Section 1980.411 - Loan purposesLoans to borrowers with facilities located in both urban and rural areas will be limited to the amount necessary to finance the facility located in the eligible rural area.
(a)Private entrepreneurs. Loans may be for improving, developing or financing business, industry and employment and improving the economic and environmental climate, including pollution and abatement control, of rural areas, and may include but not be limited to:(1) Business and industrial acquisitions, construction, conversion, enlargement, repair, modernization of development cost.(2) Purchasing and development of land, easements, rights-of-way, buildings, facilities, leases or materials.(3) Purchasing of equipment, lease-hold improvements machinery or supplies.(4) Pollution control and abatement including those in connection with farming and ranching operations.(5) Transportation services incidential to industrial development.(6) Startup costs and working capital.(7) The financing of housing development sites located in open country or cities, towns or villages with populations not in excess of those eligible for Rural Development rural housing loans, provided the community demonstrates a need for additional housing to prevent a loss of jobs in the area, or to house families moving to the area as a result of new employment opportunities.(8) Loans, other than for working capital or debt refinancing, for meat processing facilities and integrated meat and poultry operations. Loans may not be guaranteed for agricultural production as defined in § 1980.412(e) ; however, applicants who are in the business of processing, marketing or packaging of agricultural products, as well as agricultural production, may be eligible for loan assistance for that portion of the business other than agricultural production provided the agricultural production aspect is separate from the rest of the business; i.e., the production aspects are handled through separate legal business entities or through maintenance of the accounting system in such a manner as to clearly identify the use of and future accounting of the loan proceeds and operation of the business.(9) Interest (including interest on interim financing) during the period before the first principal payment becomes due or the facility becomes income producing, whichever occurs first.(10) Feasibility studies.(11)Debt refinancing. Lenders and Rural Development must provide as part of their loan analysis the reasons for refinancing and the file must be documented accordingly. Refinancing debts may be allowed in connection with viable projects when it is determined by the lender and Rural Development that it is necessary to create new or save existing jobs. Rural Development will consider any lender's exposure as it relates to this item and may adjust the guarantee percentage accordingly. Refinancing in accordance with this paragraph may be insured or guaranteed only when:(i) It is necessary to spread substantial debt payment over a longer period of time thereby improving the business' net cash flow and working capital position consistent with the useful life of the asset(s) being refinanced, or(ii) For payment of short-term debt when required in situations customarily financed over long periods of time (e.g., financing the purchase of real estate, machinery, or equipment with short-term debt or cash expenditures, when lenders would not extend reasonable longer terms to the business), or(iii) It is necessary to place a permanent loan subsequent to an interim loan for financing the construction of the project.(iv) It does not refinance subordinated owner debt; or(v) (Except where the amount to be refinanced is owed directly to the Federal government or is Federally guaranteed) the amount to be refinanced by the Agency is a secondary part (less than 50 percent) of the overall loan requested.(12) Reasonable fees and charges only as specifically listed below and disclosed on Form FD 449-1, "Application for Loan and Guarantee," or on an addendum to the application at the time the request is submitted to Rural Development for processing. Authorized fees include professional fees rendered by professionals generally licensed by individual State or accreditation Associations, such as Engineers, Architects, Lawyers, Accountants, and Appraisers. The amount of the fee will be what is reasonable and customary in the community or region where the project is located. For example, Architects and Engineers customarily charge fees based on a percentage of estimated project costs. Lawyers, Accountants, and Appraisers customarily charge for services on an hourly basis. Any fees for professional or expert services are to be fully documented and justified on the Form RD 449-1 and are subject to Rural Development review and approval before the application is presented to the Rural Development State Loan Review Board for action. The above approved fees and charges may be funded out of loan proceeds.(13) Rural Development guarantee fee.(14) Acquisition of membership and/or stocks, bonds, or debentures necessary to obtain a loan from Production Credit Associations, Banks for Cooperatives, Small Business Investment Companies, and other lenders, provided such acquisition is required of all their borrowers. However, a lender which requires membership fees in such organization or the purchase of securities issued by such organization will not use such proceeds to acquire, lease or improve property which does not benefit its members.(15) Aquaculture including conservation, development and utilization of water for aquaculture. Aquaculture means the culture or husbandry of aquatic animals or plants by private industry for commercial purposes including the culture and growing of fish by private industry for the purpose of granting or augmenting publicly-owned and regulated stock of fish.(16)Energy projects. Commercially available energy projects that produce biomass fuel or biogas as an output must have completed two operating cycles at design performance levels submitted to the Agency. Projects that produce steam or electricity as an output must have met or exceeded acceptance test performance criteria submitted to the Agency and be successfully interconnected with the purchaser of the output. Performance or acceptance test requirements for all other energy projects will be determined by the Agency on a case by case basis. Financing for energy projects will only be allowed when the facility has been constructed according to plans and specifications and is producing at the quality and quantity projected in the application.(b)Public bodies. See §§ 1980.481 and 1980.488 .52 FR 6501, Mar. 4, 1987, as amended at 53 FR 45258, Nov. 9, 1988; 54 FR 28022, July 5, 1989; 71 FR 33187 , June 8, 2006