Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

What Berkshire Regional Planning Commission does

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is a quasi-governmental regional planning agency established on May 9, 1966 under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B (the Regional Planning Law) to serve all 32 municipalities (30 towns and 2 cities) of Berkshire County, Massachusetts — a region with a 2020 Census population of 129,026. Originally organized by 10 member cities and towns, the Commission has grown into a multi-program agency delivering land use, transportation, community and economic development, housing, public health, and environmental planning services. Operations are organized across ten programmatic areas (Community Planning, Community Development & Housing, Data & Information Services, Economic Development, Environmental & Energy Planning, Public Health Planning, Public Health Services, Regional Initiatives & Services, Transportation Planning, and Administration), supported by named programs such as the Berkshire Brownfields Program (EPA-funded since 2004), the federally designated Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Berkshire Public Health Alliance, the Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program serving ~28 municipalities, and the Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative covering all 32 municipalities. Core technology assets include an in-house GIS system integrated with MassGIS, the BerkshireBenchmarks.org regional data clearinghouse, an annual regional Traffic Counts Database, and purchased access to the Citian CRASH software suite for High Injury Network analytics.

Revenue is almost entirely grant- and contract-driven, sourced from federal agencies (EPA, FHWA, EDA, HUD), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MassDOT, EOHLC, MassCEC, MBI), local cities and towns, and a 501(c)(3) affiliate (Berkshires Tomorrow, Inc.). Member municipalities are assessed on a per capita basis using the most recent national census to fund activities without grant support, and are statutorily exempt from competitive bidding when contracting with BRPC under M.G.L. Chapter 30B § 1(3) via intergovernmental agreements. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct: BRPC acts as fiduciary and grant administrator for member municipalities and serves as a fee-for-service provider for specialized GIS, mapping, and planning requests from non-members and the public. The agency is governed by delegates from each member municipality under an Executive Committee, Full Commission, and standing committees, and operates from Pittsfield, Massachusetts with a 40+ person staff listed across executive, program management, planning, finance, public health inspection/nursing, and administrative functions.

Name

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Legal name

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Website

https://berkshireplanning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is a quasi-governmental regional planning agency established in 1966 under Massachusetts law, serving all 32 municipalities of Berkshire County, MA with land use, transportation, housing, public health, environmental, and economic development planning services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning and Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Transportation planning
• Community development
• Environmental planning
• Public health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Contracts: BRPC is predominantly funded by grants and contracts from federal government (e.g., EPA, FHWA, EDA, HUD), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (e.g., MassDOT, EOHLC, MassCEC, MBI), and local cities and towns. Major grant contracts include $500,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment, $198,593 SS4A Action Plan grant (with $49,648 MassDOT match), and various CDBG funds.
2. Per Capita Municipal Assessments: Assessments levied on member cities and towns and apportioned on a per capita basis according to the most recent national census. Used primarily to fund activities for which no grants are available.
3. Fee-for-Service: BRPC makes services available to municipalities and other clients on a fee-for-service basis, including GIS map requests from the public, technical assistance, and specialized planning services.
4. Group Purchasing Program Commissions/Savings: The Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP) assists 28 Berkshire County municipalities in jointly procuring fuel and road maintenance products and services for best pricing, relieving municipal staff from procurement law compliance activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

BRPC is a quasi-governmental public body corporate established in 1966 under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B that delivers comprehensive regional planning, transportation, community and economic development, housing, public health, environmental, and energy planning services to the 32 municipalities of Berkshire County. It also administers federal and state grants (HUD CDBG, EPA Brownfields, FHWA SS4A, EDA CEDS) on behalf of member municipalities, operates the Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program for joint procurement, and provides GIS-based data and mapping services through its Berkshire Benchmarks clearinghouse.

Product overview

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is a public regional planning agency organized in 1966 under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B that serves the 32 municipalities of Berkshire County. Rather than a single product, BRPC delivers its planning services through a platform of ten programmatic areas (Community Planning, Community Development & Housing, Data & Information Services, Economic Development, Environmental & Energy Planning, Public Health Planning, Public Health Services, Regional Initiatives & Services, Transportation Planning, and Administration) supported by named programs such as the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), Massachusetts Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP), Berkshire Brownfields Program, Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP), Berkshire Public Health Alliance (BPHA), and the Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC). BRPC's data and digital offerings include the Berkshire Benchmarks regional data clearinghouse, Berkshire Funding Focus grant clearinghouse, and the Berkshires Outside outdoor recreation website. Transportation planning is delivered through the federally designated Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO). The agency also publishes the monthly Common Ground e-newsletter via Constant Contact, is the fiscal agent for Berkshires Tomorrow, Inc. (BTI), and produces the Kusik Award annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berkshires Tomorrow, Inc. (BTI): 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of BRPC supporting charitable, educational, and scientific purposes in Berkshire County.
• Berkshire Public Health Alliance (BPHA)
• Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC)
• Berkshire Benchmarks
• Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP)
• Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO / Berkshire MPO)
• Berkshire Funding Focus
• Berkshire Brownfields Program

