Rural Site Development Initiative Notice of Funding Availability

On May 15, 2026, the OneGeorgia Authority, housed within the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), releases this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Rural Site Development Initiative. Funding will be made available to assist local communities with support to develop sites crucial to economic development across the state of Georgia. This initiative will provide a small amount of state funding, matched at various levels depending on the community’s OneGeorgia eligibility determination, for a minimum of fifty (50) contiguous acre sites. Projects will be awarded funds on a competitive basis to sites that demonstrate the ability to address: 

• Lack of available industrial sites for recruitment and retention of employment opportunities; 
• The difficulty of satisfying project sites in communities or regions with high unemployment; or 
• A community or regional commitment to expand and improve existing sites. 

Overview 

View the full Rural Site Development Initiative Notice of Funding Availability  (PDF, 165.89 KB)

Funds Available 

Approximately twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) is available for this initiative. This funding will be awarded at regular semi-annual intervals through an ongoing, competitive grant cycle, subject to funding availability. The amount of funds may be increased or decreased at the Authority’s discretion. 

Grant Funding Limitations 

Studies for due diligence on site development are limited to no more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). Site Improvement grants are limited to no more than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per application and development. The Authority reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the applications submitted in response to this NOFA. Applications for less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) will not be accepted; however, the Authority reserves the ability to waive minimum and maximum funding limits at its discretion. Only one application will be considered per applicant, per cycle. Should an applicant receive a Due Diligence award and achieve GRAD certification on said property, the applicant may pursue Site Improvement grant funding in any subsequent funding cycle. However, funding for a second location will not be considered by the Authority prior to an original funded site receiving GRAD certification (if not already achieved), all infrastructure installed within the industrial park, and marketing of such property being undertaken. 

Matching Funds Requirement 

Applications are expected to leverage other sources of funding – private debt or equity, philanthropic support, or other public funds. Applicants located in an OneGeorgia Eligible community, should generally contribute at least a ten percent (10%) match to the amount of grant funds requested. Applicants located in an OneGeorgia Conditionally Eligible community, should contribute at a minimum twenty-five percent (25%) match to the amount of grant funds requested. Communities located in an OneGeorgia Non-Eligible county are not allowed to apply or receive grant funds. Local public and private investment will factor into an application’s overall competitiveness. 

Eligible Applicants 

Units of general-purpose local government (e.g., city, county, consolidated government), as well as local, regional, and state authorities, are eligible to apply. Prospective applicants should consult the Authority with questions about eligibility. 

Additional eligibility requirements include the following: 

• Applicants should notify Wylly Harrison ([email protected]), Site Development Program Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, to hold an initial meeting. 
• Applicants may only submit applications for activities within OneGeorgia Eligible and Conditionally Eligible counties. For purposes of this initiative, both Eligible and Conditionally Eligible counties are considered eligible. 
• Local government/authority applicants must comply with the audit report and grant certification form submission requirements contained in O.C.G.A. §§ 36-81-7 and 86-81-8.1. 
• Local government and authority applicants must be current and be compliant with all reporting, audit, and survey requirements, as required by statute. 
• Prior recipients of OneGeorgia funding must resolve any outstanding audit and/or compliance monitoring findings or deficiencies prior to submitting an application. Sanctions associated with any other OneGeorgia grant will also apply to this initiative. 

Eligible Activities 

The Rural Site Development Initiative is intended to provide flexible funding to support the development of rural industrial sites. Any OneGeorgia eligible activity will be considered for funding, subject to the following overarching objectives: 

• Any infrastructure/construction costs that include, but are not limited to, the following activities are eligible to receive funding through this initiative: grading, clearing, grubbing, infrastructure development, road improvements, accel/decel lanes, engineering, purchase of adjacent or expansion property, easements, and due diligence studies. 
• Sites must be publicly controlled at the time of the application submission. Site must be a minimum of fifty (50) contiguous acres. If the site is not publicly owned, the development authority must hold an option to purchase extending for a period of no less than three (3) years in order for an application to be considered. 
• Applicants seeking Site Improvement Grants must be GRAD certified or GRAD select at the time of application. 
• Applicants seeking Due Diligence grant funding for a site must commit to applying for GRAD certification within one year. If a site is not GRAD certified, completion of due diligence activities and receiving GRAD certification are both prerequisites to the Authority considering the site for Site Development funding. 
• Sale or lease activities not compliant with the parameters set forth under this NOFA are subject to penalties that will be addressed in the award documentation. These include, but are not limited to, restrictions on the property that no portion of the OneGeorgia-improved property under this program be used for solar farm activities, data centers, or mini-storage facilities. 
• Developments must comply with state environmental and historic preservation requirements. 

Application Procedures 

• Applicants should notify Wylly Harrison ([email protected]), Site Development Program Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, to hold an initial meeting. 
• A pre-application is due thirty (30) days prior to the full application deadline. The pre-application will be provided by Wylly Harrison to eligible applicants. The pre-application should be submitted via email to [email protected]. 
• Each completed application will first be reviewed to reconfirm eligibility and determine completeness. Then, applications will be thoroughly vetted and competitively scored. 
• The full application should include, but is not limited to: a preliminary engineering report and commitment letters for all local funding match. 
• The Authority will consider recommended applications and make a final determination on any and all awards. 

Application Timeline 

For funding requests, applications must be submitted online. The link to access the application will be provided by program staff after staff determines eligibility. Hard copy applications will not be accepted. 

Fiscal Year 2027 submission deadlines are as follows: 

Successful applicants will receive a written notice of award, including all necessary grant or loan documents, requirements, timelines, and other details.  

Timeframe for Completion 

OneGeorgia funds must be expended within the timeframe specified in the grant/loan award documentation, which is generally two years from the date of the award. 

For purposes of the OneGeorgia Authority, “completion” is defined as: 

• All activities for which funds were received are complete; 
• All awarded funding has been expended; and 
• All award close-out procedures have been finalized. 

For more information on the OneGeorgia Authority and the Rural Site Development Program, visit the Rural Site Development Program webpage. With questions, please contact Wylly Harrison, Site Development Program Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, at [email protected].