The Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) facilitates planning, preparing, and financing of infrastructure projects in rural communities to encourage job creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of rural economies. Rural communities often use RIF funds as a match for other infrastructure funding programs, such as those offered by the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant, United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development, and the United States Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration.
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 RIF Available Funding
A total of $22 million in funding is available through RIF for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026. Funding for $17 million is available for eligible rural communities statewide. Additionally, $5 million is available to Panhandle-specific counties, including Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington. The FY 2025-2026 RIF application cycle opened on July 21, 2025, and closes on September 5, 2025, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The following are the grant categories.
Total Project Participation Grants:
To facilitate access and maximize the use of state, federal, local, and private resources, grants may be awarded for up to 75% of the total infrastructure project cost, or up to 100% for a project located in a rural community as defined in s. 288.0656 (2), which is also located in a fiscally constrained county as defined in s. 218.67 (1) or a rural area of opportunity as defined in s. 288.0656 (2). Eligible uses of funds include:
- Improvements to public infrastructure for industrial or commercial sites;
- Upgrades to or development of public tourism infrastructure;
- Improvements to the inadequate infrastructure have resulted in regulatory action.
Project Planning and Preparation Grants:
To facilitate timely response and induce the location or expansion of specific job-creating opportunities, grants may be awarded for infrastructure feasibility studies, design and engineering activities, or other infrastructure planning and preparation activities. Grants awarded under this category may be used in conjunction with Total Project Participation grants.
- Up to $300,000 can be awarded for infrastructure feasibility studies, design and engineering activities, or other infrastructure planning and preparation activities.
Preclearance Review Grants:
To enable rural communities to access the resources available under the Expedited Permitting – Preclearance Review Process (Section 403.973(18), Florida Statutes), grants may be awarded for surveys, feasibility studies, and other activities related to the identification and preclearance review of land that is suitable for preclearance review. Maximum amounts and match requirements:
- Projects located outside a Rural Area of Opportunity – $75,000 with 50% local funds match.
- Projects located within a Rural Area of Opportunity – $300,000
- Projects located within a catalyst site (as defined in Section 288.0656, Florida Statutes): maximum amounts are the same as above. Local funds match requirements may be waived under the process in Section 288.06561, Florida Statutes.