Rural Cooperative Development Grant

Background
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service of the USDA is accepting applications for the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program, with the primary objective of improving the economic condition of rural areas through cooperative development. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to non-profit corporations and institutions of higher education.

Grant Details
The grant funds may be used to pay for up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing and operating centers for rural cooperative development, and up to 95 percent when the applicant is a college identified as a '1994 Institution' for purposes of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. The centers are expected to provide technical assistance to individuals or entities in the startup, expansion, or operational improvement of rural businesses, especially cooperative or mutually-owned businesses.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants must be non-profit corporations or institutions of higher education. Public bodies and individuals cannot apply for this program. Applicants must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting their applications. An applicant is ineligible if it has been debarred or suspended or is otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs under Executive Order 12549. Applicants must also certify that there are no current outstanding Federal judgments against their property and that they will not use grant funds to pay for any judgments obtained by the United States.

Period of Performance
The grant period should begin no earlier than October 1, 2022, and no later than January 1, 2023. The grant period should not exceed one year.

Grant Value
The anticipated maximum award is $200,000, subject to the availability of funding from the FY 2022 Appropriations Act.