Rural Cooperative Development Grants
No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1
Limiting Language
An eligible institution may not submit more than one application to this program as a lead institution. This includes applications from subordinate units under a parent institution. Additionally, eligible recipients may only receive funds for one award at a time. Prospective applicants are advised to contact their institutional sponsored projects office regarding processes used to select proposals for submission. For RFAP purposes, ‘parent institution’ refers to the single, legally distinct institution of higher education that oversees its colleges, schools, and departments. A separate UEI by itself does not automatically make a campus or unit a different institution. Some campuses, divisions, or administrative units within a university system may maintain their own UEIs for grants management purposes while still operating under the governance, accreditation, and legal identity of a single parent institution. In such cases, the parent institution, not the UEI, is the controlling factor in determining the one application limit. The one application limit applies to all subordinate units under the same institution. However, university systems with multiple independently accredited and governed institutions may submit one application per institution within the system. A multi campus university system may submit more than one application only if each campus is recognized as a distinct institution based on its own independent accreditation, governance structure, and institutional identity. Institutions that have received congressionally directed funding for research facility projects are not excluded from participation in this program. Such institutions may submit applications and compete for additional projects under this competitive funding opportunity.
Cost Sharing Requirements
Applicants MUST provide at minimum a 1:1 matching contribution on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all Federal funds awarded under the RFAP. The non-Federal share must be paid in cash and may include funding from private sources or from units of State or local government. In-kind matching will not be considered. See 7 U.S.C. 390a(c)(2)(A). The full match amount must be budgeted in the application, with sources of funding clearly disclosed. Recipients may phase matching contributions, potentially synchronized with project construction milestones, or raise additional funds during the project period, provided that the Authorized Representative signs the award, thereby attesting to fulfill all match commitments. Matching costs must be incurred during the federal award period, align with 2 CFR 200.306 requirements (verifiable, allowable, not double counted, and included in the approved budget), and be properly documented and reported cumulatively via the SF425 Federal Financial Reports throughout and at the conclusion of the project Consistent with 48 U.S.C. 1469a, notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Northern Mariana Islands, NIFA will waive any requirement for local matching funds under $200,000 (including in-kind contributions).
Executive Summary
This notice identifies the objectives for RCDG program projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions. NIFA requests applications for grants under the RCDG program for FY 2026 to improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping nonprofit organizations who in turn provide technical assistance to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural areas. This notice is being issued to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing and prepare and submit their applications.
Estimated funding amounts are not guaranteed and are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.