Rbdg rural business coop rural enterprise grant

The Department of Agriculture Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded $131,350 to Newport City Renaissance Corporation on March 20, 2026, under the Rural Business Development Grant program (CFDA 10.351). The recipient, operating as the Northeastern Vermont Development Association Division, will deliver business development services and technical assistance to small and emerging private businesses in rural northeastern Vermont through March 20, 2028. Eligible businesses employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1.0 million in projected gross revenue. Newport City Renaissance is a tax-exempt nonprofit intermediary that receives the grant to assist business operations rather than to operate as a business itself. The Rural Business Development Grant program promotes sustainable economic development and facilitates job creation and business development in rural communities, with priority given to projects in areas of low income, high unemployment, and job preservation.