State touts READI participation

(photo courtesy of Governor Eric Holcomb's office)

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties are participating in the $500 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative. A total of 18 regional groups have been formed to pursue up to $50 million in funding designed to spur investment in quality of place efforts.

The READI program was launched in May with the goal of creating projects and program to attract and retain top talent. The IEDC said at the time READI is expected to attract at least $2 billion local public, private and philanthropic match funding.

Fayette County was the only county included in any of the regional groups, according to the IEDC.

Now that each region has declared its intention to pursue funding, the next step in the READI program is for the regions to develop and submit their regional development plans. The plans, which are due August 31, will outline the regions’ strategies to invest the funding, which could include physical projects and multi-year programs “to advanced quality of place, quality of life, and quality of opportunity.”

“READI will help harness a natural synergy of regional economic development leaders and private industry professionals to implement strategic investments in quality of place and innovation,” Governor Holcomb said in a news release. “We encourage stakeholders to collaborate and think big. Focus not only on shovel-ready, but on multi-year programs to develop talent, drive innovation and improve the quality of life which will transform our great Hoosier state for future generations to come.” 

The regional development plans will be evaluated in the fall with final funding decisions expected by the end of the year.

The regions included in the program are listed below. You can view a map of the regions by clicking here.

  • North Central, led by the North Central Indiana Regional Planning Council
    Counties: Cass, Clinton, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Tipton
     
  • South Bend/Elkhart, led by the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority
    Counties: Elkhart, Marshall, St. Joseph
     
  • Northwest, led by the Northwest Indiana Forum
    Counties: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski, Starke
     
  • Southern Indiana, led by the Our Southern Indiana Regional Development Authority
    Counties: Clark, Floyd, Jefferson, Scott, Washington
     
  • Evansville, led by the Southwest Indiana RDA (SWIRDA)
    Counties: Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick
     
  • East Central, led by the East Central IN Regional Partnership
    Counties: Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Wayne
     
  • West, led by the Wabash River RDA
    Counties: Clay, Knox, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo
     
  • Northeast, led by the Northeast Indiana RDA
    Counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, Whitley
     
  • West Central, led by the West Central Indiana Alliance
    Counties: Boone, Hendricks, Montgomery, Putnam
     
  • Southeast, led by SEI READI Inc.
    Counties: Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, Union, Franklin, Ripley (excludes city of Batesville)
     
  • Accelerate Rural Indiana, led by the Decatur County Community Foundation
    Counties: Decatur, Rush, Shelby
    City: Batesville
     
  • I-69 Southern Gateway, led by the Morgan County Community Foundation
    Counties: Johnson and Morgan
     
  • Greater Lafayette Region, led by the Greater Lafayette Commerce Community and Economic Development Foundation
    Counties: Benton, Carroll, Fountain, Tippecanoe, Warren, White
     
  • Indiana First Region, led by the Southwest Indiana Development Council
    Counties: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Harrison, Knox, Martin, Pike, Orange, Spencer, Perry
     
  • Central Indiana-White River Regional Opportunity Initiative, led by the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority and Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization
    Counties: Hamilton, Madison, Marion
     
  • 70-40 Greater Mt. Comfort Corridor, led by the Hancock County Economic Development Council
    Counties: Hancock, Marion
     
  • South Central Indiana Talent Region, led by the Southern Indiana Housing and Community Development Corporation
    Counties: Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings
    Town: Edinburgh
     
  • The Indiana Uplands, led by the Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc.
    Counties: Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, Washington