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Economic Development
ECICOG offers an array of services to organizations that assist with economic development efforts within the ECICOG region. These services include grant writing and management, downtown assessments/revitalization, and process review. As our regional communities seek economic growth, our ECICOG team is able to provide technical services to aid in those efforts.
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Grant Writing/Management
Our staff maintains an active roster of state and federal grant opportunities that are available to communities and organizations. ECICOG has the ability to write and administer relevant grants helping source additional resources for projects along with removing the burden of managing grant reporting requirements.
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CAT Grant
The Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) program assists communities in the development and creation of multiple purpose attraction or tourism facilities. CAT awards can help position a community to take advantage of economic development opportunities in tourism and strengthen a community’s competitiveness as a place to work and live. CAT projects may include but are not limited to the following: museums, theme parks, cultural and recreational centers, recreational trails, heritage attractions, sports arenas, and other attractions. |
EDA STEM Challenge Grant
The STEM Challenge Grants provide funding to develop, implement, and expand new work-and-learn models to increase America’s STEM-capable workforce. It is designed to assist communities with grants up to $300,000 for two activities – planning and development, and program implementation. Catalyst Grant
The Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program assists communities with the redevelopment, rehabilitation or deconstruction of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community. The State awards 40% of these funds to communities of less than 1,500. |
Rural Innovation Grant
The Rural Innovation Grant program supports creative, non-traditional ideas that focus on current issues and challenges faced by rural communities associated with the themes of community investment, growth and connection. This program is a result of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative’s 2018 Recommendations. |
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2021 Resiliency Toolkit for Businesses and Organizations
To help small businesses and organizations plan and prepare for unforeseen emergencies, ECICOG, the Iowa Council of Governments (ICOG), and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) partnered together to create the 2021 Resiliency Toolkit for Small Businesses and Organizations. The toolkit helps incorporate long-term strategies for responding, surviving, and thriving after an emergency or disaster. Case studies, downloadable worksheets, and strategy development resources are provided to help businesses build resiliency into your organization, management, marketing, and finance. |
Downtown Revitalization/Assessment
ECICOG can provide technical services related to creating or updating a downtown master plan or revitalization plan. ECICOG will provide guidance and facilitate components of the process to provide a deliverable suitable for the community.
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Rural Recovery Challenge
ECICOG is seeking proposals from communities and economic development organizations to support rural economic recovery and resilience following COVID-19. Up to $5,000 is available to implement proposals from selected organizations. Interested parties are asked to include an overview of their project, goals of the project, how the project positively impacts our rural communities, and how the project ties back to economic recovery and resiliency in their proposal
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The Regional Vision functions as ECICOG's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy document. For more information about the Regional Vision please visit the website.
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