Rural cooperative development grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded a $200,000 Rural Cooperative Development Grant to the Cooperative Development Institute, Inc. The award, made on September 22, 2023, will fund the organization's efforts to provide technical assistance, training, feasibility studies, and other services that support the development of agricultural, rural, and mutually-owned cooperatives and businesses in Massachusetts.

As a Cooperative Development Center, the Cooperative Development Institute, Inc. leverages funding from the USDA's Rural Cooperative Development Grant and Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant programs to foster cooperative establishment in rural areas and offer expertise to minority producers and socially disadvantaged groups seeking to form cooperatives. The organization has received over $2 million in project grant awards since 2017 to deliver these services and support the rural economy and agricultural sector.