Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation

THIS EDA CARES ACT PROJECT WILL ASSIST THE INDIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION'S PILOT INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP A STATEWIDE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL (REDM). BY CONSIDERING FOUR INDIANA REGIONS, WHICH INCLUDE 32 COUNTIES AND SEVERAL REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE RELEVANT ANALYSIS FOR MANY OF INDIANA'S RURAL AREAS. THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WILL OFFER RURAL LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO RURAL ASSETS AND INDUSTRY CLUSTERS AS WELL AS THE IMPACT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS RESOURCES AND ENERGY-RELATED CAPACITY. AS PART OF THE STRATEGY PROCESS, THE FOUNDATION WILL ALSO ANALYZE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, POLICIES THAT IMPACT CRITICAL SECTORS, AND THE BEST WAYS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN RURAL BUSINESSES. THE EDA-FUNDED STUDY WILL BUILD ON EXISTING REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND HELP STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS UNDERSTAND HOW BEST TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF INDIANA'S RURAL REGIONS AND MAKE INDIANA'S REGIONS MORE ECONOMICALLY-RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF FUTURE DISASTERS LIKE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.