LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has released guidance for the latest round of the Rural Readiness Grant Program and will be accepting letters of intent through Monday.

In the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025, the Office of Rural Prosperity will offer two rounds of grant funding, with the first round offering approximately $1 million in grants to eligible rural communities.

Since its inception, the Rural Readiness Grant Program has been instrumental in supporting Michigan’s rural communities. To date, the program has invested $1.8 million to fund 40 projects across the state. These projects have successfully leveraged nearly $10 million in additional grant funding, significantly advancing local rural priorities and enhancing community development efforts.

“The Rural Readiness Grant Program is a cornerstone of our commitment to Michigan’s rural communities and making sure everyone in Michigan has the means to reach their full potential,” said Susan Corbin, LEO Director. “By providing financial support for collaborative planning and capacity-building initiatives, we’re helping these communities prepare for future growth and prosperity.”

The Readiness Grant Program offers up to $50,000 in reimbursement grant funding to tax-exempt organizations within rural communities. These competitive grants are designed to support a range of activities, including capacity building, development readiness initiatives, partnership and plan formation, and cross-sector collaboration.

The program aims to empower rural communities by providing the resources necessary to foster sustainable growth, enhance economic opportunities, and build strong partnerships. By focusing on planning and capacity-building, the Rural Readiness Grant Program helps communities prepare for future investments and navigate the complexities of economic development.

“We were struggling to take advantage of various funding opportunities due to lack of capacity and specifically as it relates to housing, lack of shovel ready sites,” said Anne Giroux, director of the Marquette County Land Bank Authority. “The funds allowed us to leverage other local funds to hire a housing specialist. That individual is already meeting with municipalities and developers to identify housing sites and funding resources and is in general working diligently to identify and address development challenges and promote the creation of additional housing units in our region.”

The Office of Rural Prosperity is currently seeking letters of intent for the first round of funding which is now open. Interested organizations are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to support their local communities.

For more information and to submit a letter of intent, go to the Rural Readiness Grant Program website at www.michigan.gov/ruralreadiness.