RANGELY | Gov. Jared Polis and the Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT) announced Wednesday that Rangely and the West End Economic Development Corp. (WEEDC) in Montrose County have received Coal Transition Community grants. Rangely was awarded $500,000, while WEEDC received $210,680. These grants aim to help local economies diversify as they move away from coal-based jobs.
Rangely’s grant will fund the Retain, Attract, Rebuild, Expand (RARE) business support program for three years, offering business, financial, and marketing training to local entrepreneurs and businesses. In partnership with Colorado Northwestern Community College and the Northwest Small Business Development Center, the program will also provide an annual small business grant of up to $40,000 and host an annual pitch competition.
Representative Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, stated: “I’m excited to hear that Rangely has received $500,000 in grant money to support small business owners and create good-paying jobs in our community. From marketing training to local pitch competitions, this grant money will help give small business owners the tools to build on their successes and diversify jobs in rural Colorado as we transition from the fossil fuel industry. This is a big win for Rangely and I can’t wait to see the impact this grant money will have on our community.”
According to a press release from Colorado House Democrats, the Town of Rangely anticipates that the RARE program will create a minimum of 15 full-time jobs, with at least five of those jobs meeting or exceeding the average annual wage for Rio Blanco County.
In 2021, Rangely businesses were awarded more than $55,000 from the Main Street Open for Business Grant. A 2024 report found that the grant program helped increase sales by an average of 25.4 percent and increase jobs by more than 20 percent.