Rural Jump-Start Program

The Rural Jump-Start Program is Colorado's rural business attraction package under the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. It combines tax relief with a matching grant for genuinely new businesses that locate in designated rural counties and begin serving markets beyond their home county. The grant side offers up to $15,000, or $25,000 in Tier 1 Just Transition communities, on a 3:1 match basis. The business must not already be operating in Colorado, must partner with a sponsoring entity such as an institution of higher education or an economic development organization, and must hire three to five new employees by year three. The program also caps the number of new grants per county. Rural Jump-Start tends to suit founders who need both a first foothold and local validation. Past winners span solar, geothermal, manufacturing, food and beverage, and waste management, which makes the program feel less like a sector bet and more like a test of whether a new enterprise can anchor activity in a county that wants jobs, exports, and a longer-term tax base.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.