Governor Brian P. Kemp has announced the fourth round of Rural Site Development Initiative (RSDI) grants, awarding $7.8 million to ten projects across Georgia to help rural communities prepare industrial sites for future business recruitment and job creation. With this latest round, the state has now invested $28 million in rural site development since the program was launched in Fiscal Year 2025.

The Rural Site Development Initiative, administered through the OneGeorgia Authority, provides funding for site improvements and for communities seeking Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certification. Eligible projects include grading, utility extensions, road construction, environmental work, and engineering needed to create “shovel-ready” industrial sites that can compete for major economic development projects. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, GRAD-certified sites have helped attract an estimated 10,000 jobs statewide in recent years.

Among the largest grants awarded in this round were:

  • Columbus-Muscogee County – $2 million for clearing, grading, and site improvements at the GRAD-certified Muscogee Technology Park, a $10 million project.
  • Thomaston-Upson County – $2 million to construct water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure at the Central Georgia Business and Technology Park.
  • Effingham County – $1.8 million to construct a sewer pump station at the Savannah Portside International Park.
  • McIntosh County – $1.5 million for road, water, and sewer improvements at Tidewaters Industrial Park.

The remaining grants were awarded to communities for either GRAD certification work or additional site readiness improvements designed to make rural industrial properties more attractive to prospective employers. Communities receiving funding are required to provide matching funds based on the program’s guidelines.

No projects in Northwest Georgia received funding during this fourth round. That means Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Walker, Polk, Bartow, Catoosa, Dade, and Whitfield counties were not among the ten grant recipients announced by the Governor.

Governor Kemp said more than 64 percent of new jobs created in Georgia during his administration have been located outside the metro Atlanta region, and he described the Rural Site Development Initiative as a key part of the state’s strategy to expand economic opportunity in rural Georgia. Lt. Governor Burt Jones, House Speaker Jon Burns, and state economic development officials also praised the program, saying shovel-ready industrial sites are critical to attracting future employers and creating jobs in rural communities.