2016 Western Upper Peninsula Regional Prosperity Initiative Funded

Feburary 5, 2016–The third year of the Western U.P. Regional Prosperity Initiative has been funded and is now underway.

The Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) was begun by the State of Michigan in 2014 as a means to encourage regional collaboration of organizations in a time of dwindling resources, overlapping goals, and competing priorities.

Competitive funding has been made available since 2014 for regional and metropolitan planning organizations that have chosen to apply. The Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), the planning and economic development organization serving the six western counties of the U.P., has been awarded $185,000 for 2016.

Over the last two years, WUPPDR has facilitated regular meetings of the Regional Prosperity Collaborative, the leadership group for RPI, to plan for and implement priority projects to benefit the regional economy and to promote efficiencies. A five-year plan was developed in 2014, and six priority projects were funded for 2015 implementation. In 2016, some of those projects will continue and five new projects will begin.

Projects continuing in 2016 are:

• Economic Development Service Delivery – Provide a single point of contact for businesses and individuals to be connected with business assistance services offered by multiple organizations.
• Broadband Connectivity – Conduct research and planning to gain information and address deficiencies in access to broadband internet service throughout the region, and to begin implementation of action plans.

Projects new for 2016 are:

• Energy Inventory, Opportunities Assessment, and Demonstration Projects – Develop an inventory of electrical and natural gas infrastructure, resources, and socioeconomic indicators; identify needs and opportunities; and identify and explore potential small-scale renewable energy projects, including solar.
• Career and Technical Education Marketing and Needs Assessment – Market, publicize, and explore potential to expand existing programs; assess future CTE needs and opportunities; and engage regional stakeholders.
• Nonprofit Organizations Asset Inventory and Needs Assessment – Develop organizational inventory; identify needs and opportunities to coordinate and streamline services; and conduct outreach to and engagement of stakeholders.
• Placemaking Support and Mini Grants – Identify and select projects throughout the region to promote “placemaking,” or establishment of vibrant and revitalized places in which to live, work, and play; and award locally supported mini grants.
• P.-Wide Pure Michigan Regional Marketing Campaign – Partner with the Central and Eastern U.P. planning regions, local partners, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to facilitate a Pure Michigan Midwestern marketing campaign.

For transparency information and updates about Western U.P. RPI, visit www.wuppdr.org/rpi.

For general information about the state initiative, visit www.michigan.gov/dtmb.

For specific information from WUPPDR, contact Jerry Wuorenmaa, Executive Director, at (906) 482-7205, ext. 319 or jwuorenmaa@wuppdr.org.