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Applications Available for “Stronger Economies Together” Initiative

Name
Brian Queen
Release Date

Stronger Economies Together Phase VII - Provides Technical Assistance for Rural Regional Development

Applications Available online at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/nc, deadline is 11:59 pm on March 17, 2017

USDA Rural Development, in conjunction with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and other state and local partners, has released details of an initiative called “Stronger Economies Together” (SET), which is designed to help regional teams develop new approaches to strengthen and enhance regional economic development activities.  The SET initiative is an opportunity for current or newly formed multi-county teams to receive the latest tools, training and technical assistance to help their region move forward and capitalize on the strengths of the region to create jobs, wealth, and economic development.  2017 is the seventh phase of this very successful economic development initiative, which has been facilitated in over 425 regions across the country. SET impacts are described in the attached infographic.  One multi-county region in rural North Carolina will be chosen to participate in the SET VII initiative.
The SET initiative eligibility requirements are:
(1)  Applicants must be contiguous, multi-county regions (at least 3 or more) in North Carolina or in conjunction with counties in neighboring states;
(2) The average rural population must be 51% or more of the region’s total population based on Census data or other sufficient data or documentation; or 75% of their land area is located in rural areas of that region based on Census data or other sufficient data or documentation.
(3) Priority points will be given to regions with at least one county that has: 
• A per capita income of 80% or less of the national average; and/or
• an unemployment rate that is at least 1 percent greater than the national average unemployment rate

Applications for the SET initiative are now available at North Carolina’s USDA Rural Development Website at:  www.rd.usda.gov/nc.  A complete application must be submitted electronically to blbowen@ncsu.edu by 11:59 pm on March 17, 2017.  An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent within two business days.  Successful applicants will be announced in late April.  There is no application fee, but chosen applicants should be prepared to supply some minor logistical support.
The successful applicant (only 1) will receive coaching and up to 100 hours of technical assistance over a period of up to one year on the following:  1) Valuable training on the core building blocks for developing and launching a regional economic development plan; 2) In-depth economic data tailored to the region, information that helps delineate the critical drivers of your region’s economy; 3) Tools that uncover local assets and resources that can be tapped to advance your region’s economic strategies and actions.  We also encourage applicants to collaborate with their local Extension and Rural Development offices.  Please see the application for more detail. 
An informational webinar on the SET program requirements and benefits will be provided on Friday, February 17 between 10:00 and 11:00 am.  You can access the webinar by clicking on the following link: 
https://collaborate.wolfware.ncsu.edu/join/?join_session_id=gX2_qY-2-14
If you wish to join the webinar by phone, please contact Becky Bowen at blbowen@ncsu.edu to receive call-in and app information.
We will also record the webinar and will send a link to the recording for those who request it.
In addition, we are hosting three face to face sessions, one in the Northeast, one in the Southeast, and one in the West to introduce and answer questions about the SET VII initiative across the state. 
Northeast Region  Southeast Region   Western Region
Thursday, March 2  Wednesday, March 1   Friday, February 24
11:00 am – Noon  10:00 – 11:00 am   11:00 am - Noon
Bertie County Courthouse Robeson Community College  Swain Extension Center
106 Dundee Street  Campbell Soup Room   Southwestern Community
Suite 120   Workforce and Development Bldg  College – Room 114
Windsor, NC   (Building 18)     60 Almond School Road
    Lumberton, NC   Bryson City, NC

Members of our NC SET State Resource Team include:
Dr. Susan Jakes, NC State University
Dr. Michelle Eley, NC A&T State University
Dr. Mitch Renkow, NC State University
Chilton Rogers, NC Rural Center
Mikki Sager, The Conservation Fund
Darren Rhodes, NC Department of Commerce
Scott Dadson, Isothermal Planning and Development Commission

Your primary NC SET coaching staff are:
• Brian Queen, 919-873-2072, Community Development Coordinator, USDA-NC-Rural Development, brian.queen@nc.usda.gov
• Becky Bowen, 919-628-4317, Program Manager, CultivateNC, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, blbowen@ncsu.edu
Contact either Brian or Becky if you have questions about the SET process.
USDA Rural Development has 6 Area Offices and 14 sub-area/local offices across the state serving North Carolinians living in rural areas and communities.  Area Office locations are in Asheville, Shelby, Lumberton, Asheboro, Henderson and Kinston.  Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting the USDA Rural Development web site at www.rd.usda.gov/nc.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) is based at North Carolina’s two land grant institutions, NC State University and NC A&T State University, in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  NCCES gives our residents easy access to the resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University.  Through educational programs, publications, and events, Cooperative Extension field faculty deliver unbiased, research-based information to North Carolina citizens.  See http://ces.ncsu.edu/ for more information.