The North Carolina Department of Commerce is accepting applicantions for its Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants.
Donor Name: North Carolina Department of Commerce
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/07/2027
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The purpose of this program is to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity. Funding availability is at the discretion of the Rural Infrastructure Authority.
RDED Grants will support projects that:
- Provide public improvements that help retain business and attract customers to business districts.
- Support publicly owned downtown economic development initiatives that leverage main streets and downtown districts as economic engines.
- Facilitate publicly owned building improvements that are used for community-wide uses or mixed-use development in or on properties that are publicly owned and controlled.
Funding Information
The maximum grant amount is $850,000 per grantee and may not exceed $12,500 per projected job created or retained.
Eligible Activities
- Public Infrastructure – Improvements to publicly owned infrastructure in a downtown district, that serves a community-wide use, such as lots, alleys, streetscapes, waterfront developments and parks.
- Public Buildings (Renovation or Additions) – Improvements to publicly owned buildings in a downtown district that serve a public, community-wide use, such as a community center, theater, civic center, recreation center, or library.
- Mixed-Use Downtown Development (Renovation or Additions) – Improvements to publicly owned property in a downtown district that may be zoned and developed for a mix of uses. The mix of use may include two or more of the following: retail, restaurant, service, professional, nonprofit, governmental, institutional, or residential.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants are units of local government located in Tier 1 or Tier 2 counties, and rural census tracts in Tier 3 counties. For the purposes of this program, units of local government are defined as municipal or county governments within the state of North Carolina.
- Eligible projects are located in the downtown or central business district within Tier 1 and Tier 2 Counties, and Rural Census Tracts in Tier 3 Counties, are eligible for funding. A rural census tract* is an area having a population density of less than 500 people per square mile in accordance with the most recent decennial federal census.
For more information, visit NCDC.
