Project Submission Period Open for the 2019 Southern Vermont Zone CEDS
January 9, 2019 – Southern Vermont – Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) and the Bennington Regional Economic Development Working Group (RED Group) are accepting projects for inclusion in the 2019 Southern Vermont Zone Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS is an action plan for growing the economy developed using a federally prescribed regional public process. The CEDS contains a section identifying and prioritizing vital projects, programs and activities that address the region’s greatest needs or that will best enhance the region’s competitiveness. 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 goals for growth. Inclusion can also assist the region in understanding what projects in our economic area are being proposed or are underway.
For those who would like more information on how your project can benefit from being included in the CEDS, Laura Sibilia of BDCC will hold a Knowledge Bites webinar session on January 14th from 12:00-12:30 pm on the CEDS project submission process.
Visit www.brattleborodevelopment.com/knowledge-bites/ for instructions on how to connect.
Projects seeking inclusion in the updated CEDS must provide the following:
Proposal Overview:
Projects will be reviewed and ranked on how each project will advance and impact the CEDS objectives, as well as, readiness to begin, partners, and investments made.
Applicants:
Any private or public entity or consortium of entities can submit a project for consideration. Applications will only be accepted from the entity(s) directly implementing the project. Submission forms can be found at, www.sovermontsummit.com/2019-zone-ceds
Timeline:
January 2nd – Project Submission Open
March 1st – Projects Due
March 11th – April 1st – Project Review Period
May 23rd – Project List Released to Public at the Southern Vermont Summit
For information on the CEDS visit, www.sovermontsummit.com/2019-zone-ceds
For inquiries, questions, and clarifications, contact;
Sarah Lang, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
slang@brattleborodevelopment.com
(802) 257-7731 x222
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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://brattleborodevelopment.com/
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.
