Rbdg rural business coop rural enterprise grant

Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. (SERCAP) received a Rural Business Development Grant (CFDA 10.351) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services totaling $124,470.00, awarded on September 30, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. As a non-profit community development corporation headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, SERCAP will deliver technical assistance and training services to support small and emerging private business development in rural communities across seven southeastern states, with operations based in Virginia. The funding supports SERCAP's mission to provide intermediary services that facilitate sustainable economic development and job creation in rural areas with populations under 10,000 and high poverty rates.

Under this grant, SERCAP will assist eligible small businesses employing 50 or fewer new employees with less than $1.0 million in projected gross revenue. The program prioritizes projects located in low-income communities, those that preserve existing employment, and initiatives in areas with elevated unemployment. SERCAP's delivery of technical assistance and capacity-building support aligns with the Rural Business Development Grant program's core objective of promoting economic development through intermediary organizations rather than direct business funding.