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| LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM |
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(A list of frequently asked questions is below)
Type of assistance: State grants.
Purpose: To enhance the capacity of local economic development organizations to
undertake economic development activities and to complete Certified Development
Community (CDC) program requirements.
Matching grants, up to $34,000 per county, will be made available to county or
regional economic development organizations that commit to following the guidelines
established through the CDC program and that also meet the grant program criteria.
Eligible applicants must be designated by the county commission as the county's lead
economic development entity.
Program requirements: For the purpose of this program, a community is either a county
or multi-county region. Applicants may receive up to $34,000 in matching grant funds.
Applicants representing a single county must have a cash match equal to the amount of
the grant. Applicants representing multi-county or regional economic development
organizations must have cash to match half the grant amount. Successful applicants
must fulfill the following requirements:
- Resolution from the county commission(s) designating the applicant as the lead
economic development organization for the county.
- Evidence of current participation and good standing in the CDC program.
- Project narrative that reviews the previous years' economic development activities.
- Proposed budget.
- Evidence of cash match.
- Organizational information including legal structure, list/contact information for
board of directors, annual action plan and organization revenue budget.
- Thirty hours of professional development and attendance at one West Virginia Economic
Development Council meeting.
- Business retention and expansion narrative and visitation schedule.
- Updated information on site and building inventory.
- Development and/or maintenance of a website.
Eligible applicants: The following organizations are eligible as long as the county commission
has issued a resolution designating the group as the county's lead economic development entity.
- County development corporations or authorities
- A multi-county or regional development corporation or authority
- Regional Planning and Development Councils
Contact: For additional information about the Local Economic Development (LED) Grant Program,
please call the West Virginia Development Office at (800) 982-3386 or (304) 558-2001.
Local Economic Development Grant Program
(Frequently asked questions)
Can more than one organization be designated as the lead economic development entity
for the county? No. The county commission designates one lead economic development entity.
Only this organization is eligible to apply for the LED grant.
What is the maximum grant amount? The maximum grant is $34,000. The grant amount actually
awarded is based upon the local organization's cash.
Why should a county consider a multi-county or regional economic development approach? The
regional level has been found to strike the right balance between state and local assets as
resources within a region surpass any individual jurisdiction. On a practical level,
applicants representing multi-county or regional economic development organizations must
have cash to match half the amount of the grant, i.e., a development authority representing
two counties could receive a $68,000 grant with a $34,000 cash match. (Applicants representing
a single county must have a cash match equal to the amount of the grant, i.e., a $34,000 grant
request must be matched by $34,000 in cash.)
What are the cash match requirements? In-kind donations are not acceptable, and the cash match
may not be comprised of any state funds, including proceeds from the synfuels tax. Unexpended
LED grant funds from previous fiscal years cannot be considered as a local cash match. The local
development organization must control the funds used for the match, which must used for economic
development activities.
When are applications due to the West Virginia Development Office? The program is administered
according to the state fiscal year, from July 1 to June 30. Applications may be submitted anytime
after July 1. For funding consideration, all applications must be postmarked no later than April 30.
Where do I find information regarding the 30-hour professional development requirement? Thirty
hours of professional development must be obtained during the fiscal year. The executive director,
board members or staff may earn credit for attendance. Verification of course registration and proof
of attendance is required. There are three options for fulfilling the training obligations:
- Professional development: up to 30 hours of credit may be awarded. Courses that have been approved
to meet this requirement can be accessed through the WVDO web page at www.wvdo.org/media/calendar.html. If a
professional training course that you are interested in taking is not listed, please contact our office
for approval and credit hours prior to course enrollment.
- Board of directors: up to 30 hours of credit may be awarded. To be eligible, three-quarters of the
board must attend all training sessions. The development organization will be responsible for securing
the training. The curriculum and topics to be covered must be approved by the WVDO prior to obtaining
the board of directors training. At a minimum, the training should consist of sessions covering an
overview of the principles of community development; an overview of the principles of economic
development; economic diversification including industrial, entrepreneurial, technology and tourism
development, and the roles, responsibilities and functions of the board of directors.
- Technology training: up to 15 hours of the 30-hour training requirement may be earned for
technology training. To be awarded credit, the training agenda and a description of the benefit
the organization expects to gain from such training must be submitted. The curriculum and topics
to be covered must be approved by the WVDO prior to obtaining technology training. Some examples
include but are not limited to geographic information systems, website design and maintenance,
accounting software, etc.
Can a county participate in the LED program if it is not participating in the Certified Development
Community (CDC) program? No. Grant awards are made only to development organizations that commit to
following the guidelines established through the CDC program and that also meet the LED grant program
criteria. First-year LED applicants are also required to submit a CDC application committing the
applicant to completion of the CDC program. Each successive LED application should demonstrate
increasing completion of the five main CDC program criteria. After the fourth year in the LED
program, applicants that have not become CDC certified due to lack of a fully served, locally
controlled industrial site must continue to work toward development of a site. Annual progress
reports are to be submitted with the LED application and should include the potential site name,
size, accessibility, topographical characteristics, flood plain data, zoning requirements
(if applicable), status of ownership (own, option to purchase, right of first refusal, price agreement),
maintenance plan, environmental issues and utilities including sewer, water, gas, electric and
telecommunications.
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