Governor Scott, Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Congresswoman Balint Announce $3.8M in Northern Border Regional Commission Grants for Vermont Communities

For Immediate Release
Monday, January 27, 2025

GOVERNOR SCOTT, SENATOR SANDERS, SENATOR WELCH, AND CONGRESSWOMAN BALINT ANNOUNCE $3.8 MILLION IN NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION GRANTS FOR VERMONT COMMUNITIES

Montpelier, Vt. - Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint, along with the Northern Border Regional Commissioner (NBRC), today announced the recipients of the NBRC's Fall 2024 Catalyst Program and Forest Economy Program Awards. Seven projects in Vermont will receive a cumulative $3.88 million in funding, which will support projects including early childhood education, a new surplus crop processing center and food hub, and rural health care clinic upgrades.

Established in 2008, the NBRC is a Federal-State partnership in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire collaboration to improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to accomplishing those goals.

"These infrastructure, economic and community development projects make important investments across Vermont," said Governor Scott. "These projects will help revitalize our rural communities and I want to thank our Congressional Delegation for their support."

"The Northern Border Regional Commission plays a major role in fostering long-term economic development in communities across Vermont. These new investments from the NBRC will support seven projects that benefit folks in every corner of the Green Mountain State-from building new child care centers to making energy-efficient upgrades to purchasing new classroom supplies," said the Vermont Congressional Delegation. "We'll continue to work alongside state and local partners to support the growth and success of rural communities in Vermont."

When evaluating potential projects, the Catalyst Program considers project readiness, economic impacts, impacts on Vermont's skilled workforce, project location, regional input and priorities, and the project's transformational nature. Awarded projects in the 2024 Catalyst Fall Competition will help pay for start-up costs-including classroom supplies and furniture for the Orange County Parent Child Center-implement new energy-efficient facilities at the Carlos G. Otis Health Care Center, transform a vacant facility into a child care center in the Northeast Kingdom, expand water and sewer infrastructure throughout the Town of Essex, and more.

The 2024 Catalyst Fall Competition Awardees include:

• Carlos G. Otis Heath Care Center (Windham County) - $1,000,000: Replace two aging, inefficient structures with a new energy-efficient facility that will increase patient privacy and enhance accessibility.

• Orange County Parent Child Center (Orange County) - $379,124.82: Funding for furniture, playground equipment and classroom supplies, as well as start-up operations costs towards launching the early childhood education program.

• Northeast Kingdom Community Action (Essex County) - $62,888: Convert a facility previously utilized as a health clinic into a childcare center providing 8 to 10 new Early Childhood Education spots.

• Salvation Farms (Lamoille County) - $469,621.30: Establish a 6,100 square foot Surplus Crop Processing Center & Food Hub.
• Town of Essex (Chittenden County) - $500,000: Planning and design to support the expansion of water and sewer infrastructure throughout the Essex Town Center area where proposed municipal facilities, fire station, library, and community space are planned.

• Vermont Council on Rural Development (Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor Counties) - $472,192.28: Provide 9 rural communities with targeted, holistic capacity building services and support for long term economic development success. This project will scale up services to meet the overwhelming demand for facilitated community-led prioritization, technical assistance, leadership coaching, and resource guiding.

Read more from NBRC here. Pre-applications for the 2025 Catalyst Program are due February 28.

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