Overview
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is a regional economic development partnership between federal, state, and local government in the northeastern United States. Established by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill, the Commission is composed of the governors of the 4 Northern Border states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the President of the United States. Each year Congress appropriates funds for Commission programs to provides financial and technical assistance to constituencies in the region in meeting its unique problems and challenges to promote its economic development.
Northern Border Region
Northern Border Regional Development
The Northern Border Regional Commission’s Strategic Plan – 2017-2021 established the following three goals to guide program investments.
Goal #1 - Infrastructure in Northern Border communities is modernized to better support business retention and expansion, and better position the region to compete in the global economy.
Goal #2 - Businesses in the Northern Border region are creating and sustaining jobs and wealth from the region’s assets and are able to find employees with necessary skills.
Goal #3 - Northern Border communities and businesses are well positioned to anticipate and capitalize on changing trends
Under the program the NBRC States are responsible for recommending projects for funding assistance in one of the following seven categories:
- transportation infrastructure;
- basic public infrastructure,
- telecommunications infrastructure;
- job skills training, entrepreneurship, and business development;
- health care assistance to severely economically distressed areas;
- resource conservation and asset-based development; and
- renewable and alternative energy sources.
New York’s Northern Border Region
The Northern Border region of New York State contains the following twenty-eight counties: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Seneca, Sullivan, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Yates.
New York Policy and Program Development
The NBRC grant solicitation cycle begins in the spring and is completed with project application approval at the end of the Federal Fiscal Year in September. Priority is given to projects that will expand transportation infrastructure, build basic water and wastewater systems, enhance telecommunications access or increase work force and economic development activities.
Project Funding
Funding is available for up to $500,000 for infrastructure and $250,000 for all other projects. The maximum NRBC contribution for a project or activity is up to 80%, depending upon the NBRC’s economic designation for the county.