The Columbia Economic Team (CET), a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Columbia County’s business environment, has been awarded $81,510 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Rural Business Development Grant Program. This marks the organization’s first funding from the USDA and positions CET as the second-largest recipient among seven Oregon-based groups selected for support. The top grant went to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, which received $250,000.
The financial support will expand CET’s existing initiatives, including the Columbia County Small Business Resource Center and the GRO-Greater program, both of which provide training, advisory services, and tools to help entrepreneurs succeed. A key innovation enabled by the grant is the introduction of peer learning cohorts. According to CET Director Paul Vogel, these groups allow business owners—regardless of industry—to exchange insights on shared challenges, fostering mutual growth.
While diverse enterprises may operate in different sectors, many face similar hurdles in areas like operations, marketing, or scaling. Bringing them together creates opportunities for collaborative problem-solving. The model also allows for sector-specific collaboration. For instance, food-related businesses such as farms, processors, restaurants, and farm stands can form targeted networks, enhancing supply chain connections and innovation.
Initial focus areas for the cohort model will include food production, manufacturing, and enterprises owned by veterans. Vogel emphasized that creating these specialized forums can unlock valuable synergies that are otherwise difficult to achieve organically.
This grant arrives during a transitional phase for CET, which recently separated from the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network and now operates independently. While it no longer receives funding from that network, the shift has given CET greater flexibility to tailor programs to local needs. Vogel noted that community interest in entrepreneurship remains strong, with many residents exploring business ideas. The goal, he said, is to engage those individuals early and help them evaluate their options with informed guidance.
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Columbia Economic Team gets $81K from USDA
Editor’s note: The Columbia Economic Team announced it will permanently close Jan. 15, 2026. It is unclear how the impending closure impacts the receipt of this grant. n nColumbia Economic Team, the nonprofit organization focused on developing Columbia County’s business scene, just got a significant boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. n nCET is one of seven organizations in Oregon to receive funding from the USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant Program. The program awards grants to organizations which are supporting economic development in rural America. n nOf those seven, CET was awarded the second-largest grant at $81,510 — coming behind the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, which was awarded $250,000. n nThe funds will be used to augment CET’s business development programs — including the Columbia County Small Business Resource Center, GRO-Greater and more — which offer advising, classes and other resources to help local business owners find success. n nIntroducing cohorts n nThe grant will allow CET to introduce cohorts in its program, which will allow business owners to connect with and learn from each other, CET Director Paul Vogel said. Even businesses that do completely different work can run into similar challenges, and hearing how others found solutions can be useful. n n“We’ve learned that, particularly startups and new business owners, benefit greatly from the peer-to-peer connection,” Vogel said. n nHowever, the cohorts will also enable targeted work with businesses in the same sector, Vogel said. For example, the food sector includes not only restaurants, but also growers, butchers, farm stands, food hubs and more. n n“Getting those folks together — it’s not easy to connect them — but when they get in a room together, you see all these points of contact and resonance,” Vogel said. “It’s really, really productive.” n nThe first sectors CET will begin this work with are food, manufacturing and veteran-owned businesses, Vogel said. n nMoving forward n nThis is the first grant that CET has received from the USDA, and it comes at a time when the nonprofit is working to secure grant funding from numerous sources following its detachment from the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, Vogel said. n nWhile CET no longer receives funding from the Oregon SBDC Network, converting to an independent model has allowed CET to address local business needs more effectively, Vogel said. n n“We have a lot of support out there for small businesses,” Vogel said. “There are a lot of people walking around with a business idea, and not all of them are going to do it. But if you’re thinking about it, let’s at least have a conversation and you decide.”