Call for Southern Vermont CEDS & State of Vermont Regional Priority Projects
Submission Deadline October 15th
Southern Vermont – The deadline for submitting projects to the 2024-2029 Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is October 15. Public and private entities responsible for implementing projects in Southern Vermont are encouraged to submit their initiatives. Submitters can also provide additional information to have their projects considered for inclusion in the State of Vermont’s Regional Priority Projects (RPP) list, which is updated annually by Vermont’s 12 Regional Development Corporations. The project submission form will be available starting September 16.
Key details, including the submission form, CEDS documents, and a list of past projects, can be accessed at www.sovermontzone.com. Prospective submitters can also register for a lunchtime webinar taking place on October 1, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. The webinar will cover this year’s updated CEDS objectives and the submission process.
The Southern Vermont CEDS, developed through an extensive public engagement process, is a federally approved five-year action plan aimed at enhancing the region’s economy. Each year, the CEDS is updated with new and revised “CEDS Projects,” which include ongoing and planned initiatives designed to boost economic competitiveness and vibrancy. The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and the Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) co-lead the development and annual updates of the plan.
CEDS project submissions are reviewed and ranked by a committee of regional volunteers. All submitted projects will be included with the CEDS updates. While inclusion in the CEDS does not guarantee investment, it signals alignment with regional goals and increases the chances of securing support from federal, state, and philanthropic sources. Ten projects will be selected as “Vital Projects” based on their alignment with CEDS objectives, readiness, project partners, and available funding.
For projects wishing to be considered for the State of Vermont Regional Priority Projects (RPP) list, inclusion on the RPP list can offer additional visibility for state and federal investment. The RPP list, developed annually by regional development corporations with input from planning commissions, municipalities, and communities, highlights key projects based on their alignment with regional priorities and advanced planning.
ast Southern VT RPP projects that received state and federal funding include the Town of Manchester wastewater system expansion, Wilmington Route 9 Infrastructure, Benn High Redevelopment, and Chroma Slope Stormwater Protection.
This year, a new five-year CEDS will be adopted. Public input on the draft plan is encouraged through sessions across Southern Vermont in late September. For more information, including dates and locations of these sessions, visit www.SoVermontZone.com/ceds. The Southern Vermont CEDS is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce through an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant, award #ED24PHI0G0048. The content of the CEDS does not necessarily reflect the views of the EDA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
For inquiries, questions, and clarifications, contact:
For inquiries about the CEDS or CEDS project submission: Rachel Shields Ebersole, Brattleboro Development Corporation rsebersole@brattleborodevelopment.com (802) 257-7731 x218
For inquiries about the RPP submission process contact:
Jonathan Cooper, Bennington County Regional Commission (Bennington Region)
jcooper@bcrcvt.org (802) 442-0713 x311
Al Claussen, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (Windham Region)
propertymanager@brattleborodevelopment.com (802) 257-7731 x213
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 Regional Commission. 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. In 2019 the first SoVermont CEDS was completed and approved by the EDA. A proposal for federal designation of the zone as an EDA Economic Development District is underway.
About Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC)
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
About 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, BCRC has operated as a combined Regional Planning Commission and Regional Development Corporation. For more information visit www.bcrcvt.org
