Planning & Development
SPC is designated by the U.S. Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) as the Local Development District and by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) as the Economic Development District for Southwestern Pennsylvania. SPC members play a lead role in identifying priority needs of local communities to foster economic development, to target and meet the most pressing needs, and to build community cohesion and leadership.
Resources
ARC Area Development Grant Program
The Area Development Program focuses on education and workforce training programs, highway construction, water and sewer system construction, leadership development programs, small business start-ups and expansions, and development of healthcare resources.
Area development projects must be completed in close consultation with SPC. The grants are very competitive and require both a pre-application and extensive full application preparation and review. Pre-applications are due each year in June, and full applications by the following January.
Resources
Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) Partners
Our PREP program is designed to integrate the delivery system historically served by the following core service providers: Industrial Resource Centers (IRCs), Industrial Development Organizations (IDOs), Local Development Districts (LDDs), and Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs).
The Partnership has served over 2,000 clients in nearly 6,000 separate counseling sessions. This resulted in over $100 million dollars in increased sales and over 4,500 jobs created or retained.
Local Food Value Chain Initiative
Our Local Food Supply Chain Initiative in Southwestern Pennsylvania report details the resiliency, size and scope of the regional food system. It also identifies potential goals and actions to generate jobs and investments.
Resources
Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)
LTAP’s mission is to share transportation knowledge, improve road maintenance and safety skills, and put research and new technology into practice at the local level. This is accomplished through free training and technical assistance.
Trainings are offered either as half-day or full-day courses. Workshop topics include: Winter Maintenance, Roadside Vegetation, etc. Customized workshops can be provided at the request of a municipality or a group of municipalities.