Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission

What Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission does

Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC) is a public Regional Development Commission established under Minnesota state law in 1973, headquartered in Appleton, Minnesota, and serving the five western Minnesota counties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine. The commission functions as a quasi-governmental regional planning and development agency that delivers services directly to local units of government — counties, cities, townships, and school districts — that lack internal capacity for grant writing, comprehensive planning, zoning, hazard mitigation, transportation planning, and economic development administration.

The commission's core offerings span financial products, professional services, and regional marketing programs. Financial products include the Revolving Loan Fund (a federally-capitalized business gap-lending program with a $4M+ portfolio across 48 active loans), a Microloan Fund, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. Professional services encompass grant writing and administration, comprehensive planning, zoning, housing needs assessments, infrastructure planning, hazard mitigation planning, and survey design. Regional marketing programs include Prairie Waters Tourism, the annual Meander Art Crawl, the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway, and Get Rural MN workforce recruitment. The commission also convenes regional initiatives in child care, broadband development, and workforce.

Revenue is generated through a mix of professional service fees charged to local governments on a project basis, interest income from the Revolving Loan Fund portfolio, membership dues for the Prairie Waters regional tourism program, and pass-through grant administration fees on state and federal awards. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products and operates on standard business and planning tools; its website is a standard WordPress-based information portal. UMVRDC is governed by a Board of Commissioners representing the five member counties and staffed by Executive Director Dawn Hegland and a small team of community development specialists and loan officers, with a workforce that has been expanded through three new hires during 2022-2023.

Name

Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission

Legal name

Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission

Website

https://umvrdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Public Regional Development Commission established in 1973, providing grant writing, planning, and a $4M+ Revolving Loan Fund to local governments and small businesses across five western Minnesota counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Development and Community 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 Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows (BPADAOAI)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Regional planning
• Grant administration
• Revolving loan fund
• Economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Writing and Administration Services: UMVRDC provides grant writing and administration services to local governments, helping them secure and manage funding from state and federal sources. Fees are charged for these professional services.
2. Revolving Loan Fund Interest Income: The UMVRDC Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) provides gap financing for business startups and expansions in the five-county region. The RLF generates interest income from loans made to businesses. In July 2020, the RLF received $1.72 million in CARES Act funding for additional lending. The RLF lending portfolio exceeds $4 million with 48 active loans.
3. Membership Dues and Fees: Prairie Waters Regional Tourism operates as a membership-based regional marketing program with annual dues from member communities and organizations.
4. Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Services: The organization provides comprehensive planning, zoning, and housing needs assessment services to municipalities on a fee-for-service basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UMVRDC is a regional development commission that provides community development services to local units of government across five western Minnesota counties (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine). Core offerings include grant writing and administration, revolving loan fund financing (over $4 million in active loans), comprehensive and hazard mitigation planning, zoning, transportation planning, regional tourism marketing (Prairie Waters), and workforce recruitment. It operates as a political subdivision of the state of Minnesota with a board of commissioners representing local governments.

Product overview

The Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC) is a community development agency that provides a portfolio of programs and services to local governments and businesses across five counties (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine). The core offerings include the Revolving Loan Fund (a $4+ million business gap lending program), Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, and Small Cities Development Program grants. Transportation programs include Safe Routes to School planning and Regional Transportation Coordination. Regional marketing is handled through Prairie Waters Tourism, the Meander Art Crawl (an annual arts event), and Get Rural MN workforce recruitment. Service offerings encompass grant writing and administration, hazard mitigation planning, comprehensive planning, zoning, housing needs assessments, surveys, infrastructure planning, and recreation development. The organization serves as a regional convener and technical assistance provider rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prairie Waters: Regional tourism and marketing program for Western Minnesota
• Meander Art Crawl

