Beltrami County Accepting Development Fund Grant Applications Until March 9

The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners accepted applications through 4:30 p.m. Monday for its Fiscal Year 2026 County Development Fund grants, offering $16,426 to eligible local not-for-profit organizations promoting tourism, agriculture and industrial development. The county also signaled the program's end may be near, noting in its official application materials that it "expects this to be the last year that it will be able to offer Development Fund Grants."

The County Development Fund distributes revenue the county receives from the management of tax-forfeited land. State statute sets the limits for the distribution formula and directs that funding support activities meeting the definition for "the promotion of tourism, agriculture and industrial development in the county."

To qualify, organizations had to be located in Beltrami County and recognized as a not-for-profit, a category the county defined broadly to include governmental agencies, associations, public authorities, non-profits and civic associations. Applications required a complete form with supporting documentation submitted electronically to County Administrator Tom Barry at 701 Minnesota Avenue NW, Suite 200 in Bemidji. The county was explicit that only electronic submissions would be accepted and that late or incomplete applications might not be considered.

The application form asked organizations to identify the title of their activity or project, its anticipated total cost, the amount of county grant funds requested, and standard organizational contact information. Applications were available in Word and PDF formats through the county's website at co.beltrami.mn.us. Organizations that did not receive an email notification were directed to check the county website for the Development Fund application and letter.

Questions about the program could be directed to Barry at (218) 333-4109 or tom.barry@co.beltrami.mn.us. The county did not specify in its published materials why FY2026 is expected to mark the end of the grants, leaving open whether the program is winding down due to diminishing tax-forfeited land revenues, a policy shift, or other factors.