Southeastern IN — SEI READI announced today Southeast Indiana’s collaboration to compete for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s READI (Regional Economic Acceleration & Development Initiative) funding opportunity. This initiative includes the counties, cities, towns, private businesses, institutions, and philanthropic organizations of Dearborn, Franklin, Ripley (minus the City of Batesville), Ohio, Switzerland, and Union counties, who aim to achieve part of the $500 million allocation from the State of Indiana.
Creating a shared vision for the future, members of SEI READI and the Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and will use guidance from Thomas P. Miller & Associates, an economic development consulting firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, to help increase their chances of securing READI funding for economic growth and talent attraction.
“Regional collaboration, paired with support from TPMA, increases our probability of success. This funding could fuel our quality of life and place, innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, and talent development and attraction,” says Gary Norman, President of the Southeast Indiana Growth Alliance and Executive Director of Ripley County Economic
Development Corporation.
Indiana lawmakers, under the direction of Governor Eric Holcomb, have allocated $500 million in funding for the IEDC READI program. Referring to it as a “bold, transformational initiative,” the IEDC will award millions in catalytic funding to support the implementation of strategies focused on making positive developments in the quality of place and quality of life,
innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent attraction, and development.
“We are partnering to provide Southeast Indiana (SEI) with the support needed to leverage the READI funding opportunity for Southeast Indiana. TPMA will analyze data, conduct focus groups, facilitate community workshops, and work together to develop a vision and plan for elevated growth in Southeast Indiana,” says Lindsay Bloos, Senior Project Consultant at TPMA.
Community workshops have been scheduled for the following dates and times:
• August 5, 2021, from 9 am-12 pm at Brookville Library
• August 5, 2021, from 1:30 pm-4:30 pm at Lawrenceburg Ivy Tech
• August 6, 2021, from 9 am-12 pm at Osgood Town Hall
• August 6, 2021, from 1:30 pm-4:30 pm at Switzerland County Technology and Education Center
For the latest developments, please visit www.southeastindiana.org. The site contains more information about SEI READI, registration for community workshops, and will have a place for the public to submit their ideas, show support, and a form for Southeast Indiana organizations to submit their projects.
(Thomas P. Miller & Associates press release)
