REAP grants now come after the project, and who counts as accredited

USDA's new rule for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) took effect on October 16, 2026. You now pay for and install a renewable energy system or energy efficiency project first, and apply 12 to 24 months after it is finished (up to 36 months in the first round under the new rule), with 12 months of energy data from before the project and 12 from after. Grants run from $1,500 to $500,000 for renewable energy and to $250,000 for energy efficiency, and never more than 25% of the cost. Ground-mounted solar and wind on cropland, and projects at more than one location, can no longer get a grant. State competitions are replaced by one national competition, plus one for requests of $20,000 or less.

For a rural business or farm, a REAP grant is now money back on a project already paid for, not money to start one. You need to fund the whole project first, from savings or a loan. The rule was issued "with comment period": USDA takes comments until November 2, 2026 and may still change it. The route page now carries the new figures.

On October 5, 2026 the SEC published five notices, each asking whether people who hold a credential in good standing should count as accredited investors: a US certified public accountant (CPA) license, the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter, the Series 79 and Series 86 and 87 licenses, and passing an accredited investor exam that FINRA would develop. Today, the licenses that count are Series 7, 65 and 82, among other tests such as wealth and income. Comments are open until December 4, 2026. These are notices, not decisions: nothing changes unless the SEC issues an order.

If the SEC goes ahead, more people would count as accredited investors, and so could put money into private offerings limited to them, such as a Rule 506(c) offering. The angel investment, SAFE and convertible note pages explain when that matters to a founder.

The law that keeps the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) running says it continues "until the close of business on December 31, 2026". A Senate bill, S. 3772, would extend it, but it has had no action since it was sent to the Senate Banking Committee on February 4, 2026.

If the charter lapses, EXIM can manage the deals it already has but cannot take on new ones, such as working capital loan guarantees and export credit insurance. An exporter planning to use EXIM in 2027 should watch this date.