Opportunity Information: Apply for RPIC2022
The RPIC Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number RPIC2022) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service, focused on strengthening rural communities through placemaking. The program, called the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC), is designed to help rural places turn community ideas into practical plans and on-the-ground action by providing structured planning support, technical assistance, and training. Rather than funding a single narrow construction project, RPIC is geared toward building local capacity: helping communities define a shared vision, organize partners, and develop workable strategies that can be implemented and sustained.
At its core, RPIC supports placemaking efforts, meaning community-driven work that improves the character, functionality, and livability of a place. The opportunity emphasizes activities like visioning and planning, as well as hands-on assistance that helps communities move from concept to implementation. The funding can be used to support efforts that expand broadband access capacity, preserve cultural and historic structures, and advance community development priorities such as transportation options, housing solutions, and recreational spaces. In practice, this can include technical guidance, training sessions, facilitation of community input processes, development of placemaking plans, and support for coordinating early implementation steps that set projects up for long-term success.
A major requirement of this opportunity is collaboration. Applicants are expected to show they already have, or will build, strong partnerships across a mix of public, private, philanthropic, Tribal, and community-based stakeholders. The intent is to ensure placemaking plans are not created in isolation and that there is real alignment among the organizations that can help deliver resources, expertise, and long-term follow-through. Competitive proposals would typically demonstrate how partners will contribute to planning and implementation, how roles are defined, and how the partnership structure will keep momentum after the agreement period.
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which generally signals a more active role for the federal agency compared with a standard grant. While the specific level of involvement can vary, cooperative agreements usually involve substantial federal participation in areas like project oversight, coordination, and collaboration on deliverables. The activity category is Regional Development (CFDA 10.890), reinforcing that this opportunity is aimed at broader community and regional capacity-building rather than isolated, single-purpose outputs.
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding IHEs in that category); and small businesses. This wide eligibility reflects the reality that placemaking leadership in rural areas can come from many places, including local governments, universities, community nonprofits, and mission-driven private sector organizations.
In terms of scale, the award ceiling is $250,000, with an anticipated total of about 15 awards. The opportunity was created on June 30, 2022, with an original application closing date of August 15, 2022. Overall, RPIC is best understood as a capacity-and-coordination opportunity for rural communities that want to strengthen quality of life and local identity, using technical assistance and planning support to advance tangible improvements in infrastructure, community spaces, and preservation, backed by clear partnerships that can carry the work forward.Apply for RPIC2022
- The Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service in the regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RPIC COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.890.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 30, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses.
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RPIC Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number RPIC2022) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RPIC Cooperative Agreement (RPIC2022)?
The RPIC Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number RPIC2022) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service. It supports the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC), which focuses on strengthening rural communities through placemaking by providing structured planning support, technical assistance, and training.
What is the goal of the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC)?
RPIC is designed to help rural places turn community ideas into practical plans and on-the-ground action. Instead of focusing on a single narrow project, the program emphasizes building local capacity so communities can define a shared vision, organize partners, and develop workable strategies that can be implemented and sustained.
What does "placemaking" mean in this opportunity?
In this context, placemaking refers to community-driven work that improves the character, functionality, and livability of a place. RPIC supports efforts that help communities plan and move toward implementation in ways that strengthen local identity and quality of life.
Does RPIC fund construction projects?
RPIC is not framed as a program to fund a single narrow construction project. The emphasis is on planning, technical assistance, training, and coordination that help communities move from ideas to implementation steps and set projects up for long-term success.
What types of activities can RPIC funding support?
Based on the opportunity description, RPIC funding can support structured planning support, technical assistance, and training, including activities such as:
- Visioning and planning processes
- Facilitation of community input and engagement
- Training sessions and capacity-building support
- Technical guidance to move from concept to implementation
- Development of placemaking plans
- Coordination of early implementation steps that position projects for long-term success
What community priorities does RPIC emphasize?
The opportunity highlights community development priorities that placemaking efforts may address, including expanding broadband access capacity, preserving cultural and historic structures, and advancing priorities such as transportation options, housing solutions, and recreational spaces.
Can RPIC support broadband-related work?
Yes. The description specifically notes that funding can be used to support efforts that expand broadband access capacity, within the broader placemaking and community development focus.
Can RPIC support historic preservation or cultural projects?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes preserving cultural and historic structures as an example of the types of efforts RPIC can support, as part of community-driven placemaking work.
How important are partnerships and collaboration in RPIC?
Collaboration is described as a major requirement. Applicants are expected to show they already have, or will build, strong partnerships across a mix of public, private, philanthropic, Tribal, and community-based stakeholders. Competitive proposals would typically show how partner roles are defined, how partners contribute to planning and implementation, and how the partnership structure will maintain momentum after the agreement period.
What kinds of partners are expected in an RPIC project?
The opportunity emphasizes partnerships that can include public, private, philanthropic, Tribal, and community-based stakeholders. The intent is to avoid plans being created in isolation and to demonstrate alignment among organizations that can contribute resources, expertise, and long-term follow-through.
What is the funding instrument for RPIC?
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement.
What does it mean that RPIC uses a Cooperative Agreement rather than a standard grant?
A cooperative agreement generally signals a more active federal role than a standard grant. The description notes that cooperative agreements usually involve substantial federal participation in areas like project oversight, coordination, and collaboration on deliverables, although the specific level of involvement can vary.
What is the activity category and CFDA number for this opportunity?
The activity category is Regional Development, and it is listed under CFDA 10.890. This reinforces that the opportunity is aimed at broader community and regional capacity-building rather than isolated, single-purpose outputs.
Who is eligible to apply for RPIC2022?
Eligibility is broad and includes the following entity types:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Tribal governments
- Other Tribal organizations
- IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education in that category)
- Small businesses
Are Tribal governments and Tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations are included in the eligibility list.
Are nonprofits eligible to apply?
Yes. IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible, with the noted exception that institutions of higher education are excluded when considered under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit category.
Are universities and colleges eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are both listed as eligible applicants.
Are small businesses eligible?
Yes. Small businesses are included in the eligibility list.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $250,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity anticipated a total of about 15 awards.
When was this funding opportunity created and when did it originally close?
The opportunity was created on June 30, 2022, with an original application closing date of August 15, 2022.
What kind of communities is RPIC intended to support?
RPIC is focused on strengthening rural communities. It is presented as a capacity-and-coordination opportunity for rural places that want to improve quality of life and local identity through community-driven planning and technical assistance that leads toward tangible improvements.
What makes an RPIC proposal more competitive, based on the description?
Based on the opportunity description, competitive proposals would typically demonstrate strong cross-sector collaboration, clearly defined partner roles, alignment among organizations that can deliver resources and expertise, and a partnership structure that can keep momentum going after the cooperative agreement period.
Is RPIC more about planning or implementation?
RPIC strongly emphasizes planning, capacity-building, technical assistance, and training, with the intent of helping communities move from concept to implementation. The description also notes support for coordinating early implementation steps that set projects up for long-term success.
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