The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has awarded $780,000 in grants to 13 projects through the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) program. The funding is intended to help rural communities across the state strengthen their local economies and improve resilience.
“Colorado is proud of our economy and especially the role that our rural communities play in driving it forward. These grants are investments in our rural economies and will support small businesses across Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“The REDI program demonstrates DOLA’s commitment to Colorado rural communities,” said Maria De Cambra, Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs. “From childcare to main street revitalization, this vital funding helps communities attract investment, encourage entrepreneurship, stimulate economic growth, and improve the quality of life for rural Coloradans.”
Among the funded projects is the City of Alamosa’s Little Learners Early Care and Learning Center, which received $134,030 to support workforce infrastructure for early childhood professionals. Saguache County was granted $15,000 for its Launchpad civics lab project that provides paid high school internships aimed at building workforce skills and increasing post-secondary enrollment.
Other recipients include High Altitude Geothermal in Moffat County with $62,470 for equipment to expand geothermal drilling services and retain former coal miners. The Town of Lyons will use $16,500 to develop a maker space and retail incubator at its Visitors Center.
The City of Sterling received $100,000 for expanding a tire retread facility that repurposes truck tires while creating new jobs. Morgan County was awarded $87,000 to renovate its Innovation Center as a hub for business training and development programs.
Additional grants were distributed to support business assistance programs in Eagle ($100,000), economic outreach efforts in San Luis Valley ($25,000), downtown revitalization initiatives in Victor ($50,000), an agricultural marketplace in Custer County ($100,000), hotel feasibility studies in Akron ($15,000), fairgrounds improvement studies in Elbert County ($25,000), and infrastructure planning with leadership hiring in Kiowa County ($50,000).
These projects aim to address diverse needs such as child care access, job creation through new industries like geothermal energy or tire recycling facilities serving multiple states including Kansas and Nebraska (https://www.sterlingcolo.com/retread-expansion-phase-3). Other initiatives focus on community engagement by providing resources for business development or transforming public spaces into more versatile assets.
