Claire McCaskill wants to see small business owners, communities, and non-profits recieve federal grant dollars.  On Monday, June 29th she hosted the Southeast Missouri Economic Development and Grant Writing Workshop. This free day-long seminar at Southeast Missouri State University featured speakers from the Tranform Missouri Project, Missouri Department of Economic Development, Environmental Protection Agency, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, US Department of Agriculture, and Small Business Administration among others.

The presenters showcased the grants and loan programs available to Missouri citizens and businesses and how to best access them.  Green business, renewable energy, and energy conservation were major topics of conversation and a reoccuring theme in terms of where American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funds are being targeted.

The Transform Missouri Initiative and the EPA’s CARE Program (Community Action for a Renewed Environment) are two examples of how Missouri can take advantage of federal funds locally by bringing communities together.  The presenters came with an abundance of handouts showcasing the resources available including a 40 page resource guide to the ARRA funds available in Missouri.

The highlight of the session was McCaskill’s hour long question and answer session that opened her up to tough questions from the audience mostly on the issues of healthcare and energy policy.  The afternoon closed with a presentaion by Dr. Jackie Chambers Ph.D on how to research and write grants.

Check out McCaskill’s website for future works shops on make sure your voice is there to be heard on energy and conservation issues.

Click here to see all of the presentations from the workshop >

Click here McCaskill’s Resource Guide for the Economic Stimulus >

Click here for the Government Grants homepage to learn about all the grants available through the federal government>

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Tags: ARRA, Claire McCaskill, Economic Development, EPA, Grants, Transform Missouri

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