Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC), a regional economic development organization, serving Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their seven communities, supports economic diversification, workforce development, access to affordable housing, childcare, and regional transportation.
NWCDC held its first Annual Meeting on September 3, 2024, in the Pavilion at the Moffat County Fairgrounds in Craig. The event drew nearly 90 attendees to hear updates from NWCDC Chair Tim Redmond, NWCDC Vice Chair Melody Villard, and Craig Mayor Chris Nichols. The keynote speaker was Executive Director Eve Lieberman of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).
Executive Director Kim Woodworth of the Economic Development Council of Colorado also spoke during the Annual Meeting as well as at three Economic Development 101 Workshops that were held earlier in the day in Meeker, Rangely, and Craig.
The NWCDC Annual Meeting was well covered by the local media, including
Governor Polis and the Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT) awarded the Town of Rangely a Coal Transition Community Grant which funds projects that will diversify local economies in western Colorado.
“When small businesses succeed, communities can thrive. We are pleased to support local initiatives to retain and attract new businesses while diversifying rural economies,” said OEDIT Executive Director, Eve Lieberman.
The Town of Rangely received a $500,000 grant to fund the Retain, Attract, Rebuild, Expand (RARE) business support program for three years. The RARE program will provide business, financial and marketing training for local entrepreneurs and existing businesses in partnership with the Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) and the Northwest Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The program will also offer an annual small business grant program, with grants of up to $40,000 available per awarded business, and an annual pitch competition, both for the next three years.
The Town of Rangely anticipates that the RARE program will create a minimum of 15 full time jobs, with at least five of those jobs meeting or exceeding the average annual wage for Rio Blanco County.
“The Town of Rangely via the Rangely Development Association is very proud to be a recipient of a grant to assist with an innovative business support program for local businesses and entrepreneurs which includes development of a pitch competition, also providing a grant award. This will invigorate our business community and encourage entrepreneurs who have been contemplating starting a business or expanding a current business but need assistance, as well as training, to take the next step!” said Lisa Piering, Town Manager for Rangely.
Craig Receives Grant for Business and Industrial Park
Congratulations to the City of Craig for receiving a $1,051,000 Office of Just Transition grant to purchase property for a new business and industrial park. The property is accessible to both the Union Pacific rail line and 1st Street in Craig. The City will partner with a private developer to begin the master planning process immediately after the property is purchased.
The plan is to construct a large flex space facility on the east side of the property, while leaving the remaining land that can be purchased/subdivided. This layout allows for the most flexibility with building and land availability while also constructing the infrastructure in the most efficient manner. The project has also been awarded $2.5M in Congressionally Designated Spending for horizontal infrastructure costs.
Northwest Colorado Tells Our Story
Appalachia Meets World Podcast
John Bristol of Routt County Economic Development Partnership, Christine Rambo of Northwest Colorado Development Council, and Sasha Nelson, Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, share Northwest Colorado's story on a podcast called
"Appalachia Meets World." Listen Now or just search for "Appalachia Meets World."
anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Build to Scale
US Economic Development Administration (EDA) launched the Build to Scale Program, offering grants from $200,000 to $5 million with a 1:1 match to support organizations that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems to support entrepreneurs as they build and scale technology-driven businesses that create good jobs and make and deliver new technology, products and services. The core goals of the program are:
to enable high-growth technology entrepreneurship and foster inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models;
to increase access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, networks, and training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based financing. Due 10/28/24
Environmental & Infrastructure Grants
Environmental Protection Agency is offering grants through its Brownfields Program which addresses sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, or petroleum. Please visit the Types of Brownfields Grant Funding for an overview of the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants. Coal Transitioning Communities are eligible to apply for Community-Wide Assessments as solo applicants or Assessment Coalitions as lead applicants. Due 11/14/24
Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program supports projects that will decrease household food waste, expand markets for and boost sales of compost, and inform the public about residential food waste composting programs. Eligible applicants include: state, local, Indian Tribes, for-profit, non-profit, public-private partnership, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Due 12/20/24
Destination Mentor Program matches communities with experienced consultants to provide expertise, resources, mentorship, and capacity building. Participating destinations will receive 100 hours of consulting to advance priority projects through June 30, 2025. Due 10/24/24
Colorado Tourism offers two free learning labs that support outdoor tourism. The Colorado Concierge Lab is a free online educational platform that aims to help frontline workers hone their skills and build their Colorado expertise to ensure our visitors feel welcomed and cared for. This training is also available in Spanish. Destination or tourism professionals can tap into the CRAFT learning lab.
Quality of Life Grants
Healthy Food Financing Initiative supports access to healthy food in food deserts. The USDA and the Reinvestment Fund opened the application window for the Food Access and Retail Expansion (HFFI FARE Fund), which funds food retail and food enterprises working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas. HFFI 2024-2025 FARE Fact Sheet
To be considered for a grant in Round 1 of the HFFI FARE Fund, Funding Inquiry Forms must be received by October 14, 2024 by 11:59 PM
The Museums for America Program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines to undertake projects that strengthen their ability to serve their public. Project activities may include exhibitions, educational or interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Museums for America has three project categories: Lifelong Learning; Community Engagement; and Collections Stewardship and Access. The grants range from $5,000 to $250,000 with at least a 1:1 match of funds from non-federal sources for a period of up to three years. Due:11/15/24
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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