Partnership For Economic Growth Seeks Proposals For Funding Considerations, Technical Assistance

In preparation for the development of its 2022 Work Plan, the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) invites businesses, municipalities, non-profit economic development organizations, and community groups to submit Letters of Interest (LOI) for funding consideration and/or technical assistance for 2022 projects that seek to support economic revitalization and long-term strategic investment throughout Chautauqua County. Projects that directly align with the Partnership’s Economic Development Strategic Plan will be looked at favorably through the review process.

Purpose

CCPEG supports projects that are in alignment with a recently completed county-wide Economic Development Strategic Plan. The Strategy identifies five work groups that are designed to capitalize on the economic opportunities in Chautauqua County: 1) Business Development; 2) Workforce Readiness & Development; 3) Community Development; 4) Housing Development; and 5) Tourism/Destination Development. CCPEG offers a collaborative infrastructure and resources to advance catalytic economic development projects that align with the Strategic Plan and the work group priorities, and can provide staff and consultant support, as well as financial support for select projects each year.

Request for Letters of Interest

Interested applicants should submit a 1-2 page Letter of Interest via email to aldrichn@chqgov.com. LOIs must be submitted by October 15, 2021 at 4pm. LOIs should include the following:

• Project description;
• Rationale and expected economic impact;
• Total project cost and anticipated timeline;
• Type of support being sought (technical assistance, grant-writing support, and/or financial assistance); and
• Contact information.

Before submitting, it is recommended that interested applicants review the goals and strategies of the Chautauqua County Economic Development Strategic Plan which can be found at: https://bit.ly/chqstrategicplan.

CCPEG Support

Once a proposal is received, it will be reviewed and scored based on the following criteria:

• Readiness and feasibility;
• Alignment with local and regional strategies;
• Transformational potential;
• Economic and fiscal impact;
• Potential for leveraging non-local funding;
• Capacity within the project sponsor’s organization; and
• Level of collaboration among local stakeholder organizations, including public agencies and community-based organizations.

After the LOI review, the CCPEG will have the opportunity to offer varying degrees of support for select projects identified to have transformational county-wide impacts. Support could include project development technical assistance, grant-writing support, and/or financial assistance.  In 2022, a minimum of $250,000 will be made available on a competitive basis for projects leveraging state, federal, philanthropic, and local sources.

For questions or assistance, please contact Nate Aldrich at (716) 363-3672 or aldrichn@chqgov.com.

About CCPEG – The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. For more information, please visit chqpartnership.org.