Program Objectives

The goal of the Region Nine economic development program is to increase the number of good jobs and wealth in the region. This is done by financing business expansion through revolving loan funds and by provision of business assistance through the Small Business Development Center. A third means of economic development is through technical assistance to communities who are faced with obstacles in their economic development efforts. These obstacles may include lack of infrastructure, such as sewer and water, lack of good industrial plan, or lack of specific information that would facilitate economic expansion. Region Nine works with communities to overcome these difficulties in the following ways.

Grant Writing

Region Nine employs experienced grant writers who can assist in obtaining funding through a variety of state and federal programs for local economic development activities. While the availability of programs varies from year to year, funding can often be found for a variety of projects. Funding depends on the nature and scope of the project and the criteria of the funding programs. Some of the funding sources are listed below.

*Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
*U.S. Economic Development Administration
*U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
*Agricultural Utlization and Resource Institute
*Small Business Administration (SBA) Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance

Region Nine provides technical assistance to local units of government and economic development authorities in planning and carrying out economic development strategies. This assistance can take many forms including:

*Economic Development Strategic Planning
*Land Use Planning and Zoning Assistance
*Industrial Park Planning
*Infrastructure Development
*Downtown Planning
*Site Planning
*Ordinance Development

Technical Assistance for Local Revolving Loan Funds

Region Nine has the capacity to administer local revolving loan funds for units of government. Banks, cities and counties can obtain grants for business loans for economic development purposes through the Minnesota Investment Fund or other sources. As these grants are repaid, the local units of government must establish a revolving loan fund. Region Nine can provide all the administrative support needed to insure the continued long-term success of the local RLF, without the need for additional city or county staff. These services include:

*Establishing a local loan review committee
*Establishing local RLF goals and policies
*Soliciting and reviewing loan proposals
*Preparing loan documents
*Servicing loans
*Performing all necessary accounting and reporting

Special Studies

In their economic development efforts, communities might need to have specilized assistance for their projects. Region Nine has the staff, expertise and experience to assist with the necessary plans and studies. Examples include:

*Labor surveys
*Marketing surveys
*Parking studies
*Recreational trail plans
*Traffic flow analyses
*Feasibility studies
*Retail sale studies