gmedc

Calls for Regional Priority Projects

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:52:17 GMT

Do you have an economic or community development project in the works?

GMEDC Calls for 2026 Regional Projects:

Deadline April 27th, 2026

Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC) and Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) create an annual list of projects in our service area. Businesses, municipalities, or nonprofits who have a project planned or underway, and you intend to seek grant funding in 2026 – please apply to be a part of this list. We currently are conducting the Mid-Year Update of the 2026 list.

THIS IS NOT A GRANT

We and others use this list to match up known projects with funding opportunities over the coming year.

Eligible projects must demonstrate the following:

Purpose & benefit to the region
Be prepared to get underway, if funded
Principals have demonstrated experience with similar projects
Supports identified community/regional economic/development goals
Project budget exists with identified sources/uses and a demonstrated funding gap
Job creation and/or retention

Completed Project Information Forms must be received by GMEDC by April 27th, 2025.

For more information or to submit your form, please email Mark Condon - mcondon@gmedc.com

White River Valley Housing Speaker Series Aims to Empower Local Vermonters

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:47:50 GMT

Developing Opportunity:

How Ordinary Vermonters
Can Create Housing

October 2025

White River Junction, VT — Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC), in partnership with HELM Construction Solutions and the White River Valley Consortium , is excited to announce a new 3-part Housing Solutions Speaker Series this November, designed to empower Vermont residents to take charge of their housing futures.

According to a report published earlier this year by Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development, we will need approximately 41,000 new units across the state by 2030. At the current pace, we are on track to reach just 27% of that target. Vermonters of all backgrounds, not just established developers, will need to come together and get creative to meet our present and future housing needs.

This engaging speaker series will bring together community members from across the White River Valley and Vermont to share real stories of housing victories—and defeats—and explore practical strategies for navigating the complex world of housing creation. From securing funding, to building the right team and thinking outside the box, each session will offer actionable insights for everyday people looking to create homes in their community.

“This speaker series is about empowering the average Vermonter to get involved with housing in their community,” said James Coleman, Program Manager at GMEDC. “We hope attendees will walk away feeling inspired and equipped to take the next step in their housing journey.”

Each gathering is free and open to the public. Refreshments provided.

Registration strongly encouraged .

Speaker Series Details:

Part 1: Creative Funding Strategies: How do we pay for it? – Join us along with guest speakers Sarah Phillips (Vermont Community Loan Fund) and Scott Graves (Partners in Housing), to learn how Vermonters have accessed grants, loans, and creative financing strategies to bring their housing visions to life.

WHEN: Thursday, November 6th (5:30-7:30PM)

WHERE: Seven Stars Arts Center, Sharon, VT

RSVP HERE

Part 2: What to know: Building Your Team or Being Your Own Contractor – Join us, along with guest speakers Sam Newman (Alger Brook Design Build) and Kole (Northern Vermont Appraisals), to learn how to assemble the right mix of professionals for your project and strategies for successful do it yourself (DIY) projects.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 12th (5:30-7:30PM)

WHERE: White River Craft Center, Randolph, VT

RSVP HERE

Part 3: Make More Housing Without New Buildings – Join us, along with guest speakers Richard Amore (Upstream Downstream LLC) and Julie Weinberger (Wheelpad), to discover innovative approaches to housing, from ADUs and co-housing models, to adaptive reuse and beyond.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 19th (5:30-7:30PM)

WHERE: Bethel Town Hall, Bethel, VT

RSVP HERE

Event Planning and Consortium Partners:

About the White River Valley Consortium:

The White River Valley Consortium, a loosely affiliated network of organizations and residents working to support fourteen towns in the White River Valley in increasing the availability of housing that is affordable for early-career young adults and beginning entrepreneurs . The White River Consortium was initially formed and funded as part of the Vermont Working Communities Challenge , with support from The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Consortium Sponsors

 Media Contact:

Erika Hoffman-Kiess

Executive Director, GMEDC

erika@gmedc.com

(802) 295-3710

Groundbreaking of New Childcare Center in Randolph, VT

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 19:31:55 GMT

Elected Officials, Business Leaders Celebrate Groundbreaking of New Child Care Center in Orange County

Lead organizers who attended and spoke at Tuesday’s groundbreaking in Randolph stand under the newly unveiled sign at the Woodlands Campus. Pictured from left to right: James Paradissis, Fauna Hurley, Rep. Larry Satcowitz, Chris Saunders, Joyce Judy, Aly Richards, Erika Hoffman-Kiess, Erin Roche, Carolyn Wesley, Lindsey Trombley

(Randolph, VT) – On Tuesday, June 10, elected officials, community members, and local business leaders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Woodlands Campus child care center in Randolph. The new center, when complete, will offer 88 spaces for local children and will be run by the Orange County Parent Child Center, in tandem with their Meadowlands Campus in Tunbridge. The event was hosted by project organizers and funders, including the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation, Orange County Parent Child Center, Let’s Grow Kids, and First Children’s Finance – VT.

