Federal Grant Award Summary

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $350,000 to Northwest Regional Planning Commission under the Economic Development Support for Planning Organizations program (CFDA 11.302) on July 1, 2025, for a three-year performance period concluding June 30, 2028. This investment supports the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Northern Vermont Economic Development District, encompassing Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Caledonia, and Essex counties. The CEDS serves as a strategic economic development roadmap designed to strengthen the regional economy, facilitate private capital investment, and generate employment opportunities through coordinated public and private sector engagement.

Under this Partnership Planning grant, Northwest Regional Planning Commission will convene multisector stakeholders to identify regional economic assets, establish strategic development priorities, and create actionable implementation frameworks. The planning effort will leverage the unique assets of Northern Vermont to guide the creation and retention of higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, particularly benefiting unemployed and underemployed residents in economically distressed areas. The project will be performed in St. Albans City, Vermont, with the planning commission serving as the designated planning organization coordinating the CEDS development and implementation across the six-county region.