Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission

What Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission does

The Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (SEARP&DC) is a quasi-governmental regional planning body established in 1969 that serves a seven-county service area in Southeast Alabama — Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties. It functions as the designated convener for federally funded regional programs in lieu of any county-level duplication, and is governed by a board comprising 35 representatives drawn from member counties and municipalities. The commission operates with a small administrative footprint (11–50 employees) and no proprietary technology stack.

SEARP&DC administers five core programs: (1) Head Start and Early Head Start, providing early childhood education services funded through Health and Human Services; (2) Wiregrass Transit, a public transportation service funded primarily through the Federal Transit Administration with a FY25 budget of $2,014,175; (3) Community and Economic Development, supporting local planning initiatives; (4) the Rural Planning Organization (RPO), coordinating regional transportation planning; and (5) the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a workforce development program for older workers. In 2025, the commission expanded its portfolio with a $1.2 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant.

The commission's revenue model is almost entirely grant-funded, with the majority of operating support flowing from federal agencies (Department of Labor for SCSEP, HHS for Head Start, FTA for transit, USDA and EDA for community development). Local match funding is provided by participating county governments and partner organizations such as CWI Works, Inc., which contributes approximately $5 million in nonfederal match for SCSEP. SEARP&DC does not operate a commercial pricing model; rather, it is sustained through a pass-through grant administration structure.

Name

Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission

Legal name

Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission

Website

https://searpdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission is a regional planning body established in 1969 that administers federally funded programs — Head Start, Wiregrass Transit, SCSEP workforce development, community/economic development, and rural transportation planning — across a seven-county service area in Southeast Alabama.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dothan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: SEARP&DC operates primarily through federal grant funding from various U.S. Department agencies. Major grants include Department of Labor SCSEP funding (nearly $47 million), Department of Health and Human Services Head Start funding, Federal Transit Administration grants, USDA Rural Development programs, and EDA funding. Local nonfederal match is provided by participating organizations.
2. State Government Grants: State funding through Alabama Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Senior Services, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), and other state agencies for regional planning, transportation, and community development programs.
3. Local Government Funding: Funding from member county and municipal governments including Houston County Commission, Dale County Commission, City of Dothan, and City of Enterprise for transit operations and local development projects.
4. Program Fees (Transit Fares): Wiregrass Transit Authority generates revenue through transit fares ranging from $3 to $10 depending on service area and distance. Fare structure supports public transportation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (SEARP&DC) is a government regional planning agency that administers five core programs across seven member counties in Southeast Alabama: Head Start and Early Head Start early childhood education for children ages 0-5 from low-income families, ADA-accessible public transit through the Wiregrass Transit Authority, Community & Economic Development services including grant writing, grant administration, and business financing (Revolving Loan Fund, Intermediary Relending Program, and Microloans), transportation planning coordination through the Southeast Alabama Rural Planning Organization with ALDOT, and the SCSEP senior employment program for adults aged 55 and older.

