Golden LEAF Grant Programs - Site Program - Identification

The Golden LEAF Grant Programs aim to support rural and economically distressed communities by providing funding for site identification, due diligence, and development. The SITE Program specifically helps communities without quality industrial sites to market, ensuring they attract new business opportunities and enhance local economies. Through a structured process involving consultants, the program identifies potential sites and evaluates their development potential, ultimately fostering economic growth in targeted areas.

NOTE: Before you apply, we encourage you to speak with the Golden LEAF staff to discuss the details of your project.
SITE Program – Identification provides support to identify potential industrial sites in communities that do not currently have quality industrial sites to market.SITE Program – Due diligence provides funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses, and mapping for identified industrial sites.SITE Program – Development provides funding for public infrastructure and, for publicly owned sites, clearing and grading, to develop sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for industrial development.
Each phase of the SITE Program uses a unique application. See the SITE Program Resources page for information on other site readiness programs.
Golden LEAF will provide support to identify potential industrial sites in communities that do not currently have quality industrial sites to market. The process will involve communication between site development consultants and the applicant to gather information to guide identification of potential sites and to help narrow those sites for further consideration by the community.
Use of Funds
If selected for funding in this phase, a team of site development consultants engaged directly by Golden LEAF will work with the applicant to learn more about the community’s economic development opportunities and strategies and gather information about the community’s infrastructure and assets. Using that information, the consultants will conduct a GIS review of the community to identify exploration zones to consider. The team will conduct site visits with the applicant to review those exploration zones for potential industrial sites.
At the conclusion of the process, the consultants will provide recommendations regarding targeted development opportunities, sites that merit further evaluation, the development potential of those sites, strengths and weaknesses of each site, and the timeframe for potential development.