Through a combination of new public investment from Vermont’s landmark child care law Act 76, federal HUD funding earmarked by former U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, state grant funding, Northern Border Regional Commission Catalyst and Opportunity Fund programs, Randolph and Braintree municipal ARPA contributions, and community support, the Woodlands Campus is well on its way to opening its doors in 2026 to provide child care services for the Orange County community.

T uesday’s event featured a speaking program highlighting the many partners that have made this project possible, the unveiling of a Woodlands Campus sign, and a tour of the construction site. During the speaking program, project leaders spoke about the importance of partnership and emphasized how much the new program will help meet the critical need for child care in the Randolph area. “Today we celebrate vision. We celebrate perseverance. We celebrate the partnerships and creativity that have gotten us here,” said Erika Hoffman-Kiess, Executive Director of the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation. “Years in the making, the new Woodlands Campus manifests the best of Vermont – unexpected partnerships, practical application of creative thinking, and committed residents building the future for our state.”

Federal funding for the project included the final HUD grants earmarked by former Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy. “I was so proud to include funding in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations bill directed to Let's Grow Kids to help fund the Woodlands Campus Child Care Center. But I’m even prouder of the work you’ve all done to make child care more accessible in Orange County. The work you’re doing is essential to working families, their children, and the economy of Vermont,” Leahy said in a letter read at the event

.Local Randolph Selectboard member and State Representative Larry Satcowitz spoke on behalf of the Selectboard and his colleagues in the Legislature: “Access to affordable, quality child care prepares our youngest children for success in school and beyond, allows parents to enter the workforce, and gives our economy a boost. This program, in particular, will bring relief to families in the Randolph area who have been struggling for too long to access local child care. Programs like this support thriving communities by making it more affordable for Vermonters to stay in our state and raise their families here. The Orange County Parent Child Center has been doing incredible work in our community for many years, and I’m thrilled to see them expand to the Woodlands Campus.

”Lindsey Trombley, Executive Director of the Orange County Parent Child Center, shared a story from one parent whose children attend the OCPCC’s Tunbridge center, who currently drives 100 miles each day to bring her children to child care. Trombley read the parent’s story during her remarks: “The upcoming Randolph location will be a game-changer for our family. With significantly reduced travel time, I will finally be able to return to the workforce, reclaiming the two hours each day I currently spend commuting,” the parent said. Trombley shared that this story is representative of many in the Orange County community.

Aly Richards, CEO of the child care advocacy organization Let’s Grow Kids, explained that the Woodlands Campus is just one example of progress happening statewide as a result of Act 76: “What makes me so excited is that this project isn’t the only groundbreaking we’re seeing in Vermont right now. Thanks to the movement of over 40,000 Vermonters that we have built together, our state made history by passing Act 76 in 2023, creating the long-term public investment that is now transforming our state’s child care system. And this legislative session, bolstered by the support of thousands of dedicated Vermonters, our lawmakers took intentional steps to protect and build on the significant progress we’re already seeing on the ground from Act 76. With support from across the political spectrum, they increased child care affordability and accessibility, which will bring relief to families and greater workforce stability to businesses.

”In the two years since Act 76 was passed, the new public investment has helped create over 1,000 new child care spaces, open over 100 new child care programs around the state, and expand child care tuition assistance eligibility, bringing down costs for over 3,000 Vermont children and their families.

The Woodlands Campus is scheduled to open its doors in early 2026.

- Rebecca Wishnie

Rebecca@LetsGrowKids.org

Spring 2025 RPP List

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:45:31 GMT

Spring 2025 RPP List

June 18, 2025

The Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) List is released twice a year in the Spring and Fall. Developed by Vermont’s Regional Development Corporations (RDCs) and Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs), the RPP List identifies the highest priority projects for each region that will support job growth and economic development. The top 10 projects from each region are submitted to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, per their request.

