Cooperative Competes Grants (Cooperative Energy)

Fact (page-stated, cooperativeenergy.com/hancock-county-grants, /washington-county-grant, /diamondhead-grant and /coast-electric-grant): the Cooperative Competes initiative, unveiled in early 2019 by Cooperative Energy and the 11 Member distribution cooperatives it serves, allows economic development organizations — or the recognized authority — to apply for grant funds to offset industrial property development costs, with funds provided jointly by the 11 Member cooperatives. Fact (page-stated): eligible uses include industrial site preparation, environmental due diligence studies, a portion of the local match for the Mississippi Development Authority's Site Development Grant Program, or other property development needs; a local funding match is typically required. Fact (page-stated): the initiative aims to increase product and community competitiveness, develop more competitive industrial parks and strategically market shovel-ready sites across the service territory of Cooperative Energy's 11 member cooperatives, which serve approximately 432,000 homes and businesses across 55 Mississippi counties. Fact (page-stated): awards described on the site include $25,000 each to Pearl River Community College, the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, the Washington County Economic Alliance and the City of Diamondhead, and a $9,000 grant to the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission for geotechnical surveys at Port Bienville. Assumption: the initiative's own guidelines page was not retrieved in this scan, so deadlines (if any) and a formal maximum award are unconfirmed; applications appear to be accepted on a rolling basis.