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Rural Business Initiative Grant Program is sponsored by Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) with Wells Fargo Foundation and Empower Rural Iowa. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.
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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
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Community organizations in non-metro Iowa communities under 20,000 population located within 50 miles of a Wells Fargo Bank branch, working with small businesses and entrepreneurs. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows at least $30,000 per community organization. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Rural Business Initiative Grant Program is funded by Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) with Wells Fargo Foundation and Empower Rural Iowa. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Iowa. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
CMS awarded all 50 states a slice of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program on December 29, 2025 — first-year checks average $200M, ranging from $147M to $281M. The federal application is closed and you cannot apply to CMS. The money reaches hospitals, clinics, and nonprofits only as state subawards, and those competitions open through 2026. Here is how the formula worked, what the funds can and cannot buy, and how to position for a subaward before the money starts flowing.
Read articleCMS awarded the entire $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to all 50 states, with first-year checks averaging $200M per state and money starting to move October 1, 2026. The federal contest is over — but for rural hospitals, clinics, behavioral-health providers, and nonprofits, the real competition is just beginning inside each state's sub-grant process. Here is how the money splits, what it can fund, and how to position now.
Read articleOn June 29, 2026, EPA announced it will waive the $25,000 WIFIA application fee and the credit processing fee — averaging roughly $156,000 per loan — for communities of 25,000 or fewer residents in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Combined, that removes nearly $200,000 in upfront cost from the single most affordable federal water-infrastructure financing program, which carries roughly $11 billion in available capacity and can cover up to 80% of eligible project costs at Treasury-rate pricing. For small towns, rural utilities, and the nonprofits and districts that serve them, this is a rare instance of the federal government lowering the barrier to a program that has historically been out of reach for exactly the communities that need it most. Here is what changed, who qualifies, and how to move on a letter of interest before the window closes.
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