This report by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission looks at research on the supply chain in southwestern PA and suggests potential fixes to some of the issues that have arisen.

Michael Pehur from Duane Morris Government Strategies and Tyler Noland from PenTrust Real Estate Advisory Services provides and update on the latest development finance legislation in PA and the potential effects on the economic development industry.

Gary Smith from Chester County Economic Development Council covers potential financing to grow business and promote smart agricultural economic development.

Stephen Strnisha from CiF presents on using the EB-5 visa program as a source of financing for development projects.

Debbie A. Klis from Ballard Spar gives an overview of the EB-5 investment visa program and its requirements types of EB-5 projects and ways to use the EB-5 program.

Ryan Glenn from Ben Franklin Technology Partners covers the fundamentals of equity funding for small businesses and covers the current landscape of equity funding in PA.

This report The Center for Economic Development compares Pittsburgh to its peers based on trends in loan originations under the CRA, including smaller and larger loans.

This report The Center for Economic Development sets the context for lending activity in Allegheny County with a quick assessment of aggregate economic indicators for sixteen areas.

CDFA is excited to announce the Brownfields Project Marketplace, which will take place on May 19, 2015 from 1pm-5pm EDT in Columbus, Ohio. The Brownfields Project Marketplace provides communities the opportunity to receive special assistance with...

Dafina Williams with Opportunity Finance Network speaks about a variety of development finance tools that exist to support a food system, including non-profit sources.

Jodi Gauker. Agriculture Project Manager, with the Chester County Economic Development Council talks about programs that have been created at the state government levels to help finance the businesses and stakeholders involved in a food system. She...

As a part of the USDA's commitment to strengthening rural economies, a state-by-state "Made in Rural America" report has been released for each state. Each state's fact sheet highlights specific USDA investments in rural businesses, manufacturing,...

Published by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), this analysis looks into development return on transit investment, comparing more than 20 transit systems around the country and internationally.

This report evaluates several case studies throughout the country. A rural county in Oregon initiated a program aimed to improve economic outcomes of landowners by compensating them for the air quality benefits of their forests. This example can...

This study analyzed the role of microfinancing programs in providing financial services to small businesses located in rural Pennsylvania counties. Microfinancing focuses on providing loans of less than $50,000 to individuals who typically operate a...

This publication explains why many small-scale farms succeed in Pennsylvania. It examines the steps a farmer should take to secure a loan, as well as the major lenders that serve the small-scale agricultural sector.

For the EPA's Region 3 report, the agency highlights brownfield financing programs in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virgina, and West Virgina. The report also lays out the elements of each program, in addition to the type of financing used for...

Slides from Rob Lane and Jeff Stouffer's presentation of the USDA Pennsylvania State Office business and community lending programs for rural areas and small towns.

Rob Lane and Jeff Stouffer of the USDA Pennsylvania State Office share information on the lending programs available for rural areas and small towns in this state focused webcast.

Allegheny Institute for Public Policy wrote this paper on the PA's state staute that calls for a report to determine if TIF is was working, The law required a comprehensive report to be made to the Governor and the General Assembly every two years...

The Ben Franklin Technology Partners is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development which was established to provide necessary capital and access to technical expertise and business assistance for startups...

This case study, published by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, summarizes the redevelopment of the Pittsburgh Opera, including its financing package, energy-saving strategies and results.

Blueprint Communities is an initiative from FHLBank Pittsburgh in which participating communities receive technical training, matching grants and other funding opportunities for revitalization strategies.

The USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Programs released this letter offering loans and grants for the expedited repair or replacement of any of Pennsylvania's 1,000 bridges deemed structurally deficient that are in rural areas.

Scott Shearer with Public Financial Management describes Pennsylvania's unique targeted redevelopment tools, their structuring, benefits, and differences from one another.

Gregg Bernaciak with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, and Antonio Misiti with PNC Capital Markets describe in detail the latest rules for Municipal Advisors from the MSRB.

Jeff Mills with Reed Smith describes the benefits and use of TIF, prerequisites, development impacts, and considerations for municipalities.

Don Cunningham with Lehigh Valley EDC presents on the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) and Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) programs, and how they have been transforming communities in Allentown and Bethlehem.

Jared Lucas with the PA Department of Community and Economic Development shares a host of loan programs offered by the state, including Small Business First, First Industries, and Pollution Prevention Assistance Account.

NatLab provides approaches cities can take to attain their clean water goals by leveraging private capital for green infrastructure investment. Some tools include P3s, Tax Incentives, and Community Development Financial Institutions.

This guide from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development provides an all-inclusive guide to the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone Program.

The Chester County Industrial Development Authority (CCIDA) provides federal tax-exempt financing for farmers for the purchase of land, buildings, improvements, machinery, and equipment.

Greater Ohio Policy Center designed this guidebook as a manual for local leaders working to redevelop vacant commercial property. The report identifies best practices and policies focused on economic regrowth strategies.

This report from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) documents the impacts that gas drilling has had on the county economy, roads, housing, social services, schools, and hospitals. The report is part of a larger Multi-State Shale...

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh provides this case study on Pittsburgh Opera’s green initiative to acquire Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Operations and Maintenance Certification for their headquarters.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development released rules for its new state historic tax credit. These guidelines give an overview of the program, along with eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Cisco DeVries with Renewable Funding presents on the Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL), a collaboration that utilizes the RenewFund financing platform to deploy institutional capital for state and utility programs.

Each of the PA Fast Facts sections is a quick snapshot of Pennsylvania's many different labor market and economic datasets. PA Fast Facts is updated each month with the most current and relevant information available.

The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation offers this factsheet describing their grant and low-interest loan financing for public and private infrastructure improvements.

The Appalachian Regional Commission commissioned this report to examine innovative projects that demonstrate benefits to rural and underserved communities. The case studies encompass energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and local food systems.

Richard Schragger's essay begins by providing some background to the debate about business improvement districts (BIDs), and making some tentative efforts to describe the connections between BIDs and the urban resurgence in places like Philadelphia,...

This presentation from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation provides an overview of the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project which aims to reconstruct at least 500 structurally-deficient bridges by tapping private sector partners.

The City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (“PIDC”) and The Reinvestment Fund (“TRF”) are offering the EnergyWorks Loan Fund to provide financing to support energy efficiency retrofits projects for businesses and...

This economic development strategic plan is a road map that will help the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation strengthen the region’s existing industries and assist the Lehigh Valley with getting to the next level. The goal of this...

The Appalachian Regional Commission released this report which is an assessment of food system infrastructure, access to capital for entrepreneurs, education, and regional capacity in the Appalachian region.

This energy plan articulates Pennsylvania’s energy policy for 2014 and beyond. The policy ensures the framework is in place to continue to have an abundant, reliable supply of energy through all types of resources for all Pennsylvanians.

Created by state law in 2011, the NIZ is a special taxing district that encourages development and revitalization. This brochure is intended to introduce businesses to the NIZ, summarize their requirements and point them toward additional...

This Brownfield Development Guide draws on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's 18 years of experience in cleaning up more than 4,760 sites and outlines the full spectrum of services and resources available for the often complex...

The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program is a federal tax credit program designed to generate private-sector capital investment in low-income areas. This fact sheet provides a background of the program, outlining eligibility, uses, financing and...

This introductory factsheet provides the basics of WHEEL, whose purpose is to provide low cost, large scale capital for state and local government and utility-sponsored residential energy efficiency loan programs.