Rural Ready: Colorado’s Rural Economic Development Toolbox

• Economic development organizations (especially those with new or emerging economic development professionals, or new leadership); Chambers of Commerce; Main Streets; or other similar organizations working in economic or business development; or
• Tribal government, counties, cities or towns with populations less than 30,000 that have at least one staff member working in the areas of economic or business development; or
• A nonprofit organization, educational organization, library, or other community-based organization that is leading an element of community economic development, and can demonstrate dedicated, active staff time to the economic development work or initiatives.
• All applying entities must be located in one of Colorado’s rural communities as defined by the Rural Opportunity Office (exclusive of the gray areas, which are defined as Urban counties).

• Program participation requires at least four individuals from the sponsoring organization to complete all learning modules. Including additional participants in the training will increase your application's competitiveness.
  • The four required attendees from an economic development organization, Chamber of Commerce, Main Street, or similar entity must include:
    • Two staff members.
    • One board member.
    • One Public partner who has demonstrated support for the organization (e.g., through investment or board/committee involvement).
  • For counties, cities, or towns, the required attendees are:
    • Two elected officials.
    • The staff person directly responsible for economic or business development.
    • That staff person's direct supervisor.
  • For a nonprofit organization, library, educational organization or other similar, the required attendees are:
    • Elected or Appointed Official: Must work within the same service area as the applying organization.
    • Board Member: A member of the organization's governing board.
    • Staff Person: Must be directly responsible for economic or business development work.
    • Flexible Attendee: An individual selected by the entity who serves in a leadership and/or decision-making role or a position that supports economic development within the organization.

While this structure is the preferred method for participation, we recognize that not all individuals within an organization will require this specific training. If your organization's proposed attendance structure deviates from the outlined model, please be prepared to explain the rationale in your application. Prior to submitting an application with a different structure, we advise consulting with your Rural Opportunity Representative.

The application review process will prioritize geographical distribution to the extent possible.

Organizations intending to apply should designate one Team Lead who will fill out the application and who will serve as the primary contact.

Successful applicants will be notified by June 15, 2026.

Application, (Google Form)

• Funding must be used within six months of course completion. If needed, there is a one-time extension of six months allowed; Applicant must work with their Rural Opportunity Representative should you need an extension
• The program requires a 50%, or $2,500, in-kind match. Allowable in-kind contributions include:
  • Staff Time: This covers time spent in training and implementing the project funded by the Seed Grant. To receive the grant payout, Grantees must document this time, including an approximation of the hours dedicated to the Rural Ready programming.
  • Non-Cash Items: These are items with a measurable value assigned based on fair market value, such as volunteer time or donated equipment, supplies, space, or services.
  • When using staff or volunteer time for the match, the Grantee must provide a summary sheet with actual time tracked and documentation to verify the wage rate (e.g., a pay statement showing the hourly rate or data for simple calculation). Volunteer hours should be calculated using the most recent hourly rate listed for Colorado at Independent Sector.
• The grant is reimbursable, and will be paid in one lump sum upon completion of the project and acceptance of request for reimbursement with proof of payment.
• A one-page summary detailing the use of funds and the outcomes of the project is required for reimbursement.

Allowable uses of the seed funding may include:

• Entrepreneurial Programming & Support (examples: coordination and execution of pitch competitions* and demo days; startup accelerator programs; innovation hubs; sector partnership convening; business development; etc.).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: consulting fees; technology platform/software licenses for program participants; venue rental costs; marketing and outreach materials for program promotion.
  • *Unallowable uses include cash prizes for winners in pitch competitions.
• Job Retention, Upskilling or Creation (examples: employee training programs, certifications, or upskilling initiatives that improve job readiness and career advancement; projects which support startups or business expansion).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: Fees for trainers, instructors, or curriculum developers; costs of professional certifications or tuition for employee upskilling; specialized equipment or software required for training.
• Capacity Building (examples: strategic planning, asset mapping, stakeholder engagement studies).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: Consultant or facilitator fees for planning and study execution; costs of data acquisition, analysis, and mapping software; printing and distribution of final strategic documents.
• Marketing & Outreach (examples: prospectus; efforts to promote local businesses through advertising, branding, or participation in trade shows and expos).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: Graphic design; fees for media placement (digital, print, broadcast); website development or specific upgrades tied to the outreach initiative; costs associated with trade show/expo participation, including booth fees.
• Innovation & Technology (examples: investments in technological upgrades, digital tools, or innovative processes that enhance productivity and competitiveness).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: Hardware or software upgrade costs; specialized technical consulting; costs related to piloting, testing, or deploying new technologies or innovative processes; subscription fees for necessary digital tools (limited to the grant performance period).
• Economic Resilience (examples: resiliency, strategic or diversification planning; workforce development initiatives).
  • Examples of Eligible Expenses: Consultant services for developing resilience or diversification plans; costs associated with research and data analysis to identify economic vulnerabilities; fundraising plan for nonprofit organizations.

Unallowable uses of funding may include:

• Staff salaries including benefits, lease/mortgage payments, utilities and routine operational expenses of the organization.
• Expenses that are unrelated or unnecessary to the scope of work, or that do not achieve the program goals or priorities.
• Expenses that were paid prior to the contract execution date or outside of the grant performance period.
• Purchases with no proof of payment.
• Lobbying activities, political contributions and political activities.
• Food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages, prescription, non-prescription, recreational, or natural medicine.
• Using the funding to pay for a specific expense that was or will be paid through another funding source, or to exceed the total need which will result in a profit for the project/program owner. This is considered a duplication of benefits.
• Donations, sponsorships, charitable contributions, fundraising activities.
• Reimbursing staff or board members for costs of goods or services for personal use.
• Supplanting, which replaces or reduces on-going, existing funding of a regular business activity. Instead, funds should be used to expand, improve, supplement, or augment services.
• Travel expenses.

Selected organizations will access the Rural Ready Curriculum.

The curriculum is available to the public at no cost and is not restricted to organizations selected for the $2,500 seed grant.