BDCC seeks submissions for economic development projects
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC), and Windham Regional Commission (WRC) have opened the annual project submission process for Southern Vermont’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and Regional Priority Project (RPP) programs.
Organizations throughout Bennington County and the Windham Region, which includes all Windham County towns plus the town of Weston, are invited to submit projects that are in alignment with regional economic and community development goals.
An informational webinar will be held on Wednesday, July 22, starting at 12 pm, to explain both programs (CEDS and RPP), review submission requirements, and answer questions from prospective and returning applicants. To learn more, register for the webinar or submit a project go to www.sovermontzone.com and click on the CEDS link.
Project submissions will be accepted through Friday, September 18.
The submission process serves two related but distinct purposes. The CEDS is Southern Vermont’s federally recognized economic development strategy and serves as the region’s implementation framework for economic development. The annual update tracks projects across Bennington and Windham counties, measures progress toward regional goals, and helps align local initiatives with state and federal funding opportunities. Over the past fifteen years, the Southern Vermont CEDS process has helped communities advance housing, infrastructure, business development, workforce, healthcare, and community investment projects across the region.
Projects at all stages of development are encouraged to participate. Whether a project is in the concept phase, actively seeking funding, under construction or recently completed, inclusion in the CEDS update helps create a more complete picture of economic development activity across Southern Vermont.
Projects that are implementation-ready and seeking additional visibility may also be considered for the RPP process by completing supplemental questions within the same submission form.
RPPs are part of a statewide initiative coordinated through Vermont’s Regional Development Corporations in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Northern Border Regional Commission. The RPP process highlights the top economic and community development projects in the region that are best positioned to attract state and federal funding.
In Southern Vermont, all RPPs are first submitted through the CEDS process, allowing applicants to complete a single form for both opportunities. Organizations that submitted projects in previous years do not need to start from scratch. Previously submitted information can be updated and reused as part of the 2026 submission cycle. Technical assistance, office hours, and proposer support will be available throughout the submission period.
The annual CEDS update and announcement of RPPs will be Tuesday, December 15.
