May 4—Indiana lawmakers recently awarded $500 million to 15 regions representing all 92 counties statewide through the expansion of the Indiana Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative (or READI 2.0).

The state's total investment in this round of funding is expected to yield nearly $11 billion in overall investments from public and private sources.

The Southeast Indiana region, led by SEI READI Inc., which received $10 million, includes Ripley, Franklin and Union counties. Accelerate Rural Indiana, which received $30 million, includes Decatur and Rush counties and the city of Batesville. The East Central region, led by East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, received $35 million and includes Fayette County.

"It's clear our region must continue to grow, improve and innovate if we want to compete for talent and economic development," State Rep. Lindsay Patterson (R-Brookville) said. "This state funding and the collaboration between counties is clearing the way for transformational change toward that goal. Whether it's increasing our housing stock, child care access or available jobs, I'm excited to see this regional vision turn into tangible benefits for our communities."

The state evaluated regional proposals based on a variety of factors, including economic development potential, alignment with the state's priorities, such as population growth, per capita income growth, growth in employment opportunities, educational attainment, housing units developed, childcare capacity and innovation activities as well as the level of focus on rural communities, and the degree of regional collaboration.

To learn more about the READI 2.0 program, visit indianareadi.com. — Information provided