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The Rural Transformation Grant Fund is a North Carolina Department of Commerce program providing local governments in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties — and qualified census tracts in Tier 3 counties — with grants and expert guidance to improve economic vitality.
Created by the NC General Assembly in Session Law 2021-180, the fund has $48 million available across four categories: downtown revitalization and Main Street investment, resilient neighborhood creation, community enhancements for economic growth, and the university-based Rural Community Capacity building program. Note: as of April 2024, the fund is not currently accepting new applications.
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Rural Transformation Grants | NC Commerce Program Update - as of April 24, 2024 Currently, we're unable to accept applications for new grants from the Fund. We will update this page if future opportunities become available. The first, second, and third rounds of grant awards were announced on June 16 and December 14 of 2022 and on June 15, 2023.
The Rural Transformation Grant Fund provides local governments with grants and expert guidance to improve economic vitality and overcome the unique challenges many rural communities face. Open to local governments in the state's Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as qualified census tracts in Tier 3 counties, you may review a map with eligible areas here.
Rural Transformation Grants can support: Main Street and downtown investment and revitalization efforts; Initiatives that help create resilient neighborhoods; Community enhancements that spur economic growth; Professional development and education programs to build local government capacity The Fund, created by the North Carolina General Assembly in Session Law 2021-180 (S.
105) , has an available pool of $48 million for grantmaking in the four categories described below. As North Carolina recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and applies lessons from the public health emergency to improve community resiliency, the Rural Transformation Grant Fund offers a new resource to local government leaders as they guide their communities toward a brighter future. Review the program's guidelines here.
Additional reference materials and documents are also available. Access the Rural Transformation Grant Application First time visitors to our Rural Connect portal above will need to register as a new user. For more information, contact: Rural Engagement & Investment Program Director hazel.
edmond@nccommerce. com Community Enhancements for Economic Growth Rural Community Capacity Building Support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage their Main Street and downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity.
Mixed-use Downtown Development Small Business Improvements Training and Technical Assistance To create resilient neighborhoods through community development, neighborhood revitalization, economic investments, and quality of life improvements.
Affordable Permanent Housing Neighborhood Improvements and Facilities Small Business Assistance Nutritional and Healthy Initiatives Community Enhancements for Economic Growth Provide grants to local governments in rural and distressed communities to support the acquisition of land and buildings, the preparation/development of neighborhood properties and business sites, and the removal of structural and physical barriers for the purpose of enhancing community growth and economic development opportunities.
For grants awarded through this program, there must be a reasonable expectation that funding will yield private sector investment and job creation, community development projects, or neighborhood revitalization.
Secure Abandoned Properties Environmental Remediation Demolition Paired with Neighborhood Revitalization Lot Cleaning and Greening Rural Community Capacity Building The Rural Community Capacity (RC2) category is a university-based collaborative that provides educational programming, technical assistance, capacity building, economic development consultation, and focused guidance to local governments in rural and distressed communities.
RC2 is offered partnership with the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University and East Carolina University’s Master of Public Administration program.
Capacity Building Training University-based curriculum Community-level Engagement, Training, and Consultation Development of Strategic Partnerships Capacity Building Implementation Feasibility and Market Analysis Streetscapes and Wayfinding WEBINAR RECORDING | New American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Resources To Help Rural… This page was last modified on 05/15/2024
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Local governments. Grants support community and economic development projects, and foster partnerships that help small businesses. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Rural Transformation Grant Fund is funded by North Carolina Department of Commerce (Rural Economic Development Division). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in North Carolina. 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.
Community Housing Grants (Neighborhood Revitalization) is sponsored by North Carolina Department of Commerce (Rural Economic Development Division). The North Carolina Neighborhood Revitalization Program offers non-entitlement municipalities or counties the opportunity to tailor a project to meet the community development needs specific and most critical to their locality, primarily for their low- and moderate-income residen…
Industrial Development Fund Utility Account (IDF Utility Account) is sponsored by North Carolina Department of Commerce (Rural Economic Development Division). This program provides grants to support economic development in North Carolina's 80 most distressed counties. Grants support publicly owned infrastructure projects expected to result in job creation, including water, sewer, industrial access, natural gas, and rail projects.
The Department of Education quietly published the FY2026 RPED competition in the May 29 Federal Register: $45M total, awards of $1.5M-$2.5M each over 48 months, applications due June 23 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The program funds rural community colleges and regional universities to build career pathways into high-wage industries. With FIPSE under structural review by the second Trump administration, this may be the last cycle under the existing rubric. Here's the eligibility math, the partner architecture that wins, the NCES locale codes that gate the absolute priority, and the 25-day sprint that determines who gets funded.
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