The Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative has attracted participation from counties, cities and towns spanning 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties, including the South Bend/Elkhart area.

It’s the first step in the process for the program, which is designed to propel public-private investments, with the goal of improving the quality of life, innovation, entrepreneurship, and bring more talent to the region.

The local effort, which also includes Marshall County, will be led by the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority, which will map out their proposal which can include physical projects, such as infrastructure, workforce housing developments, the revitalization of blighted or vacant properties, and cultural amenities.

Regions have until August 31 to submit the plans, which will then be evaluated in the fall.

Full guidelines for regional development plans as well as evaluation timelines are available online.

Launched by Gov. Holcomb and led by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, READI builds on the framework and successes of the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative and the 21st Century Talent Initiative, encouraging regional collaboration and data-driven, long-term planning that, when implemented, will attract and retain talent in Indiana. The IEDC will work closely with state and local partners to align goals and funding mechanisms to ensure that projects and programs proposed by regions are in line with and coordinated with broader state initiatives.

More information, including answers to frequently asked questions and detailed guidelines on regional development plans, is available at IndianaREADI.com. A map of the identified regions can be found here.