Deadline for Michigan’s regional prosperity grants is November 1

Michigan’s regions can begin submitting applications for Regional Prosperity Initiative grants October 1, with the final deadline November 1.Michigan is divided into many overlapping regions. There are 14 regional planning agencies. Other regions organize agriculture department inspections, environmental permits and federal grants. Still others have a single purpose, like overseeing a watershed or promoting tourism.The governor’s office would like those regions to consolidate and share services. The prosperity initiative offers incentives to groups of counties that band together to create economic development plans. Grants require involvement from business, nonprofits, workforce boards and educational institutions.This article in Crain’s Detroit Business provides a good overview of the program.This initiative is separate from the Economic Vitality Initiative Program, which offers incentives to individual communities that consolidate services and report their results via a publicly-shared dashboard.