We are committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.
This program aims to support small rural businesses by providing technical assistance and training. It defines "small" businesses as those with fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue. The grant prioritizes smaller financial requests without a cost-sharing requirement. It features two types of projects: Opportunity and Enterprise grants. Opportunity grants are capped at 10% of the total annual funding, focusing on community and technology-based economic development, feasibility studies, business plans, leadership, and entrepreneurship training. Enterprise grants target projects that benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas, covering a wide range of uses from training and technical assistance to the capitalization of revolving loan funds and rural business incubators.