We are committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.
The Rural Business Development Grant program is specifically designed to support small rural businesses with technical assistance and training. It is aimed at those businesses that qualify as "small" by having fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenue. The program prioritizes projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of cities with populations of 50,000 or more. The grants are flexible, with no maximum amount set, but smaller requests are given priority and there is no requirement for cost sharing. Funds may be used for a variety of purposes including training and technical assistance, acquisition or development of land, construction or renovation of facilities, pollution control, capitalization of revolving loan funds, distance learning for job training, and several others aimed at fostering business growth and economic development in rural areas.