The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) is offering the Rural Readiness Grant Program (RRGP), a funding opportunity designed to empower community-specific solutions that build capacity and readiness in rural communities and regions across Michigan.
Donor Name: Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO)
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 06/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
This reimbursement grant program provides eligible communities with up to $50,000 to support collaborative planning and capacity initiatives.
Eligible Areas
Rural communities and tax-exempt organizations serving rural communities are eligible to apply for grant funds designed to support collaborative planning and capacity building initiatives that advance efforts to address local needs including, but not limited to, housing, broadband, placemaking, energy, transportation, health, infrastructure, economic development, and workforce. Multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector projects are strongly encouraged.
Eligible Activities
Funding will be focused on the following types of projects in rural areas:
- Rural Capacity Building. Eligible activities include new, enhanced, or scaled fellowship programs or community-based internship programs, development of training curricula, leadership development programs, and shared services or staff dedicated to specific project or planning needs. Projects must demonstrate an innovative, collaborative approach to building long-term capacity.
- Development Readiness. Projects include activities that prepare communities or key properties for development or investment, including development of property inventories, site development studies, site material development, site implementation or land assembly activities, feasibility or market studies, and more.
- Partnerships and Planning. Activities include development of plans and implementation structures that build readiness for future projects, collaborative initiatives, development, and investment.
- Cross-sector Collaboration. Activities include various forms of community and stakeholder engagement that foster planning and dialogue across sectors, governments, and agency types.
Eligibility Criteria
- Tax-exempt organizations/nonprofits, including community foundations and statewide associations.
- Local units of government (county, city, township, village, school district; any authority composed of counties, cities, townships, villages and school districts or combination of these entities). NOTE: Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) and Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) are eligible.
- Federally Recognized Tribes
- Educational institutions (i.e., universities, community colleges). Note: while the educational institution applying for funding may be in an urban area, the project itself must serve one or more eligible rural areas.
- Regional planning agencies and economic or workforce development organizations.
For more information, visit LEO.
