This grant provides funding to the NC Growth program at the Kenan Institute to offer technical assistance to growth businesses and rural communities in economically distressed Tier 1 and 2 counties in NC’s Sandhills region. NC Growth provides student-led assistance to help businesses identify and implement projects that will promote business and job growth. NC Growth also works with town, county, and regional governments on applied and research-based economic development projects. The program will complete 10 projects each year over two years. Golden LEAF funds will support personnel-related costs to implement the project in the Sandhills.