This summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun accepting applications for two important programs for rural development. The first is the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge, which has seen a $2 million increase in funding after its initial set of grants met with a great deal of enthusiasm. This program is available to tribal entities, non-profits, local governments, universities, and small businesses for the purpose of rural placemaking, which is a collaborative process to strategically improve the social, cultural, and economic structure of a community. The second program, the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy grant, is available to nonprofit organizations, universities, tribal entities, and state and local governments. The goal is to support the growth of high-wage jobs through encouraging new business incubation, a high-skilled workforce, and opportunities for high-paying jobs. The grants can be from $500,000 to $2 million.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
