Rural business development grants - disaster (rbdg e disaster) grants

The Rural Business Cooperative Services, under the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program (CFDA 10.351), awarded $263,724 to Cooperativa De Duenos De Laboratorios Clinicos Privados De PR (operating as Cooplab) on September 26, 2025, to support sustainable economic development and job creation in rural Puerto Rico. This project grant, with an ultimate completion date of September 26, 2027, is designated as a disaster recovery initiative under the RBDG-Disaster category, reflecting the program's commitment to supporting rural communities' recovery and economic stabilization following adverse conditions.

As an intermediary organization, Cooplab will utilize these funds to provide technical assistance and capital support to eligible small and emerging private businesses in rural Puerto Rico, targeting enterprises that employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1 million in projected gross revenue. The grant supports the federal program's core objectives of promoting economic development, facilitating job creation, and strengthening the rural economy, with particular emphasis on disaster recovery priorities during the two-year implementation period.