The July 29 deadline to submit a consolidated Funding Application (CFA) for the sixth round of the Regional Economic Development Council is fast approaching. In this round, Governor Andrew Cuomo will award $750 million to fund regional priority projects across the state’s 10 regions.
If you or your firm is considering an expansion project, I encourage you to contact a representative of the council to learn more about the application process and see if your firm qualifies to apply. The application manual is available here: https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/index.cfm
In particular, the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNY REDC) is looking to support projects that:
- Help strengthen and grow jobs in the region’s core industries sectors
- Assist firms in growing exports and accessing new international markets
- Align workers with in-demand jobs and skills
- Invest in critical urban and rural neighborhoods
- Promote entrepreneurship and innovation in existing firms
Over the past five rounds, the CNY REDC was awarded more than $466.9 million from New York State to support more than 300 local projects designed to grow jobs and strengthen companies. That funding has been dedicated throughout the five-county Central New York region for projects that support urban revitalization, rural development, strategic industries, and international business growth. In the past five years, the majority of the priority projects recommended to the state received funding — a resounding validation that these are highly strategic investments that put people to work, stimulate further investments across the region, and advance our long-term economic goals.
You can be part of the ongoing growth in our region, when you consider accessing this funding to fuel your own business’ growth. If you have any questions about how to access this valuable opportunity, please contact Andrew Fish, CenterState CEO’s senior VP of economic development, at afish@centerstateceo.com.
Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on June 30.