MO HB526

Department of Economic Development shall develop and implement rural regional development grants with up to $5 million in annual appropriations.

Qualifying rural regional development groups must track job creation and investment, enroll commercial/industrial sites in state-certified sites program, measure workforce skills, demonstrate private and local government involvement, and provide financial documentation.

Single grants shall not exceed $150,000, with a maximum of two grants per state region; groups with operating budgets exceeding $250,000 are ineligible.

Grant distributions use matching funds: 3:1 state-to-local ratio for groups operating 2+ years, 1:1 ratio for groups operating less than 2 years.

Eligible uses include workforce development, entrepreneurship training, regional marketing, international trade training, market research, and demographic studies to support economic development strategy.