Southeast Crescent Regional Commission - Economic and Infrastructure Development Grants

Authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (“The Farm Bill”), SCRC’s focus is on addressing issues related to economic development and poverty in its 428 counties across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission funds enable member states and local municipalities to invest in the economic development of the region. In considering programs and projects to receive assistance, SCRC follows procedures insuring consideration of the following factors: (1) relationship of the activity, project or class of projects to overall regional development; (2) per capita income, poverty, unemployment, and outmigration rates in an area; (3) other financial resources available to carry out the project(s) or activities, with emphasis on ensuring that projects are adequately financed to maximize the probability of successful economic development; (4) importance of the activity, project or class of projects in relation to the other projects or classes of projects; (5) projections that the project for which assistance is sought will improve, on a continuing rather than a temporary basis, the opportunities for employment, the average level of income, or the economic development of the area to be served by the project; and (6) extent to which the project design provides for detailed outcome measurements by which expenditures and the results of the expenditures may be evaluated. No financial assistance can be used to assist an entity in relocating from one area to another. SCRC will allocate at least 50 percent of funds in “distressed counties and isolated areas of distress in the region… that have high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration” to ensure the economic development and sustainable growth of communities across its regional footprint. Persistent-poverty counties typically have high rates of unemployment, low access to banking, healthcare, and broadband; and lack quality, affordable housing and safe drinking water. All proposed projects or activities must align with the SCRC Five-Year Strategic Plan and the State Economic and Infrastructure Development Plan and Strategy Statement where the project is located.