GMEDC Top 10 Regional Priority Projects

Orange County Parent Child Center (Randolph) -- Childcare
Maple Mountain Family Medicine Residency Program (Randolph)
-- Workforce Development
Historic Telegraph Building (WRJ) -- Site/Facility Development for Specific Business
Topsham Community Hall Restoration (Topsham) -- Infrastructure: Public Facility
Norwich Community Collaborative -- Other: Community Center Development, Historic Preservation
The Fairlee Consortium (Fairlee) -- General Development: Commercial, Residential, Mixed
Randolph Cultivator (Randolph) -- Workforce Development & Business Development
Little Rivers Health Care (Wells River) -- Site/Facility Development for Specific Business
Norwich Farmers' Market Expansion -- General Development: Mixed; Site/Facility Development for a Specific Business
Center for Ag and Food Entrepreneurship (Randolph) -- Workforce Dev., Other: Ed. & Training in Agriculture, Food, and Forestry

Additional GMEDC Projects

11. Hedding-Church Forest Housing (Randolph) -- Other: Affordable, Net-Zero Ready Housing Project

12. Northern Stage Housing (WRJ) -- General Development: Residential

13. Rochester High School Repurposing -- Other: Adaptive Reuse for Community Development

14. Rochester North Main Reclamation Project a.k.a. BigTown Vermont -- Site/Facility Development for Specific Business

15. Bridgewater Community Center Renovation -- Site/Facility Development for Specific Business & Workforce Development

16. White River Land Collaborative (Tunbridge) -- Site/facility development for multiple businesses Other: Conservation, Tourism, Recreation

17. Branchwood (Randolph) -- General Development: Industrial, Commercial, Residential, Mixed

18. Strafford Historic Town Office Restoration -- Infrastructure: Public Facility

19. VT Business Law Center Service Expansion (Statewide) -- Workforce Development, Business Development

FY2026 Building Communities Grants - Applications Now Open

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:09:06 GMT

Funding Opportunities through Department of Buildings and General Services and GMEDC

The Regional Economic Development Grant, administered by the Department of Building and Services as a part of the Building Communities Grant Program, offers up to $25,000 in funding. Grant supported by GMEDC on behalf of your company.

Eligibility and Important Information:

Applications are due November 10th
Precedence will be given to applicants for new projects and proposals who have not previously received a Regional Economic Development Grant
1:1 funding match: matched funds cannot come from state or federal sources
Shovel ready projects: projects ready to begin or have already started
Last gap-funding: must be the last amount of funding needed to finish project
Shown Support: Applicants must have written community support

More information found here: Building Communities Grants Programs | Buildings and General Services (vermont.gov)

Contact GMEDC to start the application process today!

“Randolph Innovation Hub” - Focuses on Community, Hires Local Staff

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:13:25 GMT

“Randolph Innovation Hub” - Focuses on Community, Hires Local Staff

Randolph, Vermont – “Randolph Innovation Hub”, a years-long partnership between local and regional economic development leaders, has hired a Program Manager and a Strategic Advisor. In October 2022, the Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC) and Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC) won a Build To Scale Venture Challenge grant to develop the BRIC Actuator technology entrepreneurship incubator/accelerator program in the Randolph region, and to support the creation of a “Randolph Innovation Hub.” Envisioned as a center of innovation, community collaboration and entrepreneurship in support of local enterprise, the “Hub” has been officially named Cultivator to reflect the organizations approach which will start with community input sessions led by the new local team, Abbey Salomon and Mathew Johnson.

Abbey Salomon joins the Cultivator as Program Manager and brings with her experience gained with Community Capital of Vermont, providing funding and technical assistance for small Vermont businesses. In that role, Abbey advised and supported entrepreneurs throughout all stages of a business. She brings deep knowledge of public administration, team building, and what it takes to start and run a small business. “I am excited to be working on this project in my own community,” said Abbey. “I look forward to hearing from the community and developing the programs and offerings they need to support and grow entrepreneurship and small businesses in the region.” Abbey is also looking forward to facilitating the expansion of BRIC’s Actuator program in the Randolph area, which is currently in their fall session and will be considering participants for the January cohort soon. “This is a chance for Randolph innovators and entrepreneurs to be part of an amazing program which will help build their ideas into a business or bring their business to the next level. We are excited to see how innovative Randolph participants will flourish with the guidance of Actuator.”

Mathew Johnson joins the Cultivator as the Strategic Advisor. Mathew is an executive coach and consultant who works with nonprofits, start-up companies, and public sector agencies to build innovation into their organizational culture. Mathew has extensive experience in community partnerships, community development, and strategic planning and ecosystem building. “Randolph is my home, and I am excited to be able to serve my community in this way,” said Mathew. “Randolph has so much to offer and so much small business and entrepreneurial potential. I know Abbey and I share a commitment to make Cultivator into something that reflects the uniqueness and strength of Randolph and the region.”

