Indian Affairs Announces OIED’s NABDI 2021 Grant Application Solicitation Opportunity

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland announced today that the IA Office of Indian Economic Development (formerly the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development) is soliciting applications for its Native American Business Development Institute grant program. NABDI is looking to fund approximately 20 to 35 grants, ranging in value from approximately $25,000 to $75,000, to enable federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to perform feasibility studies and/or design business plans of proposed economic development projects, businesses and technologies.

“The Native American Business Development Institute is an important resource for tribal governments seeking to explore, examine or expand on activities that support their economic development efforts,” Newland said. “Economic self-sufficiency is a key component of tribal self-determination and sovereignty. NABDI grants are another example of how Indian Affairs and DOI work to support both.”

Feasibility studies may also explore how a current tribal business or enterprise could recover and adapt to the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the feasibility study, NABDI grants may fund business plans for proposed businesses or recovering tribal businesses.

NABDI is a competitive, discretionary grant program. Proposals must be submitted via the Grants.gov website by 5:00 p.m. AKDT (9:00 p.m. EDT) on July 2, 2021, and will be evaluated on their potential to create jobs and stimulate economic activity within an American Indian or Alaska Native community. OIED’s solicitation for NABDI funding and details on how to apply can be found at Grants.gov.

Questions about NABDI may be addressed to: Mr. James R. West, Native American Business Development Institute Manager, Office of Indian Economic Development, Room 6049-B, 12220 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191; telephone: (202) 595-4766; e-mail: jamesr.west@bia.gov.

OIED administers NABDI through its Division of Economic Development (DED).

The Office of Indian Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is under the Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development (DAS-PED). Its mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities by helping federally recognized tribes develop their renewable and nonrenewable energy and mineral resources; increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses; assisting tribes in building the legal infrastructure necessary for their economic progress; and enabling tribally and individual AI/AN-owned businesses to take advantage of government and private sector procurement opportunities.

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