Individuals and organizations seeking regional support for economic development projects are encouraged to send a Letter of Inquiry to the North Central Washington Economic Development District before February 28, 2015, when the open solicitation closes. The EDD can connect local economic development projects in North Central Washington to a wider and broader range of grants, partnerships, business development assets and helping hands than they might ordinarily locate on their own. Details of what the Letter should include are at www.ncwedd.com or at (509) 421-0475 or admin@ncwedd.com.“It’s simple and straightforward,” says Karen Rutherford, NCW EDD Chairman, “and starts with receipt of your letter. After the 2015 call closes, every letter will be reviewed to consider the regional aspects and benefits of your project and what we can do to help it succeed. Sometimes, the EDD’s regional reach and support for public/private partnership can be extremely helpful. We choose the projects we can support and ask those sponsors to submit more detailed proposals. The proposals are rated for regional significance and presented to the full board at a later date.”The EDD supports projects as diverse as Plug-In NCW, the public/private partnership linking electric car charging stations to the world’s first electric highway (Cascade Loop) and feasibility studies for recreational development that will be shared by neighboring communities to help guide their decisions. See www.ncwedd.com/priority-projects for these and other examples.Economic Development Districts were created and funded by the federal government to provide a forum and focus on regional economic development. Thirty board members represent municipalities, public agencies and private enterprises throughout Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties and the Colville Confederated Tribes.“A rank of high regional significance is a big plus for private equity and public funding sources,” says Chris Branch, incoming EDD Chairman. “The district’s ranking lifts regional project visibility at state and federal levels. All projects located within North Central Washington are eligible and encouraged to apply.NCWEDD promotes the North Central Washington economy with collaboration and communication at the regional level. The special purpose district was created by the EDA as a conduit for economic development information as well as priority state and federal Economic Development Agency funding.###For more information, please contact: Amy Massey, NCW EDD 509-421-0475 admin@ncwedd.comNCWEDD PO Box 4107, Wenatchee, WA 98807