USDA Rural Development Announces $554,000 in Rural Business Development Grants to Benefit West Virginia Communities

(Morgantown, W.V., October 28, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development West Virginia State Director John Reisenweber announced six local governments have received a combined $554,000 in USDA Rural Business Development Grants to be used to strengthen the local rural economy, create opportunity and build a more prosperous and resilient rural America.

"I've recently visited several of these communities and had the opportunity to witness the partnerships behind these projects," said Reisenweber. "Whether strengthening manufacturing, revitalizing main streets or capitalizing on outdoor recreation, these investments reflect the creativity and determination of rural West Virginia, and USDA is proud to help move them forward."

The following West Virginia entities have received USDA Rural Business Development Grants:

• The City of Ravenswood in Jackson County has received a grant of $30,000 to provide business opportunity technical assistance to at least five incorporated small businesses in the downtown district. These small rural businesses will receive marketing training, one-on-one coaching, website development support, and coordinated digital engagement tools. The project also includes the development of a Strategic Marketing & Technical Assistance plan to improve business capacity and economic activity. Seven jobs will be created through this investment.
• The BCKP Regional Intergovernmental Council, through its nonprofit affiliate Mountain State Small Business Finance, Inc., will use a grant of $99,000 to implement a targeted technical assistance and business outreach initiative designed to increase utilization of the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program in the distressed counties of Calhoun, Clay, McDowell, Mingo, Roane, and Webster. The grantee will be contributing an additional $34,000 to the project. These funds will support small business development and lending, create 100 new jobs and save 20 current jobs.
• The City of Hinton has received a $70,000 grant to complete a GIS-based business inventory and economic development mapping project. This Rural Development investment will support the creation of a comprehensive, citywide inventory of existing businesses, available commercial properties, vacant storefronts, and tourism and recreational assets. The project will include field data collection, photography, GIS mapping, standardized datasets, and development of marketing ready information tools for business recruitment and planning. This investment will strengthen economic development capacity, assist small and emerging rural businesses, and complement ongoing revitalization efforts within the City of Hinton. The City of Hinton will provide a local contribution of $5,000 toward the project.
• Braxton County will receive a $59,000 grant to acquire a downtown property for development of the permanent four-season market and to support construction of an accessible kayak and canoe launch on the Elk River. These improvements will create three new jobs and provide farmers, food entrepreneurs, and artisans with year-round market access while connecting paddlers and visitors directly to downtown Sutton's small businesses. The Braxton County Commission will contribute an additional $133,900 to the project to strengthen local commerce, expand direct-to-consumer sales opportunities, and increase visitor foot traffic generated by the Elk River Trail.
  
• The Polymer Alliance Zone, Inc. will receive a $197,000 grant to complete renovations to their industrial park in Davisville. This Rural Development investment will support the rehabilitation of crucial infrastructure in the industrial park and create 20 new jobs in Wood County.
• Advantage Valley will receive a $99,000 grant to provide additional funding to the Advantage Valley revolving loan fund. The Advantage Valley fund provides loans to small businesses in a ten-county region surrounding the Kanawha Valley area, including Braxton, Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam, and Wayne counties. Five small businesses will be supported with this project.

These investments come through the agency's Rural Business Development Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to promote economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities. Applications compete in two separate categories, business opportunity grants and business enterprise grants, for use in funding various business and community projects that serve rural areas. To learn more about these programs, contact Business Programs Director Jesse Gandee at [email protected].

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making investment data accessible to the public.

Learn more online at www.rd.usda.gov, subscribe to GovDelivery updates, and follow us on X at @RD_WestVirginia.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.