Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) is an intergovernmental agreement between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their seven communities to collaborate on regional economic development. NWCDC's mission is to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, economic prosperity, and diversification through sustainable, community-led development.
Opportunity Expo Showcases Resources in Northwest Colorado
The Opportunity Expo is an initiative of the Colorado Office of Just Transition (OJT) and other key partners, including Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC). The events will provide information, resources, consulting, networking, and workforce solutions to support energy workers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. The Expos are held in Craig, Hayden, Meeker, Oak Creek, and Rangely. We will add business showcases at some of Opportunity Expos to highlight a couple of major employers so that workers understand who the major employers are in our region.
Business Showcases at Upcoming Opportunity Expos:
Natural Soda will be at the Meeker and Rangely Expos to provide information about their career opportunities. Natural Soda, a major employer in Rio Blanco County, produces pure, natural sodium bicarbonate from its extensive nahcolite leases, covering more than 9,400 acres at our processing facility in the Piceance Creek Basin about 25 miles west of Meeker. The Piceance Creek Basin contains North America’s only known significant deposit of nahcolite. Natural Soda is currently the only company taking advantage of this world-class resource. Learn more about their careers. Natural Soda will be at the following Expos.
Meeker: May 13th, 5:00 PM-6:30 PM at the Meeker Chamber Business Center on the second floor of Meeker Town Hall
Rangely: June 18th, 5:00 PM-6:30 PM at CNCC Rangely, Weiss Colorado Room
Moffat County will be at the Craig Expo on May 20th at the Craig & Moffat County Chamber of Commerce from 5:00 PM- 6:30 PM. Moffat County is hiring passionate individuals who are ready to make a difference in our community. Discover a rewarding career with support and great benefits. Moffat County is hiring across multiple departments and through our Sheriff’s Office. Apply online at Moffat County today!
Expo Partners:
OJT, NWCDC, Craig Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Colorado SBDC, Routt County Economic Development Partnership, Health Partnership, Colorado Rural Workforce, CHFA, Town of Hayden, Meeker Chamber of Commerce, Town of Meeker, Rangely Chamber of Commerce, and Town of Rangley. Email Sasha Nelson to participate in the upcoming Opportunity Expos.
Northwest Colorado Innovation Center
Bringing More Resources to Northwest Colorado!
The NWCDC established the Northwest Colorado Innovation Center (NCIC), 501c3, to provide wraparound transition services during the coal transition and inject new capital into our regional economy. The Innovation Center will be a space where various partners, such as NWCDC, the Colorado Office of Just Transition, and others, can collaborate and coordinate the delivery of transition services to help our communities, small businesses, and workers.
The Innovation Center Board of Directors will undertake strategic planning at a May 30th Board Retreat. We are also recruiting committee members for the Program, Nominating, and Loan Committees. Email Christine Rambo if you're interested in participating in the important work of the Innovation Center.
Routt County Economic Development Summit
May 9, 2025 | Colorado Mountain College
Don't miss the 31st annual Routt County Economic Summit, a pivotal event bringing together community members, businesses, and elected officials to gain crucial insights into our regional and national economy. This marquee Chamber event, co-hosted with Routt County Economic Development Partnership (RCEDP) and presented by Colorado Mountain College, provides a platform to understand the factors influencing our financial positions and quality of life, while also exploring untapped opportunities for economic growth and community enrichment.
View the agenda and learn more here. Prices go up on May 3rd so get your tickets today!
Calling Emerging Leaders from
Northwest Colorado
Boettcher Foundation Doers & Difference Makers Fellowship
At Boettcher, leadership is defined as mobilizing others to do the difficult work of transforming Colorado communities for the better, and that is why they are extending applications to 10-12 Colorado community champions to join them in a learning experience built to amplify their impact as connectors in the state’s leadership ecosystem.
The fellowship is a nine-month program designed with the belief that leadership is an activity, not a position or title, and everyone can lead. The Fellowship curriculum emphasizes the multi-dimensional leadership model and includes more than 60 hours of in-person and virtual learning sessions facilitated by a diverse group of educators. Each Fellow is also assigned a certified, professional coach who provides coaching sessions for six months during the latter part of the fellowship and several months thereafter.
At the completion of the fellowship, participants can apply to receive a $10,000 award to support their continued professional development, personal growth, and realize long-term goals, and position them for deeper impact in their respective communities.
Fellows can be nominated or apply using the link below. The deadline for nominating a candidate is May 16, and the application deadline is June 6.
Welcome Jill Shenkel Henwood, the new Executive Director of the Yampa Valley Partnership for Students, Stewardship, and Sustainability (YVPS3). YVPS3 is a partnership between four school districts, two institutions of higher education, and multiple industry partners across the Yampa Valley region from Craig to Oak Creek. YVPS3 has the goal of providing shared educational pathways and career connections for students, valley-wide. Providing students with the resources, skills, and credentials needed to obtain high-need jobs supports our vision for a more resilient region. YVPS3 seeks to include industry and business partners throughout the region as we work to develop internships and other work-based learning opportunities for students. YVPS3 will be a key partner in the work of the Innovation Center for workforce training.
