Fiscal Year 2027 – Grant Cycle will open on Monday, April 20, 2026

We extend our sincere thanks to Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, and members of the Maryland General Assembly for prioritizing $6,047,464 in funding for rural Maryland. This investment will make a significant impact on the economic growth and long-term sustainability of our rural communities.

FY2027 Important Grant Dates
*Dates are subject to change. 

• Grant Process Opened: Monday, April 20, 2026*
• Phase 1 – Call for Letter of Intent Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026*
  • Grantees will be notified the week of June 18, 2026*, on the Phase 1 decision
• Phase 2 – Full Application Due: Friday, July 10, 2026*
  • Awards announced the week of August 17, 2026*

The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF)

• Who Can Apply: Rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning; economic and community development; and agricultural and forestry education. Community colleges that provide enhanced training and technical assistance to support agricultural and small businesses are also eligible to apply
• Purpose: To increase the overall capacity of rural serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding
• Program Information & Supporting Documents:
  • MAERDAF Statute
  • MAERDAF Overview
  • MAERDAF Background

The Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF)

• Who Can Apply: Local and regional public and nonprofit organizations
• Purpose: To raise the overall standard of living in rural areas to a level that meets or exceeds statewide benchmark averages by 2030 while preserving the best aspects of cultural heritage and rural way of life. Resources provided to RMPIF are designed to facilitate significant targeted investments in important economic and community development programs and promote regional and intergovernmental cooperation
• Program Information & Supporting Documents:
  • RMPIF Statute
  • RMPIF Background

Rural Health Transformation (RHT) 

• Purpose: To support initiatives that improve access to healthy, locally sourced food across rural communities. The program will support projects that expand post-harvest infrastructure for small farms, enhance food distribution through food hubs and mobile markets, and increase procurement of local foods by institutions such as schools, hospitals, and community organizations. Additional priorities include advancing nutrition education and supporting regional coordination to address food insecurity in rural “hot spot” communities

For additional information, please contact the RMC by email at [email protected] or by phone: (410) 841-5772

RMC Acknowledgement

• RMC Logo Transparent- JPG File
• RMC Logo Small – JPG File
• MAERDAF Logo – PNG File
• RMPIF Logo – PNG File
• RMC Logo – JPG File