Georgia Rural Site Development Initiative (RSDI)

Georgia Rural Site Development Initiative — Seed

Supports United States Georgia development authorities improving rural areas for industrial investment through land, engineering, and infrastructure work.

Eligibility · United States · US-GA

The Georgia Rural Site Development Initiative (RSDI) is a state programme co-administered by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and the OneGeorgia Authority within the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Its purpose is to expand Georgia's inventory of investment-ready industrial sites in rural communities, specifically by bringing properties into the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certification programme, which signals to prospective employers that a site has been independently vetted for job-creating economic investment. The programme was launched by Governor Kemp and operates on a semi-annual application cycle with GDEcD and DCA reviewing submissions twice per year.

RSDI funds development authorities — not private businesses, nonprofits, or universities — through two grant tiers. Site Improvement Grants offer up to $2 million per award and target existing GRAD-certified sites, covering costs such as land acquisition, grading, infrastructure development, roadway access, utility installation, and engineering fees. Survey and Due Diligence Grants (also called GRAD Scholarships) offer up to $250,000 to help financially constrained communities complete the studies, surveys, easements, and certification steps needed to achieve initial GRAD status; recipients must commit to achieving GRAD certification within three years of the award. Sites must be at least 50 contiguous acres. Publicly owned sites are preferred; for privately owned sites, the development authority must secure a minimum three-year option contract as a post-award condition.

Match requirements vary by county: development authorities in eligible counties must contribute at least 10% of the grant amount, while those in conditionally eligible counties must contribute 25%, with county status determined by the OneGeorgia Authority Official Map. Each development authority may submit one application per year, and each application may cover only one site. Applicants must complete a pre-application form before submitting a full proposal; specific cycle deadlines are not posted in advance on the programme's public page, so prospective applicants should contact GDEcD directly to confirm the next review window.