The Northeast Indiana Strategic Development Commission (NEISDC) was created by the Indiana Legislature in 2021 to provide strategic framework for how Northeast Indiana will raise wages, grow the population, and increase the number of residents with college degrees or credentials.
To submit a project for funding consideration, please click the button below. Please note that completion of the form provided is a required first step, but does not guarantee funding.
Eligible project concepts will be reviewed by a committee of the Strategic Development Commission. Committees may choose to make funding recommendations to the full Commission at the Commission’s regular monthly meeting held on the fourth Friday of each month at 3pm at 200 East Main Street, Suite 910 (unless other notice is provided). Successful proposals will be presented to the Indiana State Budget Committee for final funding determinations. Funding recommendations will be made on a rolling basis beginning in the Spring of 2024.
The Northeast Indiana Five-Year Plan provides targeted recommendations designed to maximize the Commission’s impact on the Northeast Indiana economy. There are three overarching goals of Talent Attraction and Retention, Talent Development and Housing that are facilitated by the NEISDC’s foundational role of Planning, Advocacy, Funding and Oversight. Together, these goals represent the most pressing strategic priorities for the region to pursue over the next five years, supported by the fiscal resources distributed by the state legislature.
The Commission is mandated by the Legislature to prepare a five-year strategic plan (with the initial plan spanning 2023–2028) that aligns regional and state resources to accomplish these objectives. It serves as the conduit for $30 million in state funding to be deployed in the reigon. In addition to the funding allocated by the Indiana legislature, public money serves as an opportunity to acquire matching dollars from private industry.
The Commission acts as an advocate for the funding and policies that support the recommendations in the five-year strategic plan. Existing regional organizations—from the Partnership and the RDA to the Chamber and the LEDO Council—act as the primary entities responsible for leading and facilitating the implementation of their respective portions of the strategic plan.