Rural communities we serve
Our rural economic development program provides economic and business development services to Southern Idaho's rural communities, including those within Jerome, Gooding, Lincoln, Twin Falls and Camas Counties.
What we do.
We partner with businesses, cities and counties, and community groups to assist in building more robust rural economies.
Our services include:
- Business retention and expansion
- Facilitating the development of local resources for start-ups and entrepreneurs
- Identifying properties available for development or redevelopment
- Linking rural communities with resources to implement their economic development goals
Who we serve.
We serve cities and counties within the Magic Valley, and their businesses and community groups such as Rotary and Chambers of Commerce. Our service area includes Camas, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, and Twin Falls counties for communities with a population less than 5,000 people.
How we do it.
We collaborate with local and state organizations to find the right resources for each community, business or group. These partners include:
- Region IV Development
- U.S. Small Business Administration and its local chapter the Idaho Small Business Development Center
- Idaho Department of Commerce
- Other agencies
Get started with a few helpful resources:
Community Economic Development Resources & Partners
- Idaho Department of Commerce - If you’re a new or existing Idaho company, you can apply for grants to cover almost any aspect of your business, like expanding your customer base, improving your access to community infrastructure, and more.
- Idaho Small Business Development Center – Region IV – Provides no-fee business consulting & low cost business trainings
- Region IV Development - Region IV Development works in the area of community development, economic development, downtown revitalization and business financing to encourage development and diversification in the economy of Southern Idaho.
- Idaho Small Business Development Center Business Learning Network Global Classroom - Find courses in entrepreneurship, accounting & finance, and professional development.
- Idaho Power "Energy for Growth" Marketing Grants - Idaho Power provides financial support to economic development organizations for strategic planning, marketing activities and prospecting campaigns.
- Local First Toolkit - Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)
- Cultivating Success (Tools for small farms and ranchers)
- Food for thought: A Call to Action on the Future of Sustainable Agriculture - Council for Sustainability and Innovation
