Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program

Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program — is cataloged under number RD-RBCS-26-RMAP and tied to CFDA assistance listing 10.870, posted by Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as open, first posted on February 26, 2026. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.

Award economics. The award range on file is Up to $100,000. The agency has projected $3.2 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 20 awards. If the agency funds the expected 20 awards from the $3.2 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $160,000. Cost sharing or matching funds are required, meaning applicants must contribute a portion of the project budget from non-federal sources — factor this into your financial plan before drafting the proposal. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.

Deadline and action path. Applications close on June 30, 2026 — roughly 25 days from today. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.