The Rural Health Care Initiative
Rural Hope
The Rural Hope initiative is designed to spur economic activity and job creation in the health care sector while improving the availability and quality of health care services in rural communities.
Go to application and reporting forms.
See examples of previously funded projects.
Frequently asked questions
May grants be used for any type of health care facility?
What are eligible uses of grant dollars?
How much money is available for construction projects?
Is there a deadline for applications? And when will we hear back?
Eligible applicants are units of local government in partnership with private or nonprofit health care providers located within North Carolina’s 85 rural counties. Priority is given to towns with a population of fewer than 5,000 or to localities under severe economic distress.
May grants be used for any type of health care facility?
Eligible health care facilities include – but are not limited to – hospitals, urgent care centers, community and rural health centers, hospices, elder care facilities, public health departments, free clinics and offices of physicians, dentists, vision care specialists and mental health care providers. Priority is given to projects supporting a “resident company,” that is, a company that has paid unemployment taxes or income taxes in North Carolina and whose principal place of business is located here.
What are eligible uses of grant dollars?
Grants may be used to assist in the construction or renovation of new or existing health care facilities.
How much money is available for construction projects?
In Tier 1 and 2 counties, grants of up to $480,000 are awarded to shovel-ready projects, with actual funding amounts determined by the number of full-time jobs to be created and the total cost of the construction project. In Tier 3 counties the maximum award is $240,000. At least one job must be created for every $5,000 in grant funds requested. (The grant must be repaid if the jobs committed are not created and maintained for six consecutive months.) Grants must be matched by at least an equal amount in other public or private investment, with the local government contributing at least 5 percent of the grant amount.
The application process involves two steps – a pre-application and then, for competitive projects, a full application. Go to grant application and reporting forms.
Is there a deadline for applications? And when will we hear back?
Pre-applications and applications are accepted throughout the year. Final grant decisions are made during regularly scheduled board meetings. For consideration at specific board meetings, the effective deadlines for full applications are listed below with their award dates. The Rural Center must receive the completed application by 5 p.m. on the date listed for consideration.
| Application Deadline | Award Date |
|---|---|
| October 12, 2012 | December 5, 2012 |
| January 4, 2012 | February 27, 2013 |
| March 1, 2013 | April 24, 2013 |
| April 19, 2013 | June 26, 2013 |
| June 21, 2013 | August 28, 2013 |
Contact
Melody Adams, Director, Building Reuse and Restoration Grants Program
N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
4021 Carya Drive
Raleigh, NC 27610
Telephone: 919-250-4314
Fax: 919-250-4325