Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge

Gregory Dale
202.568.9558
RD.RPIC@usda.gov

Sherri McCarter
615.982.2078

The Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) provides Grants for organizations to provide planning and implementation technical assistance to rural communities to foster placemaking, which is the process of creating quality places where people want to live, work, learn, and play. The program goal is to create greater social and cultural vitality in rural communities aimed at improving people's social, physical, and economic well-being. Funding may be used to help rural communities create plans to enhance capacity for broadband access; preserve cultural and historic structures; and support the development of transportation, housing, and recreational spaces.

The program considers quality placemaking concepts to include:

• Creating livable communities is important for community developers and practitioners who implement these strategies in rural communities and areas
• Placemaking practices include both innovative and adaptive as well as established technical processes and solutions
• Partnerships are a key element to the RPIC and must be developed with public, private, and philanthropic organizations creating new collaborative approaches, learning together, and bringing those learned strategies into rural and tribal communities
• Placemaking contributes to long-term investment and therefore supports a community's resiliency, social stability, and collective identity
• Broadband is an essential component to supporting placemaking initiatives

Awardees may use funds to provide technical assistance and training to help rural communities develop actionable placemaking plans, convene partners, and identify community needs. Plans must include the following elements:

• Emphasize partnerships and collaboration among public, private, philanthropic, and community partners
• Combine federal, state, local, and tribal resources, as appropriate, to make wide-ranging impacts on rural quality of life
• Use placemaking processes to create quality places where people want to live, work, learn, and play

Eligible applicants include:

• Federally recognized tribes
• Native American tribal organizations
• Institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status
• Public bodies and small private entities meeting the size standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration

All eligible applicants must demonstrate the capacity to deliver and support rural placemaking planning activities on a multijurisdictional or multisectoral basis within the northeast, midwest, southern, and/or western regions of the U.S.

Award ceiling: $250,000
Estimated number of awards: 15
Project period: Up to 2 years
Estimated total program funding: $4,000,000

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and online application process are available through the program website and grants.gov.