Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission

What Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission does

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission is a multi-county governmental agency established under Indiana Code 36-7-7, headquartered in Ferdinand, Indiana, and serving six counties in southwest Indiana: Crawford, Dubois, Orange, Perry, Pike, and Spencer. Founded in 1973 and originally named the Patoka Lake Regional Planning Commission, the organization was renamed in 1978 and reached its current six-county footprint in 1993. It is a designated Economic Development District (EDD) through the U.S. Department of Commerce-Economic Development Administration and a Regional/Rural Planning Organization (RPO) through the Indiana Department of Transportation, providing grant writing and administration, economic and community development planning, transportation planning, GIS mapping, brownfield assessment, recreation planning, and municipal codification services. The Commission is not a regulatory or zoning authority and operates in a support and coordination capacity to county and municipal governments.

The Commission's service portfolio spans ten core lines: Transportation Planning, Brownfields Program, Municipal Services, Codebooks, Recreation Planning, Planning Services, Economic Development, Community Development, Demographics, and GIS/Maps. Core technology consists of a Geographic Information System (GIS) used for base mapping, aerial photography analysis, road classification, and boundary determination, paired with Grant Management Systems (GMS) software for financial and contract record management. The organization maintains a small professional staff (approximately six identified personnel plus four certified grant administrators), governed by a 43-member board representing the member counties, five largest municipalities, county commissioners, county councils, and a Governor's appointee.

The Commission's business model is government grant funding rather than commercial revenue. Income is sourced from federal grants (notably a $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant covering 2023-2027), state-administered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, revolving loan fund administration, and dues/support from member counties. Historical program results include 42 Phase I and 33 Phase II brownfield assessments, 29 Remedial Action Plans, and leveraged investment of over $7M in federal funds alongside $30M in private investment for clean-up and redevelopment under prior EPA grant cycles.

Name

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission

Legal name

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission

Website

https://ind15rpc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission is a multi-county governmental agency in southwest Indiana that provides grant writing, economic and community development planning, transportation planning, GIS mapping, and brownfield assessment to six counties and their municipalities. It is a federally designated Economic Development District and state-designated Rural Planning Organization, funded primarily through federal and state grants rather than commercial revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Grant administration
• Transportation planning
• Brownfield assessment
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferdinand

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Grant Funding: The Commission receives federal funding through EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants ($500,000 awarded in September 2023 for 2023-2027), U.S. Department of Commerce-Economic Development Administration designation as an Economic Development District, and U.S. Department of Labor standards verification on construction projects.
2. State Grant Administration: Administering Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs programs. The Commission has four certified grant administrators to service CDBG program requirements.
3. Revolving Loan Fund Administration: Administering revolving loan fund dollars designed to support small business and entrepreneurs with capital to grow, creating employment opportunities and leveraging private investment.
4. EPA Brownfield Grant Program: Managing $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant (2023-2027) to conduct Phase I and Phase II site assessments on brownfields throughout the six-county district, with goal of leading to cleanup and redevelopment projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission is a multi-county governmental agency that provides regional planning, grant writing and administration, transportation planning, GIS mapping, brownfield site assessment, economic development strategy, recreation master planning, municipal codification, and community development coordination to six counties and their municipalities in southwest Indiana. The Commission administers federal and state grant programs (including CDBG and EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants), operates a revolving loan fund for small business, and delivers technical planning assistance as a designated Economic Development District and Regional/Rural Planning Organization.

