April 18, 2024 • For Immediate Release

South Central Indiana Talent Region Announces Call For Projects for READI 2.0 and LEI Program Funds

One week ago today, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation announced a $30 million award for the South Central Indiana Talent Region.

This award, one of the best per capita in the state, is intended to serve as the maximum amount available for funding for the next round of READI 2.0 projects that are identified from the areas of Bartholomew, Jackson and Jennings counties and the Town of Edinburgh.

The SCITR Team will submit a collective application later this year that includes a plan on how to invest the $30 million award to help the region grow several elements, including population, employment opportunities, per capita income and community assets.

The LEI Program, an initiative funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and focused on arts and culture and blight reduction, will also offer a round of funding simultaneously to READI 2.0. That program will evaluate funding requests from across the state on a case-by- case basis.

However, each region is limited in the total and type of projects they can submit for consideration by LEI. Any local awards from the Lilly program will be in addition to the $30 million award maximum for the three-county region.

Considering the current award from the IEDC and because the LEI funding program detail has just been released, the SCITR team has created an online project collector to gather project ideas from the public to be evaluated for consideration in both the final READI 2.0 submission and for the LEI submission.

Anyone who wishes to submit a project for consideration can do so between now and 5 p.m. May 2 using the online collector. The link to the online project collector and additional detail can be found on the SCITR READI website at www.southcentralreadi.com.

About the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI)

The Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) is an ambitious program designed to foster collaboration amongst local communities and promote data-driven, long-term. READI was launched by Governor Holcomb and led by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). With a massive $500 million fund, READI aims to foster regional collaboration and data-driven, long-term planning to bring the best and brightest to Indiana. More info at: www.iedc.in.gov/program/indiana- readi.

About South Central Indiana Talent Region (SCITR)

The region including Bartholomew County, Jackson County, Jennings County, and the Town of Edinburgh have worked together across political boundaries for more than 20 years to improve educational and employment opportunities for the region’s residents. By working collaboratively, partners of the South Central Indiana Talent Region recognize that opening doors for one another provides a host of mutual benefits: national recognition, major employer retention, and increased community success. More info at: www.southcentralreadi.com .

About Southern Indiana Housing and Community Development Corporation (SIHCDC)

The Southern Indiana Housing and Community Development Corporation (SIHCDC) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization that functions as a regional Community Development Corporation for rural communities, with a mission to assist communities in housing, economic and redevelopment efforts in the Indiana Counties of Bartholomew, Decatur, Dearborn, Henry, Jackson, Jennings, Lawrence, Morgan, Ripley, Rush, and Scott. To assist with that mission, the agency has agreed to serve as the lead applicant for the South Central Indiana Talent Region READI proposal. More info at: www.sihcdc.org.