Rbdg rural business coop rural enterprise grant

The University of Florida's Office of Engineering Research received a $150,000 Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services (CFDA 10.351), awarded on September 29, 2025, with completion targeted for September 29, 2027. Under this Project Grant, the university serves as an intermediary to provide technical assistance and economic development services to support small and emerging private businesses in rural communities. The award aligns with the program's core objective to promote sustainable economic development and job creation in rural areas by assisting businesses that employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1 million in projected gross revenue.

As a Land Grant institution with established expertise in research and technical assistance, the University of Florida leverages this funding to deliver specialized support to eligible rural business enterprises within Florida. The grant represents the institution's continued participation in the Rural Business Development Grant Program, which prioritizes projects serving low-income communities, preserving existing employment, creating new jobs, and targeting areas with elevated unemployment rates. The award reinforces the university's role as a prime grantee capable of executing federal rural development initiatives through its engineering research infrastructure and community engagement capabilities.