Products and services

• Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) A federally-funded business gap lending program providing financing for startup or expanding businesses in the five-county region, offering below-market interest rates alongside bank financing. Active portfolio exceeds $4 million with 48 active loans.
• Microloan Fund Program A small-scale loan program designed to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region with access to capital.
• Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) A financing program that enables property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on their properties through voluntary property tax assessments.
• Safe Routes to School A MnDOT-supported program that encourages walking and biking to school through comprehensive planning processes and infrastructure/non-infrastructure solutions.
• Regional Transportation Coordination Council A council that works to improve transportation for non-drivers, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income people in the region.
• Prairie Waters Regional Tourism A membership-based regional marketing program that promotes Western Minnesota communities as destinations for visitors, new residents, and workforce recruitment.
• Meander Art Crawl An annual self-guided art tour featuring local artists' studios across the five-county Upper Minnesota River Valley region.
• Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway A designated scenic byway program that promotes tourism and heritage preservation along the Minnesota River corridor.
• Get Rural MN A workforce and community recruitment initiative aimed at attracting new residents and workers to rural Minnesota communities.
• Small Cities Development Program A DEED-administered grant program for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, rental rehabilitation, commercial rehabilitation, and public facility improvements in small cities.
• Grant Writing & Administration Professional services to assist local units of government with preparing and managing grant applications and administering awarded grants.
• Hazard Mitigation Planning Planning services to help communities identify and mitigate natural disaster risks to be eligible for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds.
• Housing Needs Assessment Assessment services to evaluate local housing conditions, needs, and market dynamics to inform housing development strategies.
• Zoning Services Technical assistance with zoning regulations, ordinances, and land use planning for local governments.
• Comprehensive Planning Long-range planning services that help communities develop visions and policies for future development across land use, housing, infrastructure, transportation, and economic development.
• Surveys Custom survey design and administration services to gather public input for planning and decision-making processes.
• Infrastructure Planning Planning services for water, wastewater, stormwater, and other infrastructure needs including funding application support.
• Recreation Development Planning and support services for parks, trails, and recreational facilities development.
• Local Foods Initiative Programs and resources to support local food production, distribution, and consumption in the region.
• Child Care Resources Resources, case studies, and support for communities addressing child care availability and sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,380,172 in revolving loan funds lent in FY2022, generating $6,727,672 in additional leveraged financing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Farmers Mutual Telephone CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2022UMVRDC assisted in preparing $10.5 million broadband grant application for Farmers Mutual Telephone Company to deploy fiber broadband to 636 rural locations across Chippewa County.
• Prairie Five Community Action CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMVRDC partners with Prairie Five Community Action Council on transportation planning initiatives, including the Region 6W Local Human Services Transit Coordination Plan update.
• Citizens Alliance BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizens Alliance Bank participates in joint financing arrangements with UMVRDC Revolving Loan Fund for business expansions, including loans to Donner Manufacturing ($300,000) and Millennium Theater ($150,000).
• Southwest Minnesota Housing PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Small Cities Development Program administration, providing construction management services for housing rehabilitation projects in Ortonville.
• Southwest Initiative FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for workforce development initiatives including Region 6W Workforce Summit and joint events like the Save Your Town presentation on community redevelopment.
• First Children's FinancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Children's Finance administers the Child Care Facility Revitalization Grants program in partnership with UMVRDC, providing funding for child care facility improvements in the region.
• AciramajorTechnology or IntegrationAcira is deploying fiber broadband service in Madison and Appleton, the two communities that were previously unserved due to map inaccuracies in earlier broadband funding programs.
• Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMVRDC administers MnDOT Safe Routes to School planning programs and Transportation Alternatives projects for communities in the region, including grants to Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Schools ($38,515) and various trail projects.
• Explore MinnesotamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism agency partner for regional tourism promotion. UMVRDC staff attend the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference and utilize tourism economic impact data for the region.
• Blandin FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership through Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) initiative for broadband awareness and education in the region, with Dawn Hegland involved since 2009.
• Minnesota Historical SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $64,000 Heritage Partnership Grant through Minnesota Historical Society for developing Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway partnerships, developing itineraries and marketing materials.
• Child Care Aware of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Child Care Wayfinder one-stop navigation network, connecting local child care providers with resources and support.
• Pioneer Public TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for event recording and streaming, including the Save Your Town presentation and community development events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Headwaters Regional Development Commission: Another Minnesota RDC offering grant administration, comprehensive planning, and Revolving Loan Fund services to north-central Minnesota counties. Operates under the same enabling legislation and funding streams as UMVRDC, with overlapping program portfolios.
• Southwest Initiative Foundation: Regional community foundation working on workforce development, child care, and community vitality in western/southwestern Minnesota; listed as a UMVRDC partner on the Region 6W Workforce Summit and related initiatives.
• Region Five Development Commission: Central Minnesota RDC that delivers the same mix of community planning, grant writing, transportation planning, and economic development services to its member counties. Direct structural peer of UMVRDC within the Minnesota RDC system.
• Mid-Minnesota Development Commission: State-level RDC peer providing planning, economic development, and transportation coordination services to central Minnesota counties; compares to UMVRDC in scope, scale, and statutory remit.
• Northwest Minnesota Regional Development Commission (Region 1): One of the sibling Minnesota Regional Development Commissions organized under the same Minnesota statute; provides the identical bundle of planning, grant writing, transportation, and economic development services to its member counties. The closest structural and functional peer to UMVRDC.
• Region Four Development Association: West-central Minnesota RDC delivering community development, planning, and economic development services to a multi-county region; operates under the same Minnesota RDC framework and competes for the same state/federal funding pools.
• Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership: Regional nonprofit housing organization that co-administers Small Cities Development Program grants and rehab construction management with UMVRDC; directly comparable as a regional development partner in southwestern Minnesota.
• Prairie Five Community Action Council: Community Action agency serving the same five counties UMVRDC covers; partnered directly with UMVRDC on the Region 6W Local Human Services Transit Coordination Plan, addressing transportation planning for seniors and low-income residents.

Broad incumbents

• Blandin Foundation: Major Minnesota rural community foundation with a long-running Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) initiative that funds and shapes the broadband and leadership work UMVRDC implements; less geographic concentration than UMVRDC but a senior partner in the same space.
• First Children's Finance: Statewide nonprofit that partners with UMVRDC to administer Child Care Facility Revitalization Grants and similar early-childhood facility development programs; operates statewide with a comparable service bundle focused on child care infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UMVRDC/?fref=ts

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 Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission