Strategic Planning Grant Program

The 2025 Strategic Planning Program is administered by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federally established agency created in 2000 to support economic development across the eight-state Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. DRA's core mission includes investing in essential infrastructure, job training, and entrepreneurship to revitalize economically distressed areas. The Strategic Planning Program, specifically, is designed to empower local communities with the resources and guidance needed to develop data-informed, community-driven strategic plans. The initiative emphasizes the importance of planning over implementation, helping grantees define future goals and identify actionable steps to overcome local challenges in economic development. The purpose of the Strategic Planning Program is to help under-resourced communities identify gaps and opportunities in public infrastructure, workforce development, and entrepreneurship through structured planning efforts. The program supports activities like developing comprehensive and master plans, feasibility studies, preliminary engineering reports, capital improvement planning, and broadband deployment strategies. This grant is strictly for planning purposes; implementation-related expenses are not permitted. Funds can be used to hire contractors who will exclusively support the recipient's planning activities. Approximately $1.5 million is available in Fiscal Year 2025, with awards ranging from $25,000 to $150,000. There is no cost-sharing or match requirement associated with this program. The grant performance period can extend up to 24 months. Applicants may receive funds through advances or reimbursements, as described in post-award documentation. To be eligible, applicants must be located within or serve areas inside DRA's service region. Eligible applicants include local units of government, federally recognized Tribes, public authorities and associations, nonprofits, local development districts (when applying with a government partner), metropolitan planning organizations, and institutions of higher education. Private entities are not eligible. Applications must be submitted through the DRA’s Program Application Portal. The application window occurs semiannually, with the Winter cycle opening January 8, 2025, and closing March 7, 2025, and the Summer cycle opening June 2, 2025, and closing August 2, 2025. While no pre-application is required, applicants are encouraged to consult the Strategic Planning Applicant Guide and may seek technical assistance via strategy@dra.gov. Joint or regional applications are permitted, particularly for cross-state or multi-jurisdictional planning efforts. The evaluation process consists of an eligibility review followed by scoring based on three weighted sections: Project Information (35 points), Program Priorities (35 points), and Work Plan and Budget (30 points). Review criteria include plan rationale, desired outcomes, stakeholder engagement strategies, and a detailed budget and timeline. Scoring emphasizes alignment with DRA priorities, including economic revitalization in distressed areas, stakeholder input, and regional collaboration. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis during each cycle and funding decisions are expected within 60 days. Applicants will be required to submit quarterly performance reports. DRA also offers ongoing technical assistance, including webinars and virtual office hours. For applicants who are not selected, feedback is available upon request. All submission materials and templates, including budget and work plan forms, are accessible through the Strategic Planning Program Applicant Guide linked within the NOFA.

Use high-quality data and research to justify your proposal; incorporate strong stakeholder input; refer to the Strategic Planning Applicant Guide and budget/work plan templates for guidance.