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 that benefits all people.
Introducing the Northwest Colorado Innovation Center
Board of Directors
The NWCDC established a Colorado nonprofit, Northwest Colorado Innovation Center (NCIC), to provide a location for wraparound transition services during the coal transition. The Innovation Center will be a space where various partners such as NWCDC, Colorado Office of Just Transition, and others can collaborate and coordinate services to help our communities, small businesses, and workers. At its January meeting, NWCDC confirmed the following slate of directors for the Innovation Center Board.
Gary Boley, CNCC Workforce Resilience
John Bristol, Executive Director, Routt County Economic Development Partnership
Tegan Ebbert, Town of Hayden Deputy Town Manager
Edy George, Bank of San Juans
Margie Joy, Community Relationship Manager, CHFA
Randy Looper, City of Craig Council Member
Roy McClung, Natural Soda Plant Manager
Tim Redmond, Routt County Commissioner
Callie Scritchfield, Rio Blanco County Commissioner
Carly Thomson, Meeker Community Development Director
Melody Villard, Moffat County Commissioner
The NCIC Board of Directors will convene its first meeting on February 14th.
Regional Resource Fairs
The Colorado Office of Just Transition (OJT) and the Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) along with other partners are hosting regular Regional Resource Fairs, starting in Craig and traveling throughout Northwest Colorado. The Resource Fairs will provide information, resources, consulting, and workforce solutions to help energy workers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.
The next Resource Fair is on Tuesday, February 11th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Craig Chamber of Commerce, 775 Yampa Ave, Suite 103, Craig, CO 81625.
The Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic prosperity throughout the state, invites you to attend their annual Regional Economic Development Forum showcasing Northwest Colorado on March 5, 2025, from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. In partnership with CSU Extension, REDI@CSU, and CSU’s Urban-Rural Connections Food Systems Regional Summits, the one-day forum will bring together economic development professionals, the business community, education and workforce development leaders, and elected officials to:
Gain a deeper understanding of the northwestern Colorado regional economy
Learn about successful economic development initiatives
Explore valuable resources and tools such as workforce development, innovation, and community revitalization
Connect with key economic and workforce development stakeholders
Contribute to the future of Northwest Colorado’s regional economy by participating in interactive discussions and contributing your valuable perspectives
We encourage you to register early to secure your spot at this important event.
Congressionally Directed Spending Coming Soon
Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) grants, commonly referred to as earmarks, are requests from members of the US Congress, which reflect their federal funding priorities. The next CDS cycle is coming soon and to help our communities gear up for these grants, the NWCDC Grants Workgroup will host a Zoom meeting with Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper's Offices on February 12, 2025 at 11am. Join the NWCDC Grants Workgroup Meeting using this Link.
Value-Added Producer Grant Supports Ag Producers
The USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. Maximum Grant Amount: Planning Grants $75,000; Working Capital Grants: $250,000.
What can you use the VAPG funds for:
Examples of planning activities include:
Conducting feasibility studies
Developing business plans
Developing marketing plans for the proposed value-added product
Examples of working capital expenses include:
Processing costs
Marketing and advertising expenses
Some inventory and salary expenses
Electronic applications will be accepted via the VAPG application portal by April 17, 2025, until 9:59 p.m. Mountain Time.
Colorado REDI Grant Funds Economic Development
Colorado Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) grant provides $150,000 with a20%-50% match to help rural communities diversify their local economy. Projects that will be funded include plans, construction, programs, and capacity building. All applications must create and retain jobs, either direct or indirect. Projects should fall into one or more of the following categories:
Capacity-building - Under special circumstances, the Department of Local Affairs will consider funding local economic development capacity. Staff must be tied to a specific outcome, project, and timeline, which contributes to goals of job creation, business attraction/retention, and economic resilience.
Economic resilience - Economic resilience is the ability of a community’s economy and systems that support the economy to withstand disruption and thrive in the face of change.
Supports entrepreneurial ecosystems - Entrepreneurial ecosystems provide trainings, networking opportunities, and infrastructure to support local entrepreneurs. REDI will open on February 12, 2025, and close on March 12, 2025. Applicants have two years to spend funds. Learn more>
Restore Grant for Carbon Sequestration in Ag
Restore Grant applications are open through February 19th to help farmers and ranchers implement climate-smart practices that sequester carbon. Grants of up to $25k are available for farmers and ranchers in Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. Grant funds may be used for any supplies, labor, services, or equipment that are required for the completion of the climate-smart practice(s) awarded. Decisions will be sent by late March 2025. Click this link to apply.
DOLA Local Planning Capacity Grant Program
The DOLA planning grants support local governments in implementing their housing goals, including efforts to streamline or incentivize affordable housing developments and achieve Prop 123 commitments. All interested applicants will need to schedule a pre-application meeting with Program Manager Robyn DiFalco to discuss your proposed project. Only local governments who have filed a Prop 123 commitment are eligible for this funding. The grant is intended to help governments expedite development review, permitting, and zoning of affordable housing. The top priority for funding award decisions is to support local governments’ efforts to implement the new fast-track requirements. The Grant opens February 14, and is due Friday, March 14. 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.
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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