Products and services

• Community Planning Program Provides Berkshire County municipalities with assistance on zoning bylaws, comprehensive/master plans, open space and recreation plans, shared community planning, and other land use projects.
• Community Development & Housing Program Administers HUD Community Development Block Grants, the Massachusetts Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP), and housing rehabilitation projects to support regional housing solutions and local capacity development.
• Data & Information Services Program Provides GIS services, regional data analysis, customized maps, charts, and graphs to municipalities and the public; maintains the Berkshire Benchmarks regional data clearinghouse with demographic, land use, and indicator data.
• Economic Development Program Coordinates regional economic development planning, the federally designated Economic Development District, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), the Berkshire Funding Focus grant clearinghouse, and shared economic development planning services for municipalities.
• Environmental & Energy Planning Program Supports the Berkshire Brownfields Program, municipal vulnerability preparedness, flood resiliency, stormwater management, Mass Save EmPower implementation, and energy manager services for Berkshire County municipalities.
• Public Health Planning Program Leads the Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC), public health emergency preparedness, the SPARK youth prevention coalition, and other community health initiatives for the region.
• Public Health Services Program Supports the Berkshire Public Health Alliance (BPHA) by providing regional food safety inspections, public health nursing, Board of Health job aids, and FDA Voluntary Retail Food Program Standards implementation.
• Regional Initiatives & Services Program Administers the Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP) for the 32 Berkshire County municipalities and participates in statewide land use data improvement projects.
• Transportation Planning Program Supports the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) with the Regional Transportation Plan, traffic counts, safety action planning under SS4A, freight planning, microtransit feasibility, and bike/pedestrian studies.
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program BRPC's CDBG program assists Berkshire County municipalities with applying for and administering HUD Community Development Block Grants, including housing rehabilitation programs in multiple towns (FY25 will rehabilitate up to 15 South County homes, 11 Hinsdale-Florida homes, and 25 Housing Preservation Grant homes).
• Massachusetts Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) Massachusetts state-funded home accessibility loan program administered by BRPC as the Berkshire County provider, funding additions and adaptations that help family members with physical and cognitive limitations live more independently at home.
• Berkshire Brownfields Program Conducts Phase I/II/III Environmental Site Assessments, administers a Revolving Loan Fund for Brownfields Cleanups, and manages site-specific Cleanup Projects for contaminated petroleum and hazardous waste sites across Berkshire County.
• Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP) Joint procurement program assisting 28 Berkshire County municipalities in competitively bidding for fuel, road maintenance products, heating products, and MassDOT Chapter 90 pre-qualification services under Massachusetts procurement laws (MGL Chapter 30B).
• Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) Federally designated metropolitan planning organization operating under BRPC's auspices to conduct the 3C transportation planning process and allocate federal/state transportation funds across roadway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian programs in Berkshire County.
• Berkshire Benchmarks Collaborative regional data and analysis initiative providing a one-stop data clearinghouse and regional indicators tracking progress toward county goals, including State of the County reports, 50-year population projections, and municipal budget data.
• Berkshire Funding Focus Online clearinghouse of state and federal grants supported by BRPC staff to help Berkshire County entities vet, apply for, and manage grant opportunities.
• Berkshires Tomorrow, Inc. (BTI) 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of BRPC, organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes including integrating innovative methods and technologies into regional and local education and governance in Berkshire County.

