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Rural Business Initiative Grant Program Application Window Opens

For Immediate Release

September 29,2025

 

Wells Fargo Foundation Grant to Support Rural Small Business Development

Des Moines, Iowa – Building on the success of a pilot program focused on supporting small businesses in rural communities, the Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) to continue its support for businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The Rural Business Initiative (RBI) will provide grants of at least $30,000 to community organizations that work with small businesses, dollars that can be directed to the businesses themselves for capital costs, soft costs, training or strategic planning.

The application window begins today for non-metro communities under 20,000 who are at least within 50 miles of a Wells Fargo Bank branch.

“This is a great opportunity to continue the work we started with pilot communities in Minden, the Ottumwa region, Perry and West Branch,” said IRDC Board President Mark Reinig.  “We are excited to build on what was started last year and share the experiences of the pilot communities with a new cohort!”

The IRDC Rural Business Initiative will select four or five rural communities for technical assistance, training and targeted grants intended to support small businesses and entrepreneurial development.  Information on the application process for communities to express their interest can be found here.

Pilot community projects ranged from support for businesses impacted by the tornado that hit Minden in 2024 to a small business loan program in Perry to a wide-ranging series of networking events, workshops and marketing efforts in West Branch.

“We learned a lot from the pilot communities and their activities and are pleased they will serve as mentors to the communities selected this year.  It’s a great chance to leverage those experiences and build a Wells Fargo Foundation-supported collection of small business hubs,” Reinig said.

The Iowa Rural Development Council is a statewide public-private non-profit organization focused on rural vitality and local capacity that will sustain and grow Iowa’s small towns.

For more information, email director@iowardc.org.

 

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