2021 Project Submission Period Open for the Southern Vermont CEDS, Pandemic recovery projects also sought
Southern Vermont – The annual submissions process has opened for projects to be included in the Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS is a federally-approved action plan for growing the Southern Vermont economy with a regional public process. Each year the CEDS is updated with new and updated “CEDS Projects” submissions which highlight projects, programs and activities that address Southern Vermont’s greatest needs and enhance the region’s competitiveness.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created widespread economic disruption through our country, our state and the Southern Vermont Region. In keeping with guidance from the Economic Development Administration, the Southern Vermont CEDS and this year’s project submission process have been modified to include recommendations for pandemic economic and community development recovery in Southern Vermont and projects related to pandemic recovery are welcomed.
CEDS Project submissions are reviewed and ranked on how each project will advance and impact the CEDS objectives, as well as readiness to begin, partners, and investments made. While the inclusion of a project in the CEDS does not guarantee future investment, it does indicate to federal, state and philanthropic funders that the project is aligned with the region’s economic and community development goals. This annual process also ensures regional and statewide organizations have a clear understanding of southern Vermont projects in the works or under way. Projects will be accepted through March 1st, 2021.
For more information on submitting a project please view last year’s webinar for a step by step tutorial. Visit www.SoVermontZone.com/ceds to view the webinar.
For more information, or to submit your project today, visit www.SoVermontZone.com/ceds. Any private or public entity or consortium of entities can submit a project for consideration, but applications will only be accepted from entities directly responsible for implementing the projects.
For more information, or to submit your project today, visit www.SoVermontZone.com/ceds. Any private or public entity or consortium of entities can submit a project for consideration, but applications will only be accepted from entities directly responsible for implementing the projects.
For inquiries, questions, and clarifications, contact:
Sarah Lang, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
slang@brattleborodevelopment.
(802) 257-7731 x222
OR
Jonathan Cooper, Bennington County Regional Commission
(802) 442-0713 ext. 312
About:
The Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone was created by act of the Vermont Assembly during the 2015 legislative session as a result of continued population and tax receipt decline. It is comprised of the geographic areas served by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and the Bennington County Industrial Corporation. Work has been ongoing since 2015 with a Zone Committee report chaired by Wayne Granquist of Weston, the well-attended Southern Vermont Economic Summit last May, and the USDA funded Southern Vermont Economy Project sponsoring training sessions across Windham and Bennington county for economic and workforce development entities.
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth throughout Southeastern Vermont, including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Weston. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area. BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. For more information visit: https://
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) is an affiliate of BDCC that grew from a 2008 grassroots effort, initiated by BDCC, to reverse the economic decline of the Windham Region and plan for the economic impacts from the closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In 2014, after multiple years of regional input, education and data gathering, SeVEDS submitted the Windham Region’s federally recognized S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for federal approval. For more information visit: www.seveds.com
The Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) was created by the seventeen towns and villages it serves and works on behalf of those municipalities to build strong, resilient and sustainable communities, to foster economic prosperity, and to promote a high quality of life for residents of the region. For more information visit www.bcrcvt.org.
The Regional Economic Development Working Group (RED Group) is a volunteer body committed to increasing the shared prosperity and quality of life for the seventeen municipalities in southwestern Vermont. The group has a diverse membership that reflects the varied community, business, workforce, and demographic characteristics of the region. The RED Group focuses on the internal and external economic development issues that affect the Bennington County region as a whole; the regional implications of local economic development issues; the process of regional economic development from local, state, and federal perspectives; and options for future initiatives.
