Rural economic development grant - electric farm bill

Award: Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants (CFDA 10.854)

Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Cooperative Service

Awardee: Consolidated Cooperative

Award Amount: $266,918.00

Award Date: September 24, 2025

Completion Date: September 24, 2027

Consolidated Cooperative received a $266,918.00 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Cooperative Service under the Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants program (CFDA 10.854). As a utility intermediary, Consolidated Cooperative will establish or maintain a Revolving Loan Fund to provide zero-interest loans to eligible rural businesses in Ohio, thereby promoting rural economic development and job creation. The grant funds flow through the utility intermediary to ultimate rural business recipients, with Consolidated Cooperative assuming responsibility for repayment to USDA while rural businesses receive loans at zero interest.

This award aligns with the program's Electric Farm Bill designation and supports the ongoing federal initiative to strengthen rural economies through local utility partners. The two-year project period allows Consolidated Cooperative to deploy capital to rural economic development projects that create and retain employment opportunities in its service area, consistent with the program's maximum $300,000 grant structure and broader portfolio of $207.8 million in cumulative federal obligations across 742 awards since the program's inception in 2002.