Managerial System for Rural Jurisdictions to Increase Economic Development Capacity

The goal of the following proposal is to research and develop a managerial system that increaseseconomic development capacity in rural communities. Thus it responds directly to ruralcommunities' needs as well as directly addresses USDA Strategic Goal 4: Facilitate RuralProsperity and Economic Development and the SBIR RFA Topic Area 8.6 - Rural andCommunity Development.Bludot will perform the research and development via practical implementation of the proposedsystem at 43 participating rural jurisdictions. Bludot will examine the following as its reseachtopics:1) Efficacy of local capacity building communications and managerial functionality; and2) Impact of big data and accessibility.The need for a system to manage support and communicate with local businsses rapidly andeffectively has become exceedingly urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural economicdevelopment leaders and communities will benefit greatly by having a technology solution tomaximize their impact in economic recovery. This proposed solution not only has significantmarket potential but immense socioecocnomic impact. Findings from this research will directlycontribute to a system that will build rural economic development capacity and lead to expansionof businesses creation of jobs and overall betterment of rural Americans' quality of life.