Quantifiable outcome

• $500,000 in EPA funding awarded for Regional Brownfields Assessment Project
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Berkshire Area Health EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC partnered with the Berkshire Tobacco Free Community Partnership Program and Berkshire Area Health Education to organize a youth vaping conference in June 2025. The event was held at the Stationery Factory in Dalton, Massachusetts, focused on prevention strategies, education, and youth perspectives on vaping.
• 1BerkshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC and 1Berkshire, with support from a broad working group of housing practitioners from throughout Berkshire County, jointly launched 'A Housing Vision for the Berkshires' — a regional housing strategy. 1Berkshire also created a Transportation Strategy Group as part of the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 that BRPC engaged with on the Transportation Management Association (TMA) Feasibility Study.
• Housatonic Valley AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Berkshire Clean, Cold, and Connected Partnership — alongside Hoosic River Watershed Association, Farmington River Watershed Organizations, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and Berkshire Environmental Action Team. Goal is to catalyze ecological restoration projects in Berkshire waterways that protect cold-water fisheries, remove barriers to aquatic connectivity, and enhance clean, healthy rivers throughout Berkshire County.
• Hoosic River Watershed AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Berkshire Clean, Cold, and Connected Partnership for ecological restoration in Berkshire waterways. Also a partner in the North Adams Flood Resiliency Project (Beaver Mill Dam removal, stormwater upgrades).
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Berkshire Clean, Cold, and Connected Partnership, and active participant in the Berkshire Wildlife Linkages regional conservation organization that coordinates conservation efforts across the Berkshire Taconic region.
• Trout UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Berkshire Clean, Cold, and Connected Partnership. Also involved in the North Adams Flood Resiliency Project addressing flood risk alongside Hoosic River Revival and Northern Berkshires Community Coalition.
• Berkshire United WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC provides data assistance to Berkshire United Way around their Community Impact work and their Strategic Plan, as a service partnership.
• Berkshire Health Systems (BHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHS Fairview Hospital MRC receives MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) activity funding supplement through BRPC. BHS also contributed pooled Opioid Abatement funds to the North County Overdose Response Community Coordination project alongside eight Northern Berkshire municipalities.
• Collins Center at UMass BostonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBRPC collaborates with the Collins Center at UMass Boston to develop incident maps for the communities in southern Berkshire County as part of the Southern Berkshire Ambulance Regionalization Study — examining ambulance response time and type of responder.
• Pioneer Valley Planning CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC partners with Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Waterstone Engineering to expand an existing Green Infrastructure BMP Library by adding 3–4 additional BMPs for the Connecticut, Hoosic, and Housatonic River Watersheds.
• Waterstone EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBRPC partners with Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Waterstone Engineering on Green Infrastructure BMP Library expansion for Connecticut, Hoosic, and Housatonic River Watersheds.
• Ethos PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC has a partnership with Ethos Pathways to build career pathways into the climate resilient workforce from high school onward through the Berkshire Career Lab — working with High School students to facilitate career choices in climate-related fields.
• Central Berkshires Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Pittsfield Connected - Francis Ave Routing Designs project and the Pittsfield Energy Coaching Program Implementation, providing educational workshops and training to residents on utility costs and energy efficiency options.
• Flying Cloud InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on Pittsfield Connected - Francis Ave Routing Designs project (path from Francis Ave to West St). Also partners on the Clarksburg Four Corners Flood Resiliency Student Design Challenge with Clarksburg School.
• Greylock FLUME, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBRPC serves as the Grant Manager for an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant awarded to the nonprofit Greylock FLUME, Inc., supporting the Greylock Flume South Wing Remediation Project.
• Toxics Use Reduction InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC partners with TURI on a three-pronged Plastics and Microplastics Reduction approach: (1) public-facing materials on reducing microplastic exposure, (2) educational materials for food establishments on alternatives to single-use plastics, and (3) a municipal toolkit for plastics reduction bylaws.
• Lead for America AmeriCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC hosts Lead for America AmeriCorps members who assist with Digital Access Implementation projects across multiple Berkshire County towns (Becket, Washington, Great Barrington, Lee, Dalton, Lanesborough, New Marlborough, Sheffield, West Stockbridge), funded by collaboration of multiple towns.
• Public Health Institute of Western MassachusettsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC has joined with the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts to design, promote, and train local Berkshire organizations in the use of the 413Cares regional partnership project.
• Berkshire Public Health Alliance (BPHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC serves as fiduciary agent for the Berkshire Public Health Alliance, implementing the Regional Public Health Inspection Program and Regional Public Health Nursing Program in selected Alliance towns, and administering the FDA Regional Food Safety Program. Lydia Shulman (BRPC) is the main contact.
• Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC acts as fiscal host for BCBOHA and provides administrative tasks. BCBOHA serves as the emergency preparedness coalition for Berkshire County. BRPC runs BCBOHA's Septic Installer Certification program and other educational programs. Co-coordinates Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition.
• Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC staffs BOAPC through multiple staff (Andy Ottoson co-facilitates; BOAPC has dedicated initiatives like SPARK, BE3C, Bolstering Family Networks, Thrive Team, Connections to Care, and municipal opioid settlement fund administration). Mission is to collectively implement policy, practice, systems, and environmental changes to reduce harms from opioid and stimulant use across the 32 municipalities in Berkshire County.
• Metropolitan Area Planning CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC is working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and other Regional Planning Agencies to research the use and conformity of land use code in assessors' data, as well as the development of zoning GIS data. Findings will be provided to MassGIS to assist in developing guidance for statewide standardization.
• Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBRPC has been contracted by NMCOG to assist the state's Massachusetts Integrated Land Use Strategy work by engaging with municipalities.
• Berkshires Tomorrow, Inc. (BTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTI is the 501(c)(3), non-profit arm of BRPC, organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes including planning and integrating innovative methods and technologies into regional and local education and governance in Berkshire County. Operates under Massachusetts Chapter 180 General Laws.
• Berkshire Housing Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkshire Housing Development Corporation will partner with BRPC on Housing in Berkshire County work to create a welcoming environment for well-planned quality housing and develop a network of housing development advocates.
• Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Berkshire Clean, Cold, and Connected Partnership for ecological restoration in Berkshire waterways.
• Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC is a member of MARPA, the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies, which represents regional planning commissions across the Commonwealth.
• Housatonic Railroad CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRPC conducted a Passenger Rail Station Location and Design Analysis for the Housatonic Railroad Company, which is working to re-introduce passenger rail service between the Berkshires and New York City.
• Hoosic River RevivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner on the North Adams Flood Resiliency Project addressing flood risk alongside Hoosic River Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited.
• Northern Berkshires Community CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner on the North Adams Flood Resiliency Project addressing flood risk, alongside Hoosic River Revival and Trout Unlimited.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Old Colony Planning Council: Massachusetts regional planning agency serving 17 communities in the Brockton/ Plymouth region. Same Massachusetts RPC framework, MPO designation, and shared services model as BRPC, providing a directly comparable peer for staffing scale, grant mix, and program structure benchmarking.
• Franklin Regional Council of Governments: Massachusetts regional planning and council of governments serving Franklin County — a similarly rural western-MA jurisdiction bordering Berkshire County. Comparable operating scale, similar grant-and-assessment funding model, and serves towns with comparable capacity constraints to BRPC's municipalities.
• Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District: Massachusetts regional planning agency covering the southeastern region. Also holds federal EDD designation like BRPC, administers CEDS planning, and runs an MPO. Directly comparable to BRPC in mission, scope, and reliance on federal-state grant funding.
• Montachusett Regional Planning Commission: Massachusetts regional planning commission serving 22 communities in north-central MA. Direct statutory peer under the same M.G.L. Chapter 40B framework, delivering the same catalog of community planning, transportation, GIS, housing, and economic development services to its member municipalities.
• Metropolitan Area Planning Commission: The largest regional planning agency in Massachusetts, covering 101 cities and towns in Greater Boston. Same Chapter 40B statutory framework, same EDD-equivalent federal roles, and named BRPC partner on land use data standardization work for MassGIS. Most relevant peer for understanding BRPC's strategic trajectory at greater scale.
• Northern Middlesex Council of Governments: Massachusetts regional planning and council of governments entity. Has contracted BRPC to assist on Massachusetts Integrated Land Use Strategy work, confirming same service catalog and framework; serves as a peer on inter-agency land-use data and regional planning initiatives.
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission: Massachusetts regional planning agency serving 43 communities in the Pioneer Valley region. Same statutory authority under M.G.L. Chapter 40B, same MPO designation, same GIS/data service model, and named BRPC partner on the Green Infrastructure BMP Library. Essentially a sister RPC operating at slightly larger scale.
• Cape Cod Commission: Massachusetts regional land use and planning agency with stronger regulatory authority (Act 40 Cape Cod Commission Act) over development of regional impact. Comparable in mission and program breadth to BRPC, though it operates under a different enabling statute with more regulatory teeth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrD7WKPyzB81U0-QZjDBAyg
• Facebookfacebook.com/berkshireregionalplanning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkshire-regional-planning-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Berkshire Regional Planning Commission