Rural Employment Development Incentive (REDI) Grant

The Rural Employment Development Incentive (REDI) grant is a funding opportunity aimed at businesses that create new high-paying jobs in rural Utah communities. Administered by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), the grant program supports companies that establish new employment positions in designated rural areas or municipalities with a population of 10,000 or less in Weber, Davis, Utah, and Washington counties. The incentive encourages job creation by offering financial assistance based on the employee’s work location. Businesses may receive up to $6,000 per new position, depending on the county’s average wage relative to the state average. To qualify, organizations must apply before creating new positions. The positions must be new to the organization, full-time (at least 30 hours per week), and must pay at least 100% of the county’s average annual wage, excluding benefits. Furthermore, new hires must remain in the positions for at least 12 months. The organization must also maintain the number of full-time employees or positions it had at the time of application, as stated in the grant contract. The grant offers three funding tiers based on the county’s wage levels. Businesses can receive $4,000 per full-time position if the county’s average wage is equal to or greater than the state average, $5,000 if the wage is between 85% and 99% of the state average, and $6,000 if the wage is below 85% of the state average. Organizations may qualify for up to $250,000 in grant funding under one application and within a single fiscal year. The grant is post-performance, meaning funds are only distributed after the business meets all program requirements. The REDI grant application is open quarterly for approximately two weeks at a time. The 2025 application periods are February 1-15, May 1-15, August 1-15, and November 1-15. Approved businesses have six months from the agreement date to hire employees for the new positions. Required documentation must be submitted at six months or upon reaching 12 months of employment to demonstrate compliance with grant conditions. Eligible applicants include various business entities such as sole proprietors, partnerships, associations, corporations, and trusts, provided they are not primarily engaged in construction, staffing, retail, or public utility activities. The application review process involves an approval step where the GOEO may enter into a written agreement with the business, outlining the maximum grant amount and documentation requirements. The agreement must be signed within 30 days of approval, or it will expire. For additional details or to apply, businesses can visit business.utah.gov/rural. The GOEO can be reached at 801-538-8687 or via email at econgrants@utah.gov for inquiries regarding the REDI grant program. The REDI grant offers financial incentives to businesses based on the location of the employee’s work. Organizations can receive between $4,000 and $6,000 for each new full-time position created, depending on the average wage of the county where the job is located. Specifically, the grant provides $4,000 for positions in counties where the average wage is equal to or greater than the state average wage, $5,000 for positions in counties where the average wage is between 85% and 99% of the state average wage, and $6,000 for positions in counties where the average wage is less than 85% of the state average wage. A business entity may qualify for up to $250,000 in REDI grant allocations per year. Eligibility for the REDI grant requires businesses to submit an application before creating new positions. The positions must be new to the organization, located in rural Utah, full-time (working at least 30 hours per week), and pay at least 100% of the county’s average annual wage. Additionally, the positions must be retained for at least 12 months with new hires filling them. The business must also maintain the baseline number of full-time employees or positions at the time of application submission. Eligible businesses include sole proprietors, partnerships, associations, joint ventures, corporations, firms, trusts, foundations, or any other organization or entity conducting business, excluding those primarily engaged in construction, staffing, retail, or public utility activities. The REDI grant is post-performance, meaning funds are distributed only after the company meets its program obligations. Businesses must provide documentation at the end of at least six months showing an annualized wage or 12 months of employment to demonstrate the creation of new full-time positions. The application for the REDI grant opens quarterly for approximately two weeks, one month after each calendared quarter. The application portal will be open on the following dates in 2025: February 1-15, May 1-15, August 1-15, and November 1-15. Businesses interested in the grant must submit their applications within these windows. Once an application is approved, the business has six months to hire the projected employees. If the positions are not filled, the agreement is void, and the business must submit a new application for future consideration. For more information or to apply, businesses can visit the website at business.utah.gov/rural. They can also contact the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity by phone at 801-538-8687 or via email at econgrants@utah.gov.

The application for the REDI grant opens quarterly for approximately two weeks, one month after each calendared quarter. The application portal will be open on the following dates in 2025: February 1-15, May 1-15, August 1-15, and November 1-15.