Join the Northwest Colorado Development Council, NWCDC, for our inaugural Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 3, starting 6:30 PM at the Pavilion Building on the Moffat County Fairgrounds, 750 E. 4th Street in Craig.
NWCDC is a regional economic development collaboration between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their communities to drive regional economic growth in the face of the sunsetting of coal.
NWCDC and state and local officials will update the public on our work to diversify the economy, the opportunities available to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and transitioning workers, and how NWCDC is bringing resources to the region.
NWCDC Annual Meeting
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Pavilion Building at the Moffat County Fairgrounds
750 East 4th Street in Craig, CO
Networking 6:30 PM
Dinner 7:00 PM
Presentations 7:30-8:30 PM
Cost: free
The public is invited to attend an evening of food, drinks, and networking at no cost! RSVP using Eventbrite by clicking here.
NWCDC will host three Economic Development 101 Workshops on September 3rd at the following locations and times. The Economic Development 101 workshops are intended for elected officials and economic development professionals to learn how to support economic development efforts and boost business growth.
3:30 PM: Pavilion Building at Moffat County Fairgrounds, 750 E. 4th St., Craig
NWCDC, Northwest Small Business Development Center (SBDC), John Bristol, Executive Director of Routt County Economic Development Partnership (RCEDP), and Kim Woodworth, Executive Director of the Economic Development Council of Colorado, will provide overviews of economic development programs and topics.
NWCDC will host a business luncheon in Rangely on September 3rd from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm at CNCC in the Weiss Conference Room. Business and community members, and elected officials are invited to network and hear updates on economic development initiatives and information from NWCDC, Northwest SDBC, the Economic Development Council of Colorado, and others.
NWCDC will share information on its newest initiative: Northwest Colorado Innovation Center and seek public input on services and programs that are needed to support small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Lunch and learn and network at this free event. Please RSVP!
Routt County Economic Development Partnership’s (RCEDP) Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center launched its High Country Accelerator, a groundbreaking initiative designed to support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. This new initiative is a collaborative effort between RCEDP, Startup Colorado, NSF Innovation Corps, and the Summit County Economic Partnership (SEP), aimed at fostering innovation and business expansion in the region. Read more>
The High Country Accelerator consists of three distinct components tailored to meet the needs of entrepreneurs at different stages of their development:
NSF Innovation Corps Starting Blocks Workshop: This workshop supports entrepreneurs who are in the initial stages of developing a new business idea.
Startup Colorado's Idea Factory: After the ideation phase, the Idea Factory helps entrepreneurs navigate the complex financing landscape, understand funding models, how to access funding, and craft compelling pitches to attract investors.
Startup Colorado's Growth Challenge: Designed for operational companies, the Growth Challenge addresses the critical challenges faced by businesses aiming to scale.
Meet the Northwest SBDC Business Navigator
Welcome to Northwest SBDC Business Navigator, Ashley Dishman! She will be serving Rio Blanco, Moffat, and Routt counties on a two-year contract, funded by Coal Transition Community funding from the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade.
As Business Navigator, she'll expand SBDC support in the coal transition communities by connecting entrepreneurs with individualized resources. Dishman is based in Craig and has long-standing ties in the region. She brings a variety of experiences to the role, including real estate, teaching, communications, contracting, and family business operations. In her most recent role, Ashley was a reporter for the Craig Daily Press.
Housing Grants
CHFA’s Direct EffectAwards fund Colorado nonprofit organizations whose mission aligns with CHFA’s work: affordable housing and economic development. Awards typically range from $5,000 to $30,000. The Round Two Application is open and will close on September 13, 2024. Learn more>
HUD FY24 Pathways to Removing Obstacles for Housing Grant: HUD is offering grants of up to $7 million to fund housing projects that remove barriers to affordable housing, increase housing production, and lower housing costs.
Barriers to affordable housing may take the form of:
restrictive zoning designations, land use policies, or regulations
discretionary, costly or prolonged procedures
deteriorating or inadequate infrastructure
lack of neighborhood amenities
neighborhood opposition to new or affordable housing
challenges to preserving existing housing stock such as increasing threats from natural hazards, redevelopment that reduces the number of affordable units, displacement pressures, or expiration of affordability requirements.
For more information and to apply by October 15, 2024,click here>
Environmental Grants
Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Grant: The Department of Interior announced a new funding opportunity for ecosystem and habitat restoration projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin, with a specific focus on drought mitigation. Eligible applicants include public entities and tribes in the Upper Colorado Basin. Funding will support projects that yield environmental benefits or ecosystem/habitat restoration efforts that directly link to drought. Deadline: October 14, 2024. Learn more>
Energy Code Adoption & Enforcement Grant Program supports local governments with the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or an equivalent code, the state's model electric-ready and solar-ready code or an equivalent code, and the model low energy and carbon code that the Energy Code Board will develop or an equivalent code.
Public entities and non-profit organizations can apply to fund technical consultants, staff time, code adoption cost analysis, outreach and engagement activities, training and workforce development, compliance planning, review, and verification, improvements to the code enforcement process, and deployment of innovative enforcement and compliance tools.
Applications are now open and due September 20, 2024, 5:00 PM MT.
Railroad Crossing Elimination Program (RCE) funds highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods. Dept. of Transportation seeks projects that advance safety, equity, climate and sustainability, workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation. Deadline: September 23, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EST. Learn more>
Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program funds the implementation, restoring, or enhancement intercity passenger rail transportation. Projects eligible for funding under this grant program include:
Game On-Community Places to Play, an initiative of The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation, provides funding and technical assistance to community-rooted organizations working to create and renovate multi-use youth sports spaces in under-resourced communities across the country. The goal is to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local athletic spaces.
Grant awards will range from $50,000-$100,000 and will require 1:1 match funding. Funds will be awarded to outdoor and indoor facilities that demonstrate community access and usage for all organized youth sports. Youth development program services include but are not limited to life skills workshops, civic engagement and leadership, workforce development, and academic support.
Eligible community-based organizations include schools and local parks and recreation departments that are collaborating with local non-profits. Universities and college campuses are not eligible for this initiative. Interested organizations should carefully review the Request for Proposals (RFP), which outlines eligibility and selection criteria. Deadline: September 5, 2024. 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. 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.
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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