The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced this week that funding is available for rural innovation projects throughout the state.
In total, the IEDA’s Rural Innovation Grant Program will award $300,000 in grants to projects supporting creative, non-traditional ideas that focus on current issues and challenges faced by rural communities associated with the themes of community investment, growth and connection.
Applicants can request between $1,000 and $20,000 in funding. Projects/programs must exist in and benefit a community in Iowa with a population of 20,000 or fewer and not contiguous to a city with a population of 40,000 or greater.
This is the second year of the Rural Innovation Grant Program. Last year, the program awarded a total of $300,000 in Rural Innovation grants to 17 projects across the state. A full list of last year’s Rural Innovation Grant recipients is available here.
Applications are due by April 16, 2021 and applicants will be notified of funding decisions by May 21.
Previous coverage
17 organizations receive state grants for innovation projects throughout rural Iowa -July 16, 2020
