Editorial: Regional Projects Show Benefits of State Grant Money

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"It makes a difference for communities statewide."

That's what Andy East, executive director of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., has to say about the state's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI.

The program, which the Lilly Endowment is throwing in $250 million for, aims to help communities create jobs and improve quality of life, the Indianapolis Star reports.

The state is investing $500 million in the second round of READI grants, which will be awarded next month; the Lilly Endowment is throwing in $250 million for the third round of grants, which will be announced next month.

The money will be awarded to 17 regions in the state, and East says they're vying for projects that will help create jobs, add housing, and improve the quality of life in their communities.

"They are defining and advocating a regional approach for projects that they believe will help create jobs, add housing, and improve quality of life in their communities," the Republic quotes East as saying.

The proposals will be evaluated on a variety of factors, including economic development potential, the level of focus on rural communities, the degree of regional collaboration, and alignment with the state's economic development priorities, such as population growth, per-capita income growth, growth in employment

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