Regional Investment Marketing

The RIM grant program is designed to support the marketing initiatives of regional alliances that adopt DCED’s industry-focused economic development model as part of a comprehensive business expansion and investment attraction initiative.

The RIM grant program is intended to:

  • Reinforce an understanding that competitiveness within specific industry sub-segments is the key to the successful attraction of business and investment to Pennsylvania.
  • Promote targeted marketing by regional alliances while reinforcing the image and reputation of the Commonwealth as a destination of choice for investment.
  • Support marketing initiatives which utilize an investor-oriented approach to investment attraction. These marketing initiatives must be based upon regional markets rather than traditional political or geographic boundaries.  

Guidelines

Uses

Refer to the Regional Investment Marketing guidelines.

Funding

Funding requests may not exceed $5,000 (a minimum of 1:1 matching funding is required).

Eligibility

To qualify an applicant must be a Pennsylvania-based non-profit organization that represents a regional alliance of economic development, business, industry, labor, academic and/or community entities whose service areas and impact is spread across a minimum of three counties for purposes of the grant proposal. DCED encourages applications from regional alliances which can demonstrate sound financial management capacities and organizational experience in economic development marketing.

Terms

Refer to the Regional Investment Marketing guidelines.

Where to Apply

Grant applications must be submitted to DCED utilizing the Single Application for Assistance.

FAQs

The mission of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is to promote economic growth throughout the Commonwealth. In today’s global economy, economic growth is marked by intense competition at the state, national and international level. DCED seeks to foster and increase the competitiveness of Pennsylvania business, industry and labor through targeted growth initiatives designed to produce high impact results and distinguish Pennsylvania from its regional, national and international competitors.

The Regional Investment Marketing (“RIM”) Grant Program (the “Program”) is part of the World Trade Program and intended to:

  •  reinforce the linkages between state and regional efforts to promote business expansion and to attract new investment to Pennsylvania; and
  •  focus regional economic development efforts on industries and industry sub-sectors where the likelihood of success is greatest.

More specifically, the Program is designed to foster a shared vision of the importance of marketing the Commonwealth as a destination of choice for investment and promoting the attributes and assets of individual regions within that context. In addition, the Program is designed to advance an investor-oriented and data-driven approach to marketing to attract investment, including the use of regional marketing areas as an organizing principle in structuring marketing initiatives.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available under the Program to support and encourage Pennsylvania’s economic development partners to adopt a proactive regional approach to investment attraction consistent with these goals and objectives. 

Copies of program Guidelines can be obtained by contacting the DCED Customer Service Center at 800-379-7448 or 717-787-3405 or email: ra-dced@state.pa.us. Applicants must file through the Single Application, and applications must be submitted electronically and will be accepted for review until March 31, 2012 or the date on which Program funds for the fiscal year have been allocated, whichever occurs first. Program inquiries should be directed to:

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Office of International Business Development
Attn: Kate Skopp
Commonwealth Keystone Building
400 North Street, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225
Email: kskopp@pa.gov

DCED will review and fund applications throughout FY 2011-2012 on a rolling basis, starting immediately. Reviews will be scheduled upon receipt of applications and awards will be made until March 31, 2012 or until all Program funds are committed, whichever occurs first.

Applicants are encouraged to contact DCED and submit draft applications for preliminary review for feedback in advance of formal submission via the Electronic Single Application system.