Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grant Program | RD RBS 22 01 RISE

Opportunity Information: Apply for RD RBS 22 01 RISE

The Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service, designed to help distressed rural and energy communities build the local capacity needed to create better-paying jobs and stimulate new business growth. The core idea behind RISE is to fund "jobs accelerator partnerships" that can organize people, institutions, and resources in a region around a shared strategy for economic development. These partnerships are expected to help communities identify their strongest local assets (such as workforce strengths, industry clusters, natural resources, research capacity, or existing employers), then turn those assets into measurable job creation, business formation, and stronger regional economic performance.

Funding is awarded through a discretionary, competitive process (Funding Opportunity Number: RD RBS 22 01 RISE; Assistance Listing/CFDA: 10.755). Individual grants range from a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $2,000,000 per project. RISE generally can cover up to 80 percent of eligible project costs, meaning applicants should plan for a non-federal share to cover the remaining portion. The opportunity anticipated around 10 awards. While the listing also shows an "Award Ceiling" of $10,000,000, the program description clarifies the per-grant cap at $2,000,000.

RISE funds can be used for a practical mix of facility, operations, and program costs tied to an innovation-driven jobs strategy in a rural area. Allowable uses include costs directly connected to purchasing or constructing an innovation center in a rural community, along with the operational expenses needed to run that center. Eligible operational costs can include equipment purchases, office supplies, and certain administrative costs, including salaries, as long as those costs are directly tied to carrying out the funded project. The grant can also support the design and delivery of programs that are carried out at, or in direct partnership with, job accelerators, which is a key emphasis of the program. In addition, reasonable and customary travel expenses are allowed when they are directly related to the job accelerator work and meet federal cost principles, including the travel rules under 2 CFR 200.474. Utilities and other operating expenses for the innovation center and job accelerator programs are also included as eligible costs. For overall administration, the grantee can charge administrative costs, but those costs are capped at no more than 10 percent of the total grant amount over the life of the project.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that could plausibly anchor or participate in a regional jobs accelerator partnership. Eligible applicants include county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The program is categorized across many public purpose areas, reflecting its flexible regional development focus, including agriculture, business and commerce, community development, education, employment and job training, energy, environment, health, natural resources, transportation, and science and technology/R&D, among others.

In short, RISE is aimed at helping rural regions move beyond isolated projects and instead build coordinated, innovation-centered ecosystems that can generate high-wage employment and new companies. Successful proposals typically align facilities (like an innovation center), operational capacity (staff and core functions), and accelerator-linked programming into one integrated strategy that clearly benefits a rural area, leverages local strengths, and is structured to deliver measurable economic outcomes.

• The Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service in the agriculture, business and commerce, community development, education, employment, labor and training, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources, opportunity zone benefits, regional development, science and technology and other research and development, transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.755.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 20, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for RD RBS 22 01 RISE

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