Rural Grant Guidelines
Texas Rural Grant will open 05/05/2026
2026 Texas Rural Grant
Purpose
Foster greater economic development activity in Rural Texas by encouraging and enabling rural small businesses to undertake new and innovative projects. A total of ten grants for $10,000, totaling $100,000, will be given.
Who can apply?
Eligible businesses must satisfy all of the following conditions:
- Existing rural-owned companies (at least 51% directly owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens).
- The business owner must reside in Texas.
- The business must be in one of the eligible rural counties in Texas.
- The business must have existed in Texas for at least three years and been formed before June 19, 2023.
- The business must be a for-profit corporation, partnership, LLP or LLC, or sole proprietorship. Not-for-profit corporations or similar nonprofit entities are not eligible.
- All property taxes must be current if the business or business owner owns the premises where the company operates.
- All sales, payroll, and other taxes must be current.
- The business must be located and operated within an eligible Texas County.
- The business, business owner and the applicant must not be involved in any pending or current litigation.
- The business owner must not have any felonies or convictions for a crime of dishonesty or breach of trust.
- The business, business owner, and applicant operate with all required permits and licenses and conform to all required laws. Please check the Texas Taxable Entity Search page to verify your business is in good standing with the state: https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/
Ineligible applicants
- Any business that is not on our rural county list.
- Rural businesses registered from June 19, 2023–present
- TWU faculty/staff (or any immediate family member of the applicant’s family, including spouse, child, parent), trustee, and advisory committee member.
- TWU Students are not eligible to apply.
- Prior grant winners.
- Applicants who participated in any CWE program in the last year including AccelerateHER, NTEETC/Foundations EDC, or FastTrac awardees.
What can the funds be used for?
- A project that will be completed in the next 6 months.
- Purchase of machinery, equipment, or technology.
- Farm implements or machinery.
- Addition or acquisition of new inventory or raw materials.
- Purchase and installation of fixtures or display units.
- Property improvements that will result in increased sales and revenue.
- Marketing or advertising campaigns.
- Any other business-related activity that CWE deems is aligned with the stated purpose of this program.
Funds can’t be used for:
- Wages, salaries, bonuses or compensation are explicitly ineligible under this program and will not be funded.
- Real Property – Buildings, Land, etc. cannot be purchased with this grant.
- Paying your regular monthly bills.
- Sales tax.
What are the grant requirements?
The successful applicant will receive one installment of the award up to 30 days after all required paperwork has been submitted and approved by TWU.
- Required paperwork includes a grant agreement, form Ap152, a photo release, and completion of the supplier portal requirements.
- Completion of our grant training, 3 hours of small business advising, and completing a 3–year cash flow showing how the grant funds will help grow the business.
- Paid receipts must be submitted for review before August 1, 2026, and cannot include sales tax.
- Picture of what the grant funds purchased.
Application requirements
- Applications only will be accepted electronically via our online application site by 5:00:00 p.m., June 5, 2026. Revisions are not permitted following submission. Applications received after 5:00:00 p.m. will be automatically rejected. Winners will be notified June 23, 2026.
- Send entity formation documents showing all owners and managers of your company. The following are acceptable:
- Sole proprietor/assumed name filings
- LLC or LLP documentation showing all owners and/or managers of the company. If more than one owner, you must also submit one of the following, created before April 21, 2026, showing the percentage owned by each person:
- Certificate of Organization
- Articles of Incorporation
- or a Partnership Agreement
- Certification of organization, articles of incorporation, or a partnership agreement showing the members. These documents must be sent with the entity formation document.
Disqualifying documents include an LLC or other entity document with only a business name (must show owners & percentages), EIN, sales & use tax permit, income taxes, driver’s license, credit card, or passport. If you are unsure about your formation documentation, email cwegrants@twu.edu for verification. Most apps are rejected because proof of ownership isn’t shown.
- Company Background & description of the grant project you want to fund as soon as you get the funding.
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You must provide documentation that matches your budget and clearly shows how the full $10,000 in grant funds will be used.
Each expense listed in your budget must include supporting documentation, such as vendor proposals, quotes, estimates, preliminary invoices, or product screenshots with pricing.
The total amount requested from CWE must equal exactly $10,000. Applications that are under or over this amount will be disqualified.
If a single expense exceeds $10,000, you may allocate up to $10,000 to grant funds and list the remaining balance as “Owner Investment.” For example, an item costing $10,450 may be listed as $10,000 (grant funds) and $450 (owner investment).
Budgets and documentation must fully align and clearly account for the entire $10,000, or the application will be rejected.
Company background & Project information
Copy this document and complete all sections below. Do not remove or rename any headings. If a section does not apply, enter “N/A.” Upload this document as a PDF with your application.
Required template: Company background & Project narrative
Company Background & Project Narrative
[Provide an overview of your business and the specific project you are requesting funding for.]
Current Operations
[Describe your current operations, including products, services, and target markets.]
Operating Facilities
[Describe your current facilities, including owned and leased space.]
Employment Summary
[Provide the number of current full-time and part-time employees.]
Project Need
[Explain why this project is needed at this time.]
Project Budget & Sources of Funds
[Provide a detailed budget for the project, including all costs and funding sources. Ensure this aligns with your $10,000 grant request.]
Project Description
[Provide a physical description of the project, including any business or residential relocation.]
Projected Employment Growth
[List projected new jobs for each of the next three years, including job titles.]
Economic Impact
[Explain how your project will contribute to the Texas economy.]
After you’ve been awarded
- After submitting all required paperwork, the successful applicant will receive the grant funds. Applicants will be required to:
- Complete 3 business training courses hosted by the Center for Women Entrepreneurs.
- Create a 3-year cash flow showing how the grant will help the business.
- Send in itemized paid receipts or proof of purchases made with grant funds (costs must have been incurred after receiving grant funding.)
- Spend 3 hours with a Small Business Advisor.
- Use the spreadsheet that the CWE provides for documentation.
- Awardees will need to sign a grant agreement and photo release BEFORE they can access grant funds. The University will send winners a 1099 for the grant funds received.
See if your county is eligible
Questions?
Email us at cwegrants@twu.edu
Page last updated 9:31 AM, April 21, 2026