Resource Database

The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship uses webinars, publications, and other tools to share timely information and best practices on a variety of topics related to economic development in rural communities.

As the only federal government agency focused exclusively on economic development, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) plays a critical role in facilitating regional economic development efforts in communities across the nation.

Guided by the basic principle that sustainable economic development should be locally-driven, EDA works directly with communities and regions to help them build the capacity for economic development based on local business conditions and needs. EDA’s grant investments in planning, technical assistance, and infrastructure construction are designed to leverage existing regional assets to support the implementation of economic development strategies that make it easier for businesses to start and grow.

EDA’s flexible programs and structure enable nimble operations and allow for innovation and responsiveness to changing economic needs and conditions faced by its local and state government partners. Grants made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets to support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities.

EDA provides economic development financial assistance to communities so they can encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in a way that works best for them. Through its network of regionally-based staff and portfolio of flexible grant tools, EDA helps communities experiencing economic distress, take control of their future and position themselves for economic prosperity and resiliency.

In addition, EDA leads the integration of economic development resources from all sources, including federal, state, local and philanthropic, to achieve better outcomes for communities across America.

Battelle Energy Alliance corporate funds provide grants for projects aimed at spurring technology-based economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. Priority is given to projects that focus on connecting industry partners, universities, start-ups and economic development organizations that drive job growth. Projects that complement the mission areas of the lab in nuclear energy, clean energy and national and homeland security are strongly encouraged.

INL works through existing groups to establish a strong climate for tech-based economic development. Available funds are leveraged by challenging other groups to match contributions for the start of tech-based projects. Examples of INL’s efforts include:

• Helping start-up companies develop business plans, providing strategic planning training, and offering highly-specialized technical assistance.
• Working with economic and technology development organizations to identify opportunities and resources.
• Providing services to tech-based incubators and science & technology parks.

Grant Request: INL’s Technology Based Economic Development donation process is conducted on an annual basis. Grant requests for fiscal year 2018 closed on October 15, 2017. You can now request a Technology Based Economic Development grant for fiscal year 2019 (Oct 1, 2018 – Sept. 30, 2019). Submission deadline is Oct. 15, 2018. Please note that the fillable PDF application file must be opened in Adobe Acrobat.

• 2019 INL Techbased Economic Development Grant Request Form (Download and Fill Out)
• 2019 INL Techbased Economic Development Grant Request Form (PDF)

See below for examples of prior year grant awards. 

• 2018 INL Techbased Economic Development Grant Awardees

Lake County Community Development cultivates economic growth in western Montana by offering unique resources to develop community, business and food and agriculture enterprises. We serve entrepreneurs and local businesses.

The Montana Community Development Corporation has been awarded $431 Million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) from the U.S. Treasury Department. These tax credits are a powerful tool for creating jobs in markets where economic growth has been a challenge. Montana & Idaho CDC works with investors to turn the credits into cash, and then uses that cash to fund business start ups and expansions in Montana and Idaho.

In this site NADO provides publications, webinars, workshop materials, and other information on a variety of topics and themes including economic resilience, entrepreneurship, community engagement, downtown redevelopment, food systems, and other areas.

Northwest Areas Foundation (NAF) funds champions of change who reflect the distinct cultural strengths of the eight states and 75 Native nations of the northwest region. NAF works in diverse communities to help people build assets through good jobs and financial capability'so that they can establish good credit, launch small businesses and save for their futures.

The program and resources contained on this site are intended for use by communities interested in developing a local environment that supports the growth and attraction of entrepreneur operated businesses. Modules will help a community in the creation or strengthening of stronger local support networks for entrepreneurs.

Small Biz Survival is a rural small business blog. The blog discusses issues regarding small town business, with how-to articles, an emphasis on social media marketing..