We are committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.
This grant program aims to provide technical assistance and training to small rural businesses defined as those with fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue. It targets projects that significantly benefit rural areas or towns not part of the urban periphery of cities with a population exceeding 50,000. The grant prioritizes smaller requests without a maximum grant amount specified and does not require cost sharing. The range of eligible uses for the grant funds includes but is not limited to training and technical assistance, land development, pollution control, capitalization of revolving loan funds, distance learning, rural transportation improvement, community and technology-based economic development, feasibility studies, business planning, leadership and entrepreneur training, rural business incubators, and long-term strategic planning. Certain portions of the grant, referred to as opportunity grants, focus on community economic development, technology-based economic development, feasibility studies, leadership training, and rural incubators.