The Rural Maryland Council is seeking applications for its 2026 Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund Grant: Regional Infrastructure.
Donor Name: Rural Maryland Council
State: Maryland
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/16/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
The objective of the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund is to help raise the overall standard of living in rural areas to a level that meets or exceeds statewide benchmark averages by 2030 while preserving the best aspects of a pastoral heritage and rural way of life. Resources provided to the Fund are designed to facilitate significant targeted investments in important economic and community development programs and promote regional and intergovernmental cooperation. These investments will also enable local and regional public and nonprofit organizations to leverage additional non-state financial and human resources to facilitate the realization of sustainable rural development objectives. The Fund will serve the interests of the entire State by:
- Encouraging the increase of entrepreneurial activity and commerce and a balanced economy in the State
- Relieving conditions of unemployment and underemployment in rural areas
- assisting in the retention of valuable farm and forest land for productive use by present and future generations
- Promoting intergovernmental cooperation and public sector/private sector partnerships in and between rural and other areas
- Enhancing the deployment of housing, transportation, water, wastewater, and broadband communications infrastructure and services in rural areas
- Supporting rural commercial center redevelopment and community revitalization efforts
- Generally promoting the health, happiness, safety, employment opportunity, and general welfare of the residents of each of the rural counties and municipal corporations of the State.
Funding Information
For Fiscal Year 2026, the RMC has allocated $981,250.
Grant Period
August 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
Eligible Expenses
- Salaries and Wages are allowable expenses. It is strongly encouraged to include a statement on sustainability for future years
- Construction and renovation of buildings are eligible expenses. Acquisition of land is not. Permitting costs are eligible expenses. Please include quotes of expenditures and ensure that the project is shovel ready
- The purchase or rental of vehicles is an eligible expense. The purchase of equipment is an eligible expense
- Indirect administrative costs are capped at 15%.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) IRS tax designation or similar and serve a regional or statewide rural constituency. Trade associations are not eligible. Community Colleges, Career Technology Centers, Regional Councils, and Libraries are eligible applicants. The applicant does not have to be located in a rural area or in the area it serves
- Rural counties: State-determined rural counties are Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester. Regional projects may include non-rural counties; the majority of service must be provided in rural areas
- The State Rural Recognized Regional Councils are eligible entities to apply for RMPIF competitive funds. These projects are encouraged to have co-applicants and multiple sources of funds
- All applicants must include an official IRS-issued W-9 form with their application, allowing RMC to verify the organization’s name, address, and tax identification number. The address on the W-9 must match the organization’s grant award address. If they do not match, payment processing may be delayed.
For more information, visit RMC.
