Marion County is now accepting applications for Economic Development Business Development Grants. The county has designated $161,750 for Business Development Grants for the 2015-2016 grant cycle. Applications are due by noon on November 30, 2015. Grant projects should focus on business expansion and creation of new jobs in the agriculture, traded sector, and tourism industries. The maximum available amount is $50,000 per project.
Last year's grant awards totaled $195,000, with five businesses receiving funding for business expansion including Forest River Manufacturing, Henningsen Cold Storage, Murayne Inc., Oregon Pallet Repair, and Tree Frog Nursery.
In 2003 the Marion County Board of Commissioners established the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) to advise the county on issues pertaining to economic development, including development of its video lottery grant program. EDAB supports economic development activities that involve a concerted effort of entrepreneurs, community leaders, and policymakers working together to support investments that will grow the economy, improve the standard of living, and increase the tax base.
Funding for Economic Development Lottery Grants is made available through state video lottery proceeds. Annually, the Board of Commissioners designates video lottery funding to promote economic development in Marion County. The board directly designates a portion of lottery funding to support infrastructure, organizations that focus on economic development, and other economic development priorities.
Oregon law requires that 2.5% of video lottery net proceeds be transferred to Oregon counties for local economic development purposes. During the 5‐year period including fiscal years 2010 through 2015, Marion County has awarded more than $1.4 million in economic development grants.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Sarah Cavazos, Management Analyst, to discuss their project prior to submitting an application at scavazos@co.marion.or.us or (503) 589-3234. The grant application form and other materials are available on the Marion County website at www.co.marion.or.us/CS/.
