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 specifically designed for small rural businesses with the goal of fostering growth and development within these communities. To be considered small, a business must employ fewer than 50 new workers and generate less than $1 million in gross revenue annually. It focuses on projects that have a positive impact on rural areas or towns outside the urban fringe of cities with populations exceeding 50,000. The program prioritizes smaller funding requests and does not require cost sharing. There are two main types of grants offered: Opportunity and Enterprise. Opportunity grants allocate up to 10 percent of total annual funding for projects like community economic development and technology-based economic development, among others. Conversely, Enterprise grants support small and emerging businesses through a variety of initiatives, including but not limited to, training and technical assistance, acquisition or development of land, pollution control, capitalization of revolving loan funds, and several forms of infrastructure and economic development support.