Federal Grant Award Summary

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $350,000 to the Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission under the Economic Development Support for Planning Organizations program (CFDA 11.302) on July 1, 2025, for a three-year period concluding June 30, 2028. The award supports the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) across a five-county region in southern Illinois comprising Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, and Williamson Counties. Through this Partnership Planning investment, the organization will coordinate multisector engagement among public and private sector stakeholders to create a strategic economic development roadmap designed to strengthen the regional economy, attract private capital investment, and generate higher-skill, higher-wage job creation opportunities.

The Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission will serve as the designated planning organization responsible for managing all aspects of CEDS development and implementation. The project deliverables include comprehensive regional economic planning that identifies strategic development priorities, establishes actionable implementation frameworks, and leverages the region's unique economic assets. By bringing together business leadership, civic representatives, labor interests, and other regional stakeholders, the initiative will produce a coordinated economic development strategy that addresses the needs of economically distressed areas and provides a roadmap for sustained regional economic growth.