Supported by GMEDC and Randolph economic development leaders, Cultivator will start with a community listening process over the next few months, working with community members and leaders to hear what is needed to support an emerging ecosystem. “This listening process is an important first step for Cultivator to develop as a truly local entity,” said Erika Hoffman-Kiess, Executive Director of GMEDC. “We are all excited to build something in central Vermont, and now we have people committed to that vision to move the ball forward with the community.”

In addition to the BRIC Actuator program, Cultivator plans to develop a range of further services and programs to benefit the specific needs of the community. Possible services include: a community connections and collaboration workspace for entrepreneurs, innovators and remote workers; training, workshops and networking events featuring local businesses, business people, and service providers; support for technology-based and other start-ups that positively impact rural communities like ours; support for new and existing businesses in hospitality, manufacturing, and the arts.

Abbey Salomon can be reached at abbey@gmedc.com.

GMEDC Acquires Randolph Building for Future Childcare Center

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:49:52 GMT

GMEDC Acquires Randolph Building

for Future Childcare Center

Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC) has closed on the lower building at the former Enterprise Center property on Route 66 in Randolph, the future site of a new, state-of-the-art childcare center. An innovative partnership between GMEDC and Orange County Parent Child Center (OCPCC), OCPCC - Randolph will serve 88 children and is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2024. A culmination of several years of work at the Town, regional, state, and Federal levels, this transaction secures site control and allows GMEDC to move forward with final design development and construction. “Childcare is one of the dominant issues in this legislative session, the need is clearly recognized” says Erika Hoffman-Kiess, Executive Director of GMEDC, “It feels good to make progress toward meeting that need.”

GMEDC, serving Orange and northern Windsor counties, is one of twelve Regional Development Corporations (RDC) across the state. GMEDC will own the property and lease it to the 501c3 nonprofit OCPCC as the operator of the new childcare center. OCPCC currently operates a childcare center in Tunbridge, licensed to serve 60 children and providing family support and outreach programming. The Randolph site more than doubles OCPCC’s present capacity, and its location less than a mile from exit 4 of I-89 is convenient for many commuters. OCPCC’s Executive Director, Lindsey Trombley, says, “Beyond offering childcare services, our programs connect parents with practical strategies and skills that address the full spectrum of family joys and challenges.”

As a result of a 2018 Vermont Council on Rural Development Community Visit process - “Randolph Region Reenergized” - a Childcare Task Force was formed in January of 2019 and ultimately resulted in the GMEDC-OCPCC partnership that was formalized in 2021. In this unique relationship, the organizations agreed to develop the physical site and ECE program jointly, enabling both to tap into different funding streams. With a total project budget of over $5.5 million, the list of funding sources is long. Progress to date is made possible by contributions from the following:

Northern Border Regional Commission
Let’s Grow Kids
Couch Family Foundation
Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation
Community Development Block Grant
Mascoma Foundation
Vermont Community Foundation

Eric Sakai, a Randolph resident and member of the Childcare Task Force, who also serves on the OCPCC Board, says, “Increasing affordable, high-quality childcare supports economic development in the Randolph area, attracting new families to the area and enabling parents of young children to take employment.”

Further support is in process with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development - Community Recovery & Revitalization Program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development for Congressionally Directed Spending from Senator Leahy’s office, and USDA.

“Site control is a huge step, but it is just the first step in the process,” says Ms. Hoffman-Kiess, “The pandemic intervened in the project planning and site acquisition process, but I guess the upside of those delays is that we have developed a solid plan that allows us to hit the ground running once we wrap up the next phase of funding.”

gmedc

Calls for Regional Priority Projects

Do you have an economic or community development project in the works?

GMEDC Calls for 2026 Regional Projects:

Deadline April 27th, 2026

White River Valley Housing Speaker Series Aims to Empower Local Vermonters

Developing Opportunity:

How Ordinary Vermonters Can Create Housing

Speaker Series Details:

Event Planning and Consortium Partners:

About the White River Valley Consortium:

Groundbreaking of New Childcare Center in Randolph, VT

Spring 2025 RPP List

Spring 2025 RPP List

GMEDC Top 10 Regional Priority Projects

Additional GMEDC Projects

FY2026 Building Communities Grants - Applications Now Open

Funding Opportunities through Department of Buildings and General Services and GMEDC

“Randolph Innovation Hub” - Focuses on Community, Hires Local Staff

GMEDC Acquires Randolph Building for Future Childcare Center

for Future Childcare Center

How Ordinary Vermonters
Can Create Housing