USDA Gives UL Lafayette $200k for Rural Economic Development

LAFAYETTE, La (press release) — The United States Department of Agriculture selected the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) Initiative as the recipient of a $200,000 grant.

The USDA’s Rural Development Grant will bring the REDI Initiative to fruition.

Organizers shared that the initiative offers small rural businesses state-of-the-art technological and expert support, ensuring both their business longevity and success.

Chad Lacomb, director of UL Lafayette’s Office of Innovation Management, said, “The business world moves quickly, and without access to advanced resources and technology, innovative rural businesses risk being left behind. Thanks to the USDA Rural Development Grant, we can give them a real chance to compete.”

Housed at the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) Center and in partnership with the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (LEED) Center and the Office of Innovation Management (OIM) at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, the REDI Initiative will create support centers to assist in the creation and elevation of small rural businesses.

The LITE, LEED, and OIM centers will offer entrepreneurs resources, including cutting-edge manufacturing technologies like 3D printers, labs for e-commerce and manufacturing, improved internet access, networking opportunities with industry leaders and more.

Lacomb, his team and their partners believe this initiative will significantly reduce the barriers that keep many rural entrepreneurs’ ideas from becoming marketable products.

They hope that by combining these components, the investment will launch local startups, attract investment and spur job growth, transforming rural communities into hubs of creativity and economic opportunity.

The Rural Economic Development Innovation Initiative will kick off with a ribbon-cutting at the LITE Center in the new year.