Product overview

SEARP&DC operates as a multi-service regional planning agency offering five distinct programs across seven southeastern Alabama counties: Head Start/Early Head Start provides early childhood education and family support services for children 0-5; Wiregrass Transit Authority delivers ADA-accessible public transportation; Community & Economic Development offers grant services and business financing programs; the Rural Planning Organization facilitates transportation planning with ALDOT; and SCSEP provides senior employment training. These programs collectively address early childhood development, transportation, economic growth, workforce development, and regional planning needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start / Early Head Start A federally funded comprehensive early childhood education program serving children ages 0-5 from low-income families, providing education, health, nutrition, family support services, and school readiness preparation across five centers in Barbour, Covington, Geneva, and Coffee Counties. Services are free for eligible families meeting federal poverty guidelines, with priority given to those families.
• Wiregrass Transit Authority (WTA) A non-profit public transportation provider offering ADA-accessible transit services including Dial-a-Ride, non-emergency medical transportation, and contracted services for social service agencies across Dothan, Houston County, Dale County (Fridays), and Enterprise using a fleet of 23+ ADA-accessible vehicles equipped with wheelchair lifts. Fare structure: $3 within city limits, scaling up to $10 for longer-distance trips.
• Community & Economic Development (CED) Programs Professional administrative services including grant writing, grant administration, planning, and economic development programs such as Revolving Loan Fund (up to $250,000), Intermediary Relending Program (up to $150,000), and Microloans ($4,000-$20,000) for business financing across seven southeastern Alabama counties. Also provides technical assistance and grant administration for member governments including CDBG applications, EDA programs, and FEMA grants.
• Southeast Alabama Rural Planning Organization (RPO) A joint project with the Alabama Department of Transportation providing transportation consultation and planning services to rural communities, serving as the formal link between ALDOT and rural local governments in Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties. The RPO process is advisory in nature.
• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) A U.S. Department of Labor-funded job training program for adults aged 55 and older, providing part-time employment opportunities, marketable skills development, and job placement assistance across Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston Counties. Funded by an almost $47 million DOL grant with approximately $5 million in nonfederal match from CWI Works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Head Start maintained 97%+ enrollment for 23 consecutive months; 100% enrollment in Early Head Start for 16 consecutive months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Alabama Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1969ALDOT partners with SEARP&DC on the Southeast Alabama Rural Planning Organization (RPO), providing transportation planning coordination between ALDOT and rural local governments in the seven-county region.
• Alabama Department of Senior ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADSS administers statewide programs on aging through Regional Planning Commissions and local Area Agencies on Aging, partnering with SEARP&DC for SCSEP program delivery.
• CWI Works, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWI Works selects SEARP&DC to operate SCSEP in the community and provides approximately $5 million in nonfederal match funding through cooperative agreements.
• Alabama Department of Human ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicenses and regulates Head Start program; coordinates on disabilities services, child nutrition program through Alabama State Department of Education, and early intervention services.
• Houston County CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Wiregrass Transit Authority operations supporting public transportation services in the region.
• City of DothanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funding partner and service area for Wiregrass Transit Authority, contributing to transit operations and serving as largest municipality in the region.
• Dothan Area Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in economic development initiatives and community events. Contributed to Dothan-Houston County Microloan Fund development.
• Alabama State Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers USDA Child Nutrition Program for Head Start; coordinates Alabama First Class Pre-K program which SEARP&DC Head Start supervises at multiple centers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• National Head Start Association: Membership and advocacy organization representing Head Start grantees including SEARP&DC, providing policy support and training for the agency's core early childhood education program.
• Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA): State-level agency that channels federal pass-through funding (CDBG, recreational grants) to SEARP&DC; functions as the state-level counterpart in the same funding chain.

Direct peers

• West Alabama Regional Planning Commission: State-level counterpart providing the same mix of federal grant administration, Head Start, regional planning, and workforce development services to a different multi-county region in West Alabama.
• Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission: Regional commission for West-Central Alabama counties providing regional planning, economic development, and federal grant administration analogous to SEARP&DC's role.
• Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission: Central Alabama regional planning and development commission administering similar federal pass-through programs across its member counties.
• East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission: A fellow Alabama regional planning and development commission operating under the same state statutory framework, delivering analogous Head Start, transit, CED, and SCSEP programs across its member counties.
• South Alabama Regional Planning Commission: Regional planning commission serving South Alabama counties with similar programs including Head Start, economic development, transportation planning, and senior employment.
• North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments: Multi-county council of governments in North Central Alabama administering overlapping federal programs (transportation, community development, aging services) through a comparable structure.

Broad incumbents

• Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA): Much larger urban transit authority operating fixed-route and paratransit services under FTA funding, comparable in function to Wiregrass Transit Authority but at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• Community Action Partnership of Huntsville/Madison County: Community Action Agency administering Head Start, Early Head Start, and anti-poverty programs in North Alabama, comparable to SEARP&DC's Head Start and family support functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SEARPDCom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southeast-alabama-regional-planning-and-development-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission