Regional Development Initiative Program (RDI)

The funding for this program is from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Assistance listing 21.027. This program is designed to provide resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative economic impacts. Program Phases The Regional Development Initiative (RDI) Program will consist of two phases: Navigator Phase One grant not to exceed one million eight hundred thousand dollars will be awarded for economic impact assistance to a nonprofit organization for the employment of Regional Navigators in each of Nebraska’s six community college regions. Grant funding will support the employment of regional navigators and planning of regional projects in each of the six community college regions through September 30, 2026. Initiatives Phase Economic Impact Assistance grants will be awarded to applicants in each of the six community college regions within the state of Nebraska to fund regional workforce initiatives that respond to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility Information Who can apply ? To qualify for the Navigator Phase funding, an applicant must have a presence in each of the six community college regions and the ability to hire a full-time equivalent employee (regional navigator) in each region. Qualified applicants will need to demonstrate they have ability to employ regional navigators as of July 2024. To qualify for the Initiatives Phase funding, an applicant must develop a regional workforce project initiative in their community college region that responds to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 and focuses on improving the lives of citizens in the applicant’s community college region. Eligible regional project initiatives must include a timeline that ensures grant funding is expended by September 30, 2026. Please see map of community college regions below. Important Definitions Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Employees means the number of employees computed by dividing the total hours paid in a year to employees by the product of forty times the number of weeks in a year. See,  Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-6907. Qualified Census Tracts ( QCTs) are any census tract designated by HUD that either: Has at least 50 percent of the households with an annual income less than 60 percent of the area median gross income; or Has a poverty rate of at least 25 percent. Please refer to the map of the Nebraska QCTs at https://www.huduser.gov/PORTAL/sadda/sadda_qct.html Application Information Phase 1: Regional Navigator Grant Application Period Application Period: Open Date - 6/3/2024, 8:00 AM Central Time Close Date - 6/9/2024 11:55 PM Central Time Phase 2: Regional Development Initiatives Grant Application Period: Open Date - 9/16/2024 9:00 AM (CT) Close Date - 11/8/2024 5:00 PM (CT) Program Resources Title File Type Date Navigator Information Worksheet Excel July 5, 2024 Program Income Guidance PDF May 8, 2025 RDI – Navigator Phase Program Manual PDF May 31, 2024 RDI Initiative Phase Program Manual PDF October 22, 2024 Grant Management Resources This page will provide technical assistance on using AmpliFund to apply for and manage grants awarded by DED. Learn More To stay up to date on the latest news, subscribe to the Regional Development Initiative email list here. Subscribe Have questions? Leo Morales Program Manager 402-432-7339 | [email protected]