Product overview

Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission is a multi-county governmental agency providing a comprehensive suite of regional planning services to six counties in southwest Indiana. The organization operates as an Economic Development District (EDD) and Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RPO), offering services including Transportation Planning, Brownfields Assessment, Municipal Services, Codebooks, Recreation Planning, Planning Services, Economic Development, Community Development, Demographics, and GIS/Mapping. These services are provided through grant administration, technical planning assistance, and community coordination rather than a single software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Planning Services Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RPO) services delivered through INDOT designation, providing traffic counts on local roads and at grade railroad crossings, road classification system mapping, and upload of traffic data to INDOT for the six-county district.
• Brownfields Program EPA-funded program conducting Phase I and Phase II site assessments and developing Remedial Action Plans on brownfield properties to facilitate cleanup and redevelopment throughout the six-county district.
• Municipalities Services Support services for cities, towns, and counties including grant administration, community coordination, codebooks, GIS mapping, transportation planning, and economic development support for six cities and 21 towns across the six-county region.
• Codebooks Service Municipal codification service organizing ordinances and resolutions into codebooks by topic for member municipalities across the region.
• Recreation Planning Development of five-year Park and Recreation Master Plans and assistance with Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) applications for member communities.
• Planning Services Infrastructure planning for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems; hazard mitigation planning; long-range comprehensive plans; and geographic information system mapping.
• Economic Development Economic Development District (EDD) services including preparation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, grant writing assistance, and administration of revolving loan fund dollars supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Community Development Grant writing and project coordination for infrastructure improvements, historic preservation, downtown improvements, parks, and other community enhancements across the six-county region.
• Demographics Population and demographic data services including population history, age distribution, and income statistics for the region.
• GIS/Maps Geographic information system mapping services providing base maps with aerial photography depicting roads, streets, lots, subdivisions, and corporate boundaries to support transportation infrastructure, street and sidewalk improvements, and future growth planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $7M in federal funds and $30M in private funds leveraged for clean-up and redevelopment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Indiana 15 received a $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant (September 2023-2027) for Phase I and Phase II site assessments on brownfields throughout the six-county district. This is similar to previous EPA grants awarded in 2008-2011, 2013-2016, and 2018-2021.
• U.S. Department of Commerce - Economic Development AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission is designated as an Economic Development District (EDD) through the U.S. Department of Commerce-Economic Development Administration. As an EDD, the Commission prepares a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy to identify goals and strategies that strengthen the economic strengths of the region.
• Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission is designated as a Regional/Rural Planning Organization (RPO) through Indiana Department of Transportation. Since 2004, the Commission has submitted proposals to INDOT to provide transportation planning services and conduct traffic counts on local roads and at grade railroad crossings.
• Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission has four certified grant administrators who service the program requirements of Community Development Block Grant funds for OCRA programs. Staff members Nathan Held, Cheri Taylor, and Jenny Matheis are certified grant administrators through OCRA.
• Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTAP provides PASER (road pavement asset management) training on behalf of INDOT. LTAP has developed a Data Management System (DMS) in which local governments submit Asset Management Plans electronically.
• Indiana Association of Regional Councils (IARC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional networking organization connecting Indiana's regional planning commissions for shared learning and coordination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Indiana Association of Regional Councils (IARC): Industry-association peer that already partners with Indiana 15. IARC is the statewide umbrella for Indiana's regional planning commissions — relevant as an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but central to understanding state-level funding allocations that flow through this network.

Direct peers

• Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI): Tri-state council of governments providing transportation planning, brownfields, GIS, and grant support across multiple counties. Comparable in service mix (brownfields, MPO/RPO functions, GIS basemaps, member-government services) though operating at larger metropolitan scale.
• Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC): Indiana's other regional planning commission serving Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties under Indiana Code 36-7-7. Direct structural peer with the same dual-designation model (EDD + RPO/MPO), similar grant administration scope, and the same state-level funding streams (OCRA CDBG, INDOT transportation planning).
• Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC): Multi-county development council serving Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington counties in southern Indiana. Direct comparability on grant administration, community/economic development planning, and EDD designation-based funding, but with a different geographic footprint.
• Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission: Single-county Indiana area plan commission with combined land-use planning, zoning administration, and grant-adjacent functions. Useful peer for understanding how planning capacity differs when regulatory/zoning authority is included versus when (as with Indiana 15) it is intentionally excluded.
• Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC): Regional planning council and MPO serving the Fort Wayne area (Allen and adjacent counties). Same EDD + transportation-planning designation stack as Indiana 15, with both rural planning and MPO functions coexisting — useful upper-bound benchmark for what a larger Indiana RPC delivers.
• Area IV Development Inc. (Area IV): Indiana-based regional planning and development organization serving eight counties in east-central Indiana. Direct peer on CDBG administration, housing programs, revolving loan funds, and EDD-designated community/economic development, providing a useful comparability anchor in a different Indiana region.

Broad incumbents

• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC): Large Ohio regional planning commission providing transportation planning, brownfields assessments, GIS, data, and economic development services to Central Ohio. Broader incumbent peer offering the same core service categories as Indiana 15 but at metropolitan scale with deeper funding resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission