Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) Grant

Funder: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development

The Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) aims to enhance regional collaboration in economic development, ensuring efficient service delivery to businesses. With $7.38 million available for FY2019-20, PREP supports consortia of economic development service providers to create a coordinated and responsive system. This initiative aligns with Pennsylvania's Ten-Year Strategic Plan, promoting business growth and recovery in communities affected by unemployment. The program is crucial for fostering partnerships that drive economic prosperity across the state.

Overview
The Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) is designed to encourage regional coordination in economic development efforts, yielding superior customer service to the business community and a comprehensive, efficient statewide economic delivery strategy.
Uses
PREP will provide grants to consortia of economic development service providers that may co-locate, develop formal partnership agreements, or otherwise create a coordinated and performance-based service delivery system that ensures each inquiry or lead from a business or potential entrepreneur is referred to, and acted upon expeditiously by, the appropriate service provider(s) in the region.
Funding
$7.38 million available for FY2019-20.
Statement of Purpose
The Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) Program is designed to encourage regional coordination of economic development efforts and superior customer service to the business community as part of a comprehensive, statewide economic development delivery strategy. The program is integral to the advancement and implementation of Pennsylvania's Ten-Year Strategic Plan for Economic Development.
PREP will provide grants to regional networks of economic development service providers to maintain a coordinated and client-focused delivery system that ensures each inquiry or lead from a business or potential entrepreneur is referred to and acted upon expeditiously by an appropriate service provider(s).
Grants under this program are processed under the authority of Section 3 of the Act of May 10, 1939 (P.L. 111, No. 51), known as the Commerce Law, which authorizes the Department of Community and Economic Development to undertake ways and means of promoting and encouraging the prosperous development of Pennsylvania business, industry and commerce, of expanding markets and promoting and developing new markets for Pennsylvania products, to encourage the location and development of new business, industry and commerce within the commonwealth, to aid in restoring employment in communities affected by unemployment, and to assist persons, firms, associations, political subdivisions, corporations, cooperative associations and other organizations in the execution of its duties and functions under the Act.