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.

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

proposal instructions

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.

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.

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.

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.

Karen Kurt
Executive Director
karen.kurt@ecicog.org
319-365-9941 ext. 122

Adam Bentley
Senior Planner/Economic Development Specialist
adam.bentley@ecicog.org
319-365-9941 Ext. 127

Vertical Divider

The Regional Vision functions as ECICOG's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy document. For more information about the Regional Vision please visit the website.

Regional Vision

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.

More About Community Development Projects

Click on the stories below to learn more about how we serve you!

Downtown Revitalization

Comprehensive Planning

Preparing for the Future