Times are tough and money is tight. So what can a city do when they have a business that wants to expand and they don’t have the infrastructure to support it?
- First, determine the scope of the expansion and what’s involved.
- Second, find out how much it’s going to cost.
- Third, call the UMVRDC to see if there are any funding sources that can help.
This is what the City of Dawson did, and as a result the UMVRDC has been able to help secure $500,000 for infrastructure improvements to their industrial park that will support expanding businesses. The funds are through Minnesota’s Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) Business Development Infrastructure Program.
When applying for grants, funding is never a guarantee, but working with professional grant writers at the UMVRDC can increase your chances of developing a stronger application and getting funded. Because working with state and federal agencies can be complex, the UMVRDC can help navigate not only the application process, but also the reporting requirements of a state or federal grant.
Does your community have expanding businesses and need infrastructure improvements? Contact one of the UMVRDC community development planners to find out how we can help your community.