to implement projects in which partners collaborate to tackle issues related to chronic economic distress, unemployment, lower-than-average per capita income, and severe population loss.

For individuals unable to attend October 6, a free video teleconference focusing on the application process and grant selection criteria will be held October 18, 10 a.m. CT at the following conferencing sites:

• Lincoln—Executive Building, 521 S. 14th St., Ste. 103

• Beatrice—State Development Center, 3000 Lincoln Blvd., Medical Center, Conference Room 2

• Grand Island—College Park, 3180 W. Hwy. 34, Room C

• Norfolk—Northeast Community College, 801 E. Benjamin Ave., MaClay Bldg., Room 122

• North Platte—McKinley Education Center, 301 W. F St., Room 1

• Scottsbluff—Panhandle Learning Center, 4502 Avenue I, High Plains Room

The proposed rules and regulations for the VAG can be viewed on the Nebraska Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.state.ne.us, or the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s (DED) website: www.NebraskaAdvantage.biz. Public comment is welcome at the October 6 hearing, or may be mailed to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, P.O. Box 94666, Lincoln, NE 68509-4666, or submitted online at the Secretary of State’s website by October 6.

Draft application guidelines for the BEC grant program can be viewed on DED’s website: www.NebraskaAdvantage.biz. Final application guidelines should be ready by Mid-October for the BEC grant program, and mid-November for the VAG program.

Due to limited space, registration for the October 6 hearing and meeting, and October 18 videoconference is strongly encouraged. To register, contact Christa Kinsley at 800-426-6505, 402-471-3746, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it