U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Business Cooperative Service
Rural Business Development Grant
Key facts
- Open now
- None right now
- Closed for this year
- 1 grant, next round estimated
- Type of help
- Project grant
- Typical award
- $25,000 to $500,000. Average is less than $100,000.
- Deadlines
- Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Closed for this year
This year's round is over. GrantMe estimated the next round from last year's dates.
- Rural Business Development Grants (Tennessee) · Next round: due about Jun 30, 2027 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
What it pays for
To promote sustainable economic development and facilitate the development of small and emerging private business, industry, and related employment for improving the economy in rural communities.
Who can apply
Applicants eligible for RBDG grants are government entities, Indian tribes or nonprofit corporations serving rural areas such as States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts and Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations which will serve rural areas. Rural area for this program is defined as a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population of 50,000 inhabitants or less, other than an urbanized area immediately adjacent to a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population in excess of 50,000 inhabitants.
How applications are judged
Projects selected for funding should, as much as practical, adhere to the following priorities: (1) Projects which will be located in communities having a large portion of their population with low incomes; (2) projects which will save existing jobs; (3) projects which will create jobs; and (4) projects located in areas with high unemployment rate.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2025: This Rural Development investment will be used to prepare a preliminary engineering plan focused on key infrastructure needs for the buildout of 19 remaining acres of commercial and retail space on 30 acres of trust land.
This Rural Development investment will be used to benefit Tribal communities by providing critical technical assistance and project management support to increase access to jobs, services, businesses and programs.
Groups like yours that won this
Proof that a church or faith-based group can apply: these Tennessee groups won it. Ask one of them how they did it.
- Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church · Pulaski, Giles County · fiscal year 2019 · who else funds them
Who in Tennessee has won this program
52 awards to Tennessee groups since 2018. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $269K spent that year | 2025 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest | Newbern, Dyer County | $125K | 2023 |
| Knoxville Entrepreneur Center | Knoxville, Knox County | $105K | 2022 |
| Cumberland Area Investment Corporation | Cookeville, Putnam County | $100K spent that year | 2025 |
| Joint Economic Development Board of Unicoi County, Tennessee, Inc | Erwin, Unicoi County | $100K | 2025 |
| Upper Cumberland Development District | Cookeville, Jackson County | $100K | 2025 |
| Upper Cumberland Development District | Cookeville, Jackson County | $100K | 2026 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | $95K | 2025 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest | Newbern, Dyer County | $95K | 2026 |
| Partner Community Capital, Inc. | Charles Town | $89K spent that year | 2025 |
| Bradley County School District | Cleveland, Bradley County | $89K | 2020 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology | Jackson, Madison County | $85K | 2026 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Agriculture
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Agriculture passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 2 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley County, Tennessee | Cleveland | Tennessee Department of Agriculture | $16K spent that year | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association | $10K spent that year | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).