ActiveClosedFederal

Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program.

RCDG funds nonprofit and higher-education cooperative development centers that help rural residents and businesses organize or improve cooperatives.

Offered byUSDA Rural Business-Cooperative Serviceverified 2026-07-10

Overview

What it does.

A Chester cooperative or producer group is usually a beneficiary or partner rather than the federal applicant. An eligible nonprofit or university center applies and delivers technical assistance across a rural service area.

Best for: Regional organizations capable of helping farmers, workers, residents, or businesses form and strengthen cooperative enterprises.

Eligibility

Who and what may qualify.

Eligible applicants

  • Nonprofit corporations and qualifying institutions of higher education operating cooperative development centers

Applicants excluded by the source

  • Individual businesses and cooperatives seeking a direct grant for their own operations

Eligible uses

  • Technical assistance to start, expand, or improve rural cooperatives and mutually owned businesses
  • Cooperative feasibility, development, governance, and business assistance

Uses excluded by the source

  • Direct grants to a private business
  • Projects without an eligible cooperative-development center applicant

Application

How to start.

  1. Identify an eligible nonprofit or higher-education cooperative development center
  2. Develop a rural service plan that includes Chester or Randolph County
  3. Apply under the next annual notice through the designated federal portal

Timing: The displayed prior application window is closed; wait for the next annual notice.

Planning notes

Limits to account for.

  • Private businesses are not direct applicants
  • The applicant must operate a qualified cooperative-development center
  • Current funding and match terms require a new notice

Technical assistance may complement cooperative capitalization or other USDA financing, but this grant is not direct business capital.

Evidence

Official sources.