Small towns across rural America have one thing in common: Eventually, they will have to repair, replace, or build something new to maintain their communities. But not all towns have the funding for projects on a larger scale.
The U.S. government can help—whether the project involves upgrading town utility systems or building a new community center—and grants are available. The tricky part is applying for them.
Officials in rural towns more often than not find dealing with the website SAM.gov to be complicated but necessary. Municipalities have to register on SAM.gov to receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a government-provided number, like a tax ID number, to get federal grants, awards, and contracts.
“Registering for a UEI number can be a challenging process,” said Deborah Solie, senior project associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “There are several steps, including verifying the identity of the applicant, verifying when the town was founded, plus a lot of other details are necessary to make this happen. It’s worth the trouble, as communities might otherwise miss out on grant funds that can make a huge difference in their towns.”
Yolanda Bailey, the village clerk in Brainard, Nebraska, spent several months working through this process to get grant money to help complete projects in her Butler County town. Starting in November 2023, Yolanda tried to complete the necessary steps to receive a UEI number with no success.
“Rural officials are managing a wide portfolio of responsibilities, and most rural municipalities don't have a tech support office to call when they run into issues," Deborah said. “Some steps in the application process are deceptively simple but if done incorrectly can derail the whole application.”
Yolanda first ran into issues with getting logged in.
“They have very strict authentication methods,” she said. “First, they send an email verification with a six-digit code that has to be used within 10 minutes. Our chairman's email was the only one that could receive the code, and he is a farmer who is often not available by phone or email, so we were having trouble getting into the site at all. After some months, it appeared we were too late to complete the grant application, so I dropped the subject.”
In August 2024, the swimming pool in Brainard needed renovation and the town needed help to make that happen, so Yolanda started all over with the process on SAM.gov. This time, she had help.
“The Center helped with the process, and they let me know we would be needing a UEI number,” she said. “This is when I reached out to Deborah for some help. We had a video meeting, and she helped me change the login email to Brainard City Hall's address, and added my cell phone as an authentication method. This made it possible to log in and begin to start my application.”
In September, Deborah visited Yolanda in person to help her complete the application. Even with the form completed and submitted, Yolanda spent a few more months going back and forth with officials on the other end of the application process, adding and updating documents before she finally received the UEI number.
“Deborah helped me in very significant ways,” Yolanda said. “First, she helped me change the log-in authentication process so I could get into the website. Then, she answered my questions, encouraged me not to give up, and let me know that this issue was actually solvable. We had another appointment set up for her to come to Brainard again, but everything was resolved by then. Going through this by myself was one of the most frustrating things I have had to tackle, and it really helped having the Center in my corner assisting along the way.”
With the UEI number secured, Yolanda has been able to apply for grants and recently, the town of Brainard has secured its first matching grant to kick off their pool renovation project. They are $2,500 away from raising the whole amount for that grant, at which point they will select a firm to work with as they continue to apply for more grants and raise funds within the community.
Other small towns in rural America share the likelihood of going through the same or similar issues. Center staff are available to help via phone calls, video meetings, or in person. They can also offer guidance on completing grant applications once that point is reached, although they cannot write the grant itself. (For an up-to-date list of grant writers, click here.)
“We want city clerks and any one else involved in this process to know that they’re not alone,” Deborah said. “It’s OK to reach out for help; we encourage it. Yolanda made huge progress since the Center offered her assistance, and has since completed the application. We can help others in her position.”
For more information on the SAM.gov registration process, reach out to Center staff at [email protected]. Find more information at cfra.org/rural-resources and heartlandej.org/events.
