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Rural Business Initiative Grant Program is a grant from the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), funded by a $250,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation, that supports small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs in rural Iowa communities.
The program selects four to five rural communities with populations under 20,000 located within 50 miles of a Wells Fargo branch to receive technical assistance, training, and targeted grants for small business and entrepreneurial development. Building on a successful 2024 pilot in Minden, Ottumwa, Perry, and West Branch, the 2025 cohort aims to expand on lessons learned and provide hands-on support tailored to each community's needs.
Eligible applicants are non-metro communities in Iowa that meet the population and proximity criteria.
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Rural Business Initiative Grant Program Application Window Opens - Iowa Rural Development Council Iowa Rural Vitality Coalition Rural Business Initiative Grant Program Application Window Opens We are here to help. Contact us today to see how we can help your rural community.
Back to Entrepreneurship • Back to News Rural Business Initiative Grant Program Application Window Opens Wells Fargo Foundation Grant to Support Rural Small Business Development Des Moines, Iowa – Building on the success of a pilot program focused on supporting small businesses in rural communities, the Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) to continue its support for businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs.
The application window begins today for non-metro communities under 20,000 who are at least within 50 miles of a Wells Fargo Bank branch. “This is a great opportunity to continue the work we started with pilot communities in Minden, the Ottumwa region, Perry and West Branch,” said IRDC Board President Mark Reinig. “We are excited to build on what was started last year and share the experiences of the pilot communities with a new cohort!
” The IRDC Rural Business Initiative will select four or five rural communities for technical assistance, training and targeted grants intended to support small businesses and entrepreneurial development. Information on the application process for communities to express their interest can be found here .
Pilot community projects ranged from support for businesses impacted by the tornado that hit Minden in 2024 to a small business loan program in Perry to a wide-ranging series of networking events, workshops and marketing efforts in West Branch. “We learned a lot from the pilot communities and their activities and are pleased they will serve as mentors to the communities selected this year.
It’s a great chance to leverage those experiences and build a Wells Fargo Foundation-supported collection of small business hubs,” Reinig said. The Iowa Rural Development Council is a statewide public-private non-profit organization focused on rural vitality and local capacity that will sustain and grow Iowa’s small towns. For more information, email director@iowardc.
org . Filed under: Entrepreneurship • News Special Thanks to Our Major Sustaining Members Bill Menner, Executive Director By becoming a member, your support will help underwrite staffing, and most importantly, planning and programs, to help meet the needs of rural citizens and the communities where they live and work. · Website by bigimprint.
com
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Nonprofit organizations, community-based entities, and coalitions working directly with small businesses, entrepreneurs, or local leaders in rural Iowa. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Open Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
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Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
The Fund for Women & Girls Grant Program is sponsored by The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC). The Fund for Women & Girls, an initiative of TFEC, makes grants to local nonprofit organizations in specific South Central PA counties. The grants support projects that advance the lives of women and girls by providing opportunities to address basic needs, develop economic self-sufficiency, and strengthen health and safety needs.
VGF grants will be used to develop and/or support community-based entities to recruit, manage, and support volunteers. CNCS seeks to fund effective approaches that expand volunteering, strengthen the capacity of volunteer connector organizations to recruit and retain skill-based volunteers, and develop strategies to use volunteers effectively to solve problems. Specifically, the VGF grants will support efforts that expand the capacity of volunteer connector organizations to recruit, manage, support and retain individuals to serve in high quality volunteer assignments.Applicants that receive funding under this Notice may directly carry out the activities supported under the award, or may carry out the activities by making sub-grants to community-based entities, supporting volunteer generation at these entities.). Funding Opportunity Number: AC-05-25-21. Assistance Listing: 94.021. Funding Instrument: G. Category: O. Award Amount: $6.1M total program funding.