The intent of the Rural Idaho Economic Development Professional Grant Program is to build economic development capacity in rural Idaho.
Donor Name: Idaho Department of Commerce
State: Idaho
County:
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/26/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $30,000
Details:
To accomplish this, state funds are appropriated to help rural areas employ full-time Economic Development Professionals who, with a board of directors, manage locally directed economic development programs.
The ED Professional will work on business attraction, retention, expansion, and diversification projects in partnership with the Department to achieve the economic development goals of both the rural area and the Department. The Department recognizes that a minimum wage and benefit package in the range of $45,000 to $50,000 is necessary to hire and retain qualified ED professionals.
Funding Information
Applicants may request up to $30,000 for a full-time position. Applicants wanting to fund a part time position are limited to a request up to $15,000. Commerce may award amounts below an applicant’s request for any reason.
Program Specifications
Eligible Applicants are required to form an Economic Development Organization (EDO) to manage the activities of the ED Professional funded through the auspices of the Program. The EDO may be a standalone not for profit corporation registered with the State of Idaho or a committee organized under the auspices of a County Commission or multi government joint powers agreement. A representative from the Department shall be provided advanced notice of all EDO meetings, electronic copies of all meeting minutes and reports and provided with non-voting board or committee member ex-officio status. Applicants are encouraged to have strong private sector representation on their boards or committees. The board or committee shall meet at least six (6) times per year and develop a specific plan of work for the ED Professional along with a plan for oversight and evaluation. A Department representative shall be invited to participate in any activities related to the hiring and performance evaluation of the ED Professional.
Eligibility Criteria
An applicant must be an Idaho county or a group of Idaho counties, cities and/or tribes joining together to submit a single application. Idaho counties with populations more than 50,000 may apply, provided that the population of the areas being served does not include any cities with a population exceeding 10,000. Under the auspices of a joint powers arrangement with an eligible County a city may serve as the lead applicant. Note: Commerce will award only one grant per county. They will not award funds to programs serving a single city.
For more information, visit Idaho Department of Commerce.
