USDA Rural Funding Opportunity

To Establish and Operate Centers for Rural Cooperative Development.

Rural Development grants are now available to establish and operate centers for rural cooperative development to improve economic conditions in rural areas by promoting the development of new cooperatives and/or improvement of existing cooperatives.

Grant funds may be used, among other things, for basic feasibility studies and providing technical assistance or advisory services; to individuals, small businesses, cooperatives, or rural industries in efforts to develop new cooperatives or improve existing cooperatives.

Eligable applicants are nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher education. Rural area for this program is defined as all territories of a State, that is not within the outer boundary of any city having a population of 50,000 or more according to the latest decennial census of the United States.

Grant funds have been used in the past to provide technical assistance, applied research, technical training, and cooperative education activities for rural cooperatives.

Preference will be given to those applicants that demonstrate; a proven track record in cooperative development; in providing technical assistance in rural areas; ability to facilitate the establishment of cooperatives and new cooperative approaches; and Transferability of approach to rural areas outside of project area. Projects will be selected that contribute the most to the improvement of economic conditions of the rural area.

For more information contact the Ohio Rural Development office.