The Rural Business Development Grant Program has $27.7 million available!

May 20, 2026

The SBA has announced up to $50 million in grant awards for as many as 10 eligible applicant organizations that can provide training and technical assistance to small manufacturers.

This is directly tied to the broader push to rebuild American industrial capacity, strengthen domestic supply chains, and help small manufacturers compete in a changing economy.

Eligible organizations may have an opportunity to support manufacturers with:
• Business training
• Technical assistance
• Capital readiness
• Operational support
• Supply chain development
• Growth planning

Deadline: June 15 at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.
For nonprofits, economic development organizations, technical assistance providers, manufacturing support organizations, and regional partners, this could be a major opportunity to build capacity and serve small manufacturers in a meaningful way.

If your organization is looking at this opportunity and needs help building a strong proposal, reach out and let’s get started.

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The Rural Business Development Grant Program has $27.7 million available to support projects that help rural communities grow their local economies and create jobs.

This funding can support things like:
• Business support centers
• Entrepreneur training
• Feasibility studies
• Business plans
• Strategic planning
• Technical assistance
• Market research
• Rural business incubators
• Equipment, buildings, and infrastructure tied to rural business development

Eligible applicants include:
• Rural cooperatives
• Nonprofits
• Towns and communities
• State agencies
• Institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized Tribes

Important note: Individuals and for-profit businesses cannot apply directly, but they may be able to benefit through eligible community partners.
There are two deadlines:

For Strategic Economic and Community Development applications: June 15, 2026

For all other applicants: June 30, 2026
Applications are submitted through Grants.gov by 4:30 p.m. local time on the applicable deadline.

This could be a strong fit for rural communities looking to support entrepreneurs, develop local businesses, create jobs, launch incubators, or invest in community-based economic development.

If your organization is looking at this opportunity and needs help building the project, partnerships, budget, or application strategy, reach out to get started.