Six rural counties will receive funding under a new program to help disadvantaged rural communities.

The Governor's Office of Economic Development Board on Friday approved funding for half of the applicants in the Business Development for Disadvantaged Rural Communities Grant Program. The Legislature created the program and appropriated $250,000 for the current fiscal year.

A dozen applicants had sought a total of $847,000. Those receiving funding approval Friday were:

• Tooele County, which received $28,000 for business incubators in Tooele and Grantsville.

• Box Elder County, $50,000 for business resource/composite technology center.

• Sanpete County, $50,000 for a business resource/agribusiness center.

• Iron County, $50,000 for a business resource/prototype/angel capital center.

• Grand County, $22,000 for a digital media business incubator.

• Carbon County, $50,000 for a business resource center/micro-loan fund.

Each had sought $75,000, except for Grand County, which requested $22,000.

Applicants that did not receive funding were Daggett County, which sought funds for one-stop entrepreneur service; Millard County, which sought money for an entrepreneur conference and follow-up counseling; Wasatch County, which requested a grant for a business incubator/entrepreneur education; Piute County, which sought funds for a value-added timber incubator; Garfield County, which sought funds for the Bristlecone Business Development Center; and Duchesne County, which sought money for entrepreneurship for individuals with disabilities. Each had sought $75,000.

The applications were reviewed by a representative of the Governor's Rural Partnership Board, the Utah Alliance, Utah Small Cities Inc., the GOED board and the GOED staff.

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