Shepherd University is seeking a USDA Rural Business Development Grant in FY2026 to build the “Jefferson County Heritage Tourism and Business Development Initiative.” The project will create a county‑wide digital tourism platform, Visit Jefferson County, including business profiles, itineraries, QR‑code–enabled heritage trails, and rich media content produced via the Student Digital Marketing and Storytelling Lab. The Board resolution authorizes application for, receipt of, and administration of the USDA grant, with Interim VP for Finance and Administration Collin Alexander empowered to execute required documents, so no vendor has been chosen yet. This initiative will also provide tourism marketing training workshops for local businesses and culminate in a marketing campaign and launch event. Vendors offering web platforms, mobile apps, QR/wayfinding tech, content management systems, digital storytelling tools, and tourism marketing services can help design, build, and support the platform and training components as the project plan is finalized.

Project includes QR code–based heritage trail, digital storytelling content, tourism marketing train...