Every RBDG Application We Helped Prepare Was Awarded

The awards are helping rural communities invest in local businesses, technical assistance, and broader community marketing.

Every application Locable helped prepare for a USDA Rural Business Development Grant was awarded. That’s a 100% award rate among the applications we supported. Awards ranged from $30,000 to $40,000, and we’re already working with Seneca and Sunbury to put their grants to work.

For Seneca Area Chamber, the application process felt manageable. Kylee Bergstrom said: “It’s the easiest grant I’ve ever filled out because I didn’t have to fill it out.”

These projects pair Locable with hands-on marketing and implementation with technical assistance, which can include websites for local businesses and marketing training based on the Marketing 3-4-5™ approach.

A Community Internet Readiness Audit maps local businesses’ activities, their overall online presence, and some fo their connections among various local organizations. That picture can guide a range of support. Follow-on work to connect them with our Community Information Grid so local information, events, job openings and more are available in more places with less repeated effort.

Thanks to Downtown Redevelopment Services (DRS), which brought Locable into this program years ago. DRS helps communities with real estate-related work and downtown economic activation, while Locable supports marketing and community information infrastructure. When a grant includes both, we collaborate and allocate funding across the two project scopes.

Considering an RBDG application for the next cycle? We’ll share more about the process and possible project options in an upcoming webinar, use the form below to be added to our interest list.