25 Match Grants Awarded for Public Economic Development Projects

The generosity of EDCUtah's partners and investors has helped fund another cycle of matching grants for public economic development initiatives across the state. Thanks to $7,500 grants from both Mountain America Credit Union and Questar Gas and the $40,000 raised through EDCUtah's Golf for Grants Tournament this past summer, some 25 Utah organizations were selected Monday to receive matching grants totaling approximately $72,000.

Grant recipients were selected by EDCUtah's grant committee, under the direction of Committee Chair Steve Barrett, of Commerce CRG. Sherrie Martell, EDCUtah public development manager, says the committee received 30 grant applications in total. Of the grants awarded:

• Four were professional development grants, totaling $3,200
• Four were sponsorship grants, totaling $7,457
• 17 were marketing grants, totaling $61,008

To highlight some of the major grant awards made by the committee, Martell says the City of Logan received an $5,000 marketing grant to be used on an economic feasibility analysis involving planning land uses in the area surrounding the Logan airport (approx. 5,000 acres), which is compatible with the long term vitality of the airport and enhancing economic development in the greater Cache Valley.

The Southeast Utah Community Development Corporation received a $5,000 marketing grant that will be used to help fund its Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) project, which includes initiating contacts with local businesses to review needs, activities; input the information into a database, and make appropriate referrals to BEAR partners to meet the needs of local businesses and provide outreach services.

The South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce received a $5,000 marketing grant that will be used to create two promotional marketing pieces for the Utah Design District at South Salt Lake. The first marketing piece is a new brochure that will direct customers and citizens to the Utah Design District and help drive customers to a central Web site. Brochure distribution will occur in October and May. The second brochure is a mailer to be sent to design/build/furnish businesses in South Salt Lake City encouraging them to join the Utah Design District and become a self-sufficient group.

Spanish Fork City received a $5,000 marketing grant to create promotional materials for the city's branding campaign. Materials generated through the grant funds will be used in direct mailings, trade publication advertisements and play a role in everything the city will do relative to its economic development efforts.

The Wasatch Area Economic Development Agency also received a $5,000 marketing grant, which will be used to create a master plan for a new business park in Midway. The agency is planning the business park as a future SURE Site.

Since 1990 EDCUtah has awarded approximately $773,000 in match grant money to support local economic development efforts by communities, counties, and non-profit organizations around the state. The match grant program is a statewide initiative that allocates funding in support of specific economic development efforts for the public sector and other non-profit organizations.

The program offers match grants in three areas:

• Marketing Match Grants help Utah's communities market themselves as attractive sites for business and economic development. Projects include direct marketing materials, as well as planning process/research projects that are directly applicable to recruitment strategies and web site development and redesign. Funds may also be used for preparation of potential SURE Sites properties, i.e. completion of environmental and geo-technical studies, infrastructure assessments and other preparatory analysis. Maximum reimbursement is $5,000.
• Sponsorship Match Grants assist communities and regions of the state with economic development events. Projects include economic development events and selection is based on the quality of the event, how well the event addresses an economic need in the community and audience. Special consideration is given to projects that provide exposure for economic development and incorporation interface among economic development partners. Maximum reimbursement is $2,000.
• Professional Development Match Grants enhance the professionalism and expertise of economic developers in Utah. Eligible courses are sponsored by the International Economic Development Council. Other courses may be considered, which demonstrate a resource for the tools necessary to the economic development profession. Maximum reimbursement is $800.

Match grants are awarded annually in September and recipients have until Sept. 30 of the following year to complete their economic development projects. The match grant committee approves all eligible projects within the limits of the grant budget.