NIRPC awarded economic recovery grants

NORTHWEST INDIANA (Inside INdiana Business) – The federal Economic Development Administration has awarded Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission two CARES Act Grants to assist Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. The commission says the grants will help the region respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The NIRPC says the first CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant totals more than $580,000 to establish a new Regional Revolving Loan Fund for small businesses in the three counties.

“No one could have predicted the pandemic, but NIRPC’s designation as an Economic Development District came just in time,” said Ty Warner, the commission’s executive director. “As small businesses and the regional economy in general have taken a hit from the coronavirus, these resources will aid in our regional recovery. We’re thankful for our partnership with the EDA in a time like this.”

The new program aims to assist businesses with sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the pandemic. The NIRPC says efforts will include the hiring of additional staff to provide capacity-building and technical assistance.

The NIRPC also received an additional $400,000 from the CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant. The organization says the funding will aid its efforts to develop a regional economic resiliency plan to aid in the economic recovery from the coronavirus and for future pandemics and disasters. The NIRPC says it will hire additional staff to support its efforts.