The Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity is accepting Letters of Intent for the 2027 Rural Development Fund — Category 2: Regional Collaboration. This competitive applicant grant supports regional, multi-county partnerships developing new formal shared-service models and expanding collaborative planning, workforce and economic-development capacity in rural Michigan. The required Letter of Intent opened October 1, 2026 and closes November 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, as confirmed by the state’s current announcement.
Funding: Category 2 permits a maximum individual grant request of $200,000, with no minimum request amount. The overall 2027 Rural Development Fund pool of approximately $4,000,000 covers both funding categories and is not the amount available per applicant. Applicants must document matching support equal to at least 20% of the requested grant through cash, eligible in-kind support or a combination. A $200,000 request requires at least $40,000 in matching support. Awards are reimbursement-based, with qualifying costs and reporting requirements governed by the grant agreement.
Eligibility and project fit: Eligible applicants include individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, local units of government, federally recognized Tribes, educational institutions, regional planning agencies, and economic or workforce-development organizations. The proposal must directly serve eligible rural Michigan communities. Multi-county shared-service models, cross-jurisdictional coordination, formalized workforce or planning collaborations, and rural economic-development partnerships are within the published scope; projects benefiting Upper Peninsula communities receive preference. State agencies and specified telecommunications-facility projects are excluded.
Submission stages and limits: The lead applicant must first submit the official online Letter of Intent through the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity. An organization may submit only one LOI and one lead application total across Categories 1 and 2, so applicants must choose the appropriate category rather than applying separately to both. Selected LOIs may be invited to a full EGrAMS application from December 2, 2026, due January 13, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. (the official guideline does not specify a time zone for this later deadline). Invited applications must include a detailed budget, at least three supporting letters, proof of match, and other required documentation. The guidelines identify a 24-month Category 2 project period and six-month progress reporting; reimbursement generally follows documented expenditures.
Official source and next action: Review the 2027 Rural Development Fund Guidelines and the FAQ and LOI template on the Michigan ORP grant portal. Confirm the rural service area and multi-county collaboration plan, identify the required match, then file the mandatory JotForm LOI before November 2, 2026, 5 p.m. EDT. This is a financial-assistance grant, not a vendor procurement solicitation. Verified October 18, 2026.