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The Economic Development Division (EDD) serves the nine-county area through the marketing, promotion, management, and serving of various state and federal loan
and grant programs. EDD grant programs include EIP Public Infrastructure, Regional Economic and Business Assistance (REBA), Regional Assistance Program (RAP),
OneGeorgia Equity, and EDA Public Infrastructure. These programs provide necessary water, sewer, street paving, rail spurs, and drainage to local industrial parks and new
and/or expanding industry. Loan programs with which the EDD is directly involved include SBA-504, EDA, USDA Rural Development Revolving Loans, and Community
Development Block Grant Employment Incentive Program (CDBG-EIP) loans. EDD staff offers packaging assistance with SBA's Low-Doc and 7(a) loans and USDA's Business and Industry (B&I) loans.
Additionally, EDD staff markets and services EIP-RLF funds for several local governments in Southeast Georgia. Marketing and workshop programs are offered to
the regional banking community and to local elected officials and representatives within the region to update them on lending resources that can be used in "gap" financing and start-up business projects. By
providing start-up funds and "gap" funding for a variety of small businesses, the EDD has served to diversify and nurture the local economy.
The EDD has aided 27 small businesses (commercial, industry, and service) with RLF loans totaling in excess of two million dollars. Loan amounts ranging from $10,000 to $200,000 illustrate the full spectrum of
the financial services offered by the EDD.
The project financing (RLF, private, and other) for the 27 small businesses totals over $9 million generated into the local economies of Southeast Georgia. The EDD is
responsible for the creation and retention of approximately 1,150 jobs region wide.
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