Jill is a western Colorado native - raised in Grand Junction, CO. She raised her daughters in Olathe, CO. Formerly, Jill was the founding Executive Director of Girls on the Run of Western Colorado and served in that capacity for 20+ years. She developed a familiarity with and a fondness for the Yampa Valley as Girls on the Run became a part of our region. As a teacher by trade, Jill has a personal mission to provide equitable educational opportunities for students in rural areas. She is excited to be working for YVPS3 and continuing to develop a regional educational collaborative that provides career pathways for students that allow them to pursue their professional passion in the region.
Apprenticeship Colorado Applications are Open!
Apprenticeship Colorado at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) Office of the Future of Work (OFW) is seeking applications from employers and sponsors interested in developing and expanding Registered Apprenticeship Programs statewide. Grant amounts will be awarded in increments up to $50,000.00.
Grantees will benefit from the support of the Apprenticeship Colorado team and participate in a cohort of other employers launching apprenticeship programs. Employers report reduced turnover, improved work culture, enhanced co-worker productivity and having a pipeline of skilled workers through apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships also benefit workers, who are able to earn while they learn.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. MST
Yampa Valley Community Foundation Community Grant Cycle Opening Soon!
The Yampa Valley Community Foundation, in partnership with the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, donor-advised fund holders, and other granting endowments, offers once-a-year grants up to $10,000. Funds must serve Routt and/or Moffat County and be used for unrestricted purposes or issued as a programmatic grant.
Applications will open Monday, May 5, 2025 and will closeMonday, June 2 (11:30 pm MST). A YVCF Grant Application and Financial Training session will be held in-person at YVCF, Steamboat Springs on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 from 10:00-11:30 am. Virtual online access is available, and the session will be recorded. Learn more>
Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program (CCCSP) Cycle 3 Extended!
The application window for Cycle 3 of the Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program has been extended through May 31, 2025. This program intends to spread the development of semiconductor and advanced industry ecosystems beyond their traditional clusters in the state. Eligible uses and grant funding include:
Market Study Grants for a detailed analysis of the existing local industry, assets, and gaps relevant to the semiconductor and advanced industries sectors. They will help define the area's competitive positioning, value proposition, and salient opportunities for development, attraction, and retention.
Implementation Grants to develop an asset or fill a gap relevant to the semiconductor and advanced industries ecosystem.
Marketing Grants to support marketing and promotional activities targeted to semiconductors and advanced industries.
For application information, click here to learn more>
Local Planning Capacity Grant Now Open!
The application process for DOLA's Local Planning Capacity Grant is now open! This funding supports local government implementation of Proposition 123 requirements that advance affordable housing strategies or projects. Projects could include:
Adopting ADU strategies or displacement mitigation strategies
Calculating Housing Opportunity Goals or designating Neighborhood Centers
Updating land use codes to address parking minimums or occupancy limits
LPC grant funds have a lot of flexibility and projects can include any planning effort that advances your community’s affordable housing goals. Interested applicants must schedule a pre-application meeting with the LPC Program Manager in order to access the grant application form online. The funding cycle opens May 1, 2025, and applications are due May 30, 2025 by 12 p.m. Click here to learn more>
New Incentive for Early Adoption of
Proposition 123 Fast Track
DOLA’s Division of Local Government/CDO has set aside $2 million for an incentive program to reward local governments for early adoption of Proposition 123 fast-track requirements.
Local governments that adopt a Proposition 123-compliant expedited development review process by December 31, 2025 will receive up to $50,000 in grant funding, with no local match required. Local Planning Capacity Grant funds will be awarded and must be spent on eligible planning activities .
Incentives will also be available for local governments that adopt a compliant expedited development review process by June 30, 2026.
The Partners in the Outdoors Program is a platform for networking and collaboration to advance and balance outdoor recreation and conservation in Colorado. To support these efforts, Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides grant funds to assist our partners across the state who are helping us achieve this goal.
Eligible applicants can apply for a grant in an amount up to $10,000. Applications close on May 5, 2025. Visit this link to learn more>
Grants Database and Other Grants Resources
To help our members sort through the massive volume of grants from state, federal and philanthropic funders, NWCDC is maintaining a Grants Database, curated to support our priority areas: clean energy, economic development, transportation, affordable childcare, and community development. The database is hosted on the NWCDC website. NWCDC Grants Manager Emily O'Winter has prescreened these grants for relevancy. The database is a living document that we will be updating constantly as we find new resources that support our Roadmap strategies. For technical support, you can click this link to email Emily O'Winter.
Grants Toolkit
In an effort to make grant writing as painless as possible, NWCDC Grant Manager Emily O'Winter has created a Grants Toolkit, which includes templated responses for the most often asked grant questions, as well as data sources. Browse the Grants Toolkit now for core language and other resources.
Northwest Colorado Grants Collective
Looking for more support? The Northwest Colorado Grants Collective is a partnership with the Northwest Colorado Development Council and the Yampa Valley Community Foundation to create a list of grant professionals to increase grant writing and management capacity for regional nonprofits, local governments, and businesses interested in hiring grant writers to support developing proposals for federal, state, and local grants. Check out the Grants Collective
You are receiving this email newsletter from the Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) because you are a member or a partner or have signed up for more information. The NWCDC is an intergovernmental agreement between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their seven communities to collaborate on regional economic development.
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