NEWS FROM NIRPC – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 10, 2020
Contact: Gabrielle Biciunas; 219-254-2507; gbiciunas@nirpc.org
NIRPC Awarded Grants for Economic Development Recovery Assistance
Portage, Indiana – The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) received two grants from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). NIRPC received funds from the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant totaling $583,000 to capitalize and administer a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to make loans available to small businesses in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties that have been impacted by the coronavirus. This financing will assist businesses in recovering and responding to the impacts of the pandemic. Efforts will include the hiring of additional staff to provide capacity-building and technical assistance.
NIRPC also received an additional $400,000 from the CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic to address short and long-term economic development impacts through the development of an economic resiliency plan and aid in the economic recovery for future pandemics and disasters. Efforts will also include hiring staff to provide capacity-building and technical assistance to local communities for recovery and resiliency and assisting Northwest Indiana to continue to be a talent-attractor in the Chicago regional economy.
“No one could have predicted the pandemic, but NIRPC’s designation as an Economic Development District came just in time,” said Ty Warner, NIRPC’s Executive Director. “As small businesses and the regional economy in general have taken a hit from the coronavirus, these resources will aid in our regional recovery. We’re thankful for our partnership with the EDA in a time like this.”
NIRPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization and regional council of local governments for Northwest Indiana. NIRPC’s purpose, as put forth in Indiana state statute, is to “provide a coordinative management process for Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties and to institute and maintain a comprehensive planning and programming process for transportation, economic development, and environmental policy.
Last modified: August 11, 2020
