2024 Rural Communities Opportunity Grant Program

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity is offering the Rural Communities Opportunity Grant (RCOG) to empower rural communities in Utah to drive their economic development. This grant aligns with the office's mission to foster economic growth and opportunity across the state, particularly in areas identified as rural. The program is designed to enable these communities to take responsibility for economic development planning, project implementation, and managing their unique opportunities, reflecting a strategic priority to build local capacity and self-sufficiency. The primary beneficiaries of the RCOG are various rural entities within Utah, including counties of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth class, cities, towns, and metro townships located within those counties, municipalities with a population of 10,000 or less in counties of the second class, and Associations of Governments. The grant's impact goals are to address critical economic development needs, ultimately leading to improved economic vitality and quality of life in these rural areas. This includes enhancing business environments, strengthening workforces, and upgrading essential infrastructure. The grant prioritizes several key areas to achieve its objectives. These include business recruitment, development, and expansion; workforce training and development; and infrastructure, industrial building development, and capital facilities improvements for business development. These focus areas are designed to create a comprehensive approach to economic development, tackling various facets from job creation to foundational support for businesses, which aligns with a theory of change that posits strategic investment in these areas will lead to sustainable economic growth. Expected outcomes from the RCOG include increased business activity, a more skilled and adaptable workforce, and modern infrastructure capable of supporting economic expansion. While specific measurable results such as the number of new businesses created, jobs retained or added, or the value of infrastructure improvements are not explicitly detailed as quantitative targets, the competitive nature of the funding and the requirement for matching funds suggest an expectation of tangible, high-impact projects that demonstrate effective use of state resources and strong local commitment. The funding structure, with varying limits for different types of entities, also indicates a tailored approach to maximizing impact based on community size and need.