Competitive Florida Partnership Program Grant, State Fiscal Year 2025-2026

Competitive Florida Partnership Program Grant, State Fiscal Year 2025-2026 is sponsored by FloridaCommerce. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

**FloridaCommerce** is distributing $1. 5 million to 26 communities across the state to help develop technical assistance and increase competition among businesses, particularly in smaller towns. The money is coming from the Community Planning Technical Assistance (**CPTA**) and **Competitive Florida Partnership** programs.

FloridaCommerce is the business development bureau for the state. “Under Governor **Ron DeSantis’** leadership, FloridaCommerce continues to support Floridians in building strong, resilient communities,”said Florida Secretary of Commerce**J. Alex Kelly**in a **news release**.

“Since 2019, FloridaCommerce has awarded more than $7. 6 million through the CPTA program to over 110 communities — empowering many of Florida’s small and rural communities to advance strategic economic initiatives and strengthen their local economies for future growth. ” The majority of the latest round of funding will come from the CPTA.

That program is designed to “provide local governments located in Rural Areas of Opportunity and/or rural communities, counties, municipalities and regional planning councils the opportunity to create innovative plans and development strategies to promote a diverse economy, and meet statutory requirements for planning, while also protecting environmentally sensitive areas,” the CPTA website explains.

Technical assistance is the primary purpose of those grants. Some of that money will also be used to assist with disaster recovery and economic development planning. Each of those grants is for less than $100,000.

But the money is earmarked for some of the most rural and least populated areas of the state, such as Bradford County, the city of Crystal River, Cedar Key, Greenville, Loxahatchee Groves and other rural towns and counties. Some of the money goes directly to economic development strategies, while other funding helps pay for tourism opportunities and updates to land development regulations and zoning issues, along with other development.

Two municipalities, Franklin County and Hardee County, are getting combined $66,000 in funding from the Competitive Florida Partnership program. That program is designed to encourage economic development and updates to local comprehensive plans, which govern land development in local communities as required by the state.

Franklin County is hoping to increase job creation in the commercial sector with that money, while Hardee County is designating the funding for a Government Center and Resiliency Hub to provide business support during emergencies.