Michigan Rural Development Fund Grant

LEO-ORP@michigan.gov

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is offering grant funding to promote expansion and sustainability of land-based industries; worker training related to land-based industries; and energy, livestock processing, transportation, housing, communications, broadband, water and wastewater infrastructure to benefit rural communities in Michigan.

Category 1: Community and business development

• Infrastructure and community facilities
  • Improvements or development of roadways, bridges, renewable energy, wastewater facilities, municipal and/or community-owned buildings, rural housing, broadband, and other built infrastructure
  • Plans, assessments, or engineering necessary to implement infrastructure improvements above
• Workforce, community, and economic development
  • Projects that improve local and regional workforce and economic development needs such as workforce development programs, housing, child care, recreation and cultural facilities, tourism, transportation, health, and food access and production
  • Plans, studies, or assessments necessary to implement workforce, community, and economic development projects
  • Capacity-building activities that are necessary to implement workforce, community, and economic development projects
• Business development
  • Plans, assessments, studies, and engineering that will identify opportunities for new investment, markets, and business development, with an emphasis on land-based industries
  • Projects that will ensure long-term creation or retention of jobs with a strong local and/or regional impact

Category 2: Regional collaboration
Projects that demonstrate new, formalized shared-service models that support regional planning, workforce, and economic development and increase the capacity of regional, multi-county organizations to meet local planning, workforce, and economic development needs to increase the sustainability of land-based industries.

Eligible applicants include:

• Individuals
• Organizations
• Businesses
• Local units of government
• Federally recognized tribes
• Educational institutions
• Regional planning agencies and economic or workforce development organizations

Up to $100,000 over 1 year for community and business development and up to $200,000 over 2 years for regional collaboration. Applicants must provide a minimum 20% match.

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online applications are available on the program website.

Submit a letter of intent through the online form by November 2, 2026. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application, with a deadline of January 13, 2027.

Applicant webinar recording