Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG)
US Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
Rural Business Development Grants fund technical assistance, training, and infrastructure that help small and emerging private businesses in rural areas grow — similar in structure to EDA's Build to Scale, the grant goes to a supporting organization, not straight to a startup.
Objectives
Promote economic development and job creation in rural areas by strengthening the organizations and infrastructure that support small rural businesses, split across Enterprise Grants (broader business support) and Opportunity Grants (economically distressed and underserved areas).
Who can apply?
- Grantees are public bodies, federally recognized tribes, or nonprofits serving rural areas — not individual for-profit businesses.
- A rural startup benefits indirectly, through business counseling, training, or revolving-loan funds a grantee organization runs.
- Target businesses for the underlying support are generally rural, for-profit, with fewer than 50 employees and under $1 million in gross annual revenue.
What do you get?
- Funds project planning, business counseling, and technical assistance for rural entrepreneurs.
- Can capitalize revolving loan funds that rural startups later borrow from.
- Can fund land, buildings, and infrastructure supporting rural business development.
How to apply
Individual founders should contact their state USDA Rural Development office to find an active RBDG-funded organization offering support in their area.