The Joint Economic Development Board of Unicoi County, Tennessee, Inc. received a $100,000 Rural Business Development Grant (CFDA 10.351) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services, awarded on September 22, 2025, with a completion date of September 22, 2027. This Project Grant supports the promotion of sustainable economic development and the facilitation of small and emerging private business growth in rural Tennessee communities. The grant funds technical assistance and business development services targeted at small enterprises projected to employ 50 or fewer new employees and generate less than $1 million in gross revenue.
As an intermediary organization, the Joint Economic Development Board will utilize these grant funds to provide comprehensive economic development support services rather than direct capital to businesses. The initiative aligns with established program priorities by targeting low-income communities and high-unemployment rural areas in Appalachia, where the awardee organization is based. This funding complements the organization's existing portfolio of federal economic development grants, enabling expanded delivery of technical assistance and capacity-building services designed to stimulate job creation and entrepreneurial growth within Unicoi County and surrounding rural regions.