USDA Rural Development Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG)
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How it Works
RBDG is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise or opportunity grant activities.
Funding Focuses On
- Regional planning and development focused on food systems
- Market development research
- Business training
- Establishing business incubators
Enterprise type grant funds must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include, but are not limited to:
- Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling/training, market research, feasibility studies, professional/technical reports, or product/service improvements
- Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utilities
- Community economic development
- Technology-based economic development
- Feasibility studies and business plans
- Leadership and entrepreneur training
- Rural business incubators
Funding Limit
General range is $10,000–$500,000. Smaller requests are given higher priority.
Qualifications
Towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribes, and rural cooperatives.
Financing Geographic Area
United States