2022 Project Submission Period Open for the Southern Vermont CEDS
Southern Vermont – The annual submissions process has opened for projects to be included in the Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), due November 30th. The CEDS is a federally-approved action plan for growing the Southern Vermont economy with a regional public process. Each year the CEDS is refreshed 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.
This year’s project submission deadline of November 30, 2021 is earlier than in previous years. This adjustment will better align the CEDS cycle with a series of state and federal funding initiatives, some of which emerged in response to the pandemic. The programs are often applicable to the community development work that typifies CEDS projects. Going forward, synchronizing the CEDS timeline with these initiatives will help local organizations amplify their work and prepare for additional investments.
CEDS Project submissions are compiled by economic development staff maintaining the CEDS, and reviewed and ranked by a committee of volunteers. This process takes into consideration how each project will advance and impact the objectives of the CEDS, as well as readiness to begin, partners, and investments made to date. 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.
More information on how to submit a project will be provided during a Knowledge Bites webinar on Tuesday, October 26 at noon. Please register at https://brattleborodevelopment.com/knowledge-bites/
For a step-by-step guide on submitting a project, or to read the CEDS itself, please 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.com
(802) 257-7731 x222
OR
Jonathan Cooper, Bennington County Regional Commission
jcooper@bcrcvt.org
(802) 442-0713 ext. 311
About the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone
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 comprises 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 annual Southern Vermont Economy Summit held each May, and the USDA-funded Southern Vermont Economy Project sponsoring training sessions across Windham and Bennington counties for economic and workforce development entities.
About the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
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://brattleborodevelopment.com/
About the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) is an affiliate of BDCC that grew from a 2008 grassroots effort, initiated by BDCC, to understand and create long term strategies needed 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 received federal approval for the Windham Region’s federally recognized S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). SeVEDS partnered with Bennington’s Regional Economic Development Group in 2018 to develop the 2019 Southern Vermont Zone CEDS. For more information visit: www.seveds.com
About the Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC)
The Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) is one of 11 Regional Planning Commissions in Vermont, created by the seventeen towns and villages it serves in southwestern Vermont. The BCRC 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. Since 2016, the BCRC’s portfolio has included the responsibilities of a Regional Development Corporation. For more information visit www.bcrcvt.org
