RBC | Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) has been designated an Economic Development District (EDD) by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a division of the United States Department of Commerce.
In a letter dated Oct. 11, 2019, and signed by John C. Fleming, M.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, AGNC was notified that the designation had been approved. AGNC completed the development of a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) as a final component of the application to become an EDD and submitted it in September 2018. The counties included in the AGNC EDD are Garfield, Mesa, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt.
The EDD is a gateway for a number of federal grant opportunities for local jurisdictions, provided that the projects proposed are consistent with the CEDS. Project proponents must have a support letter attesting to the proposed project’s consistency with the CEDS from the District to submit applications for assistance from EDA on investment projects as well as grants supporting economic recovery that are offered by other agencies. The EDD provides opportunities to leverage funding for planning to public works to infrastructure that will allow businesses to locate or expand operations.
In the letter, Dr. Fleming stated, “EDA is committed to providing financial assistance to meet the economic development needs of distressed communities throughout the United States. Our mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. “
Information related to the CEDS document, including individual county data used to determine the eligibility of the region, can be found on AGNC’s website www.agnc.org/ceds. The goals, strategies and measurements developed through the CEDS process can also be found on the website. More information regarding EDA programs and initiatives can be found at https://eda.gov/programs/.
Special to the Herald Times
