Rbdg rural business coop rural enterprise grant

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation received a $199,999 Rural Business Development Grant (CFDA 10.351) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services, awarded on September 26, 2025, with a completion date of September 26, 2027. The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to promote sustainable economic development and job creation in rural communities by funding grants to intermediary organizations—rather than directly to businesses—that provide technical assistance and capital support to small and emerging private enterprises. Under this award, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation will deliver comprehensive services to support rural business development in Southeastern Kentucky, leveraging its capacity as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to provide technical assistance, business training, and financial services to eligible small businesses and microenterprises in economically distressed rural areas.

As the parent organization of Kentucky Highlands Community Development Corporation, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation will utilize grant funding to support business development initiatives targeting businesses with 50 or fewer new employees and less than $1 million in projected gross revenue. The award aligns with the program's priorities of serving low-income communities, supporting job creation, and strengthening rural economic development. The organization's established track record of administering federal grants through multiple agencies positions it to effectively implement this Rural Business Development Grant to advance sustainable business growth and employment opportunities in Kentucky's rural regions.