RPIC COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT | RPIC2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for RPIC2021

The RPIC Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number RPIC2021) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) under CFDA 10.890. It funds the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge, which is designed as a technical assistance and planning program that helps rural community leaders shape places where people want to live, work, and spend time. Rather than focusing on building a single piece of infrastructure outright, the program centers on strengthening local capacity through structured planning, training, and hands-on technical assistance so rural communities can move from ideas to implementable placemaking efforts.

At its core, the opportunity supports activities such as community visioning, project planning, and practical guidance that helps communities organize priorities, align stakeholders, and prepare to carry out placemaking projects. The work can touch a wide range of community development needs, including improving local capacity for broadband access, preserving cultural and historic buildings or sites, and supporting the planning and development of transportation options, housing strategies, and recreational spaces. The intention is to help communities create more vibrant, functional, and attractive environments that support quality of life and long-term rural economic and social resilience.

A key expectation in this funding announcement is collaboration. Applicants are required to show both existing and proposed partnerships that bring together public, private, philanthropic, and community-based partners. This emphasis signals that the federal investment is meant to leverage local and regional networks, ensuring that technical assistance is connected to on-the-ground relationships and that communities have pathways to implement plans after the assistance period ends. In practice, competitive applicants would be positioned to convene partners, deliver training and technical support, and help rural places translate community goals into actionable steps.

The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates more substantial federal involvement than a standard grant, often through collaboration, shared oversight, or coordination during the project period. The award ceiling listed is $250,000. The opportunity was originally posted on May 27, 2021, with an original closing date of July 26, 2021. Eligible applicant types are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (other than IHEs); and small businesses. Overall, the program is structured to fund qualified entities that can deliver planning support and technical assistance to rural communities, with the goal of advancing placemaking initiatives that are locally driven, partnership-based, and ready to move toward implementation.

• The Rural Utilities Service in the regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RPIC COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.890.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-05-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses.

Apply for RPIC2021

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