North Country Council

What North Country Council does

North Country Council is a quasi-governmental Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) serving the northern third of New Hampshire, including Coös, Grafton, and Carroll Counties. Founded in 1975 as an EDD and operating under New Hampshire RSA 36:46 as one of nine state RPCs, the organization has provided land use, transportation, environmental, community, and economic development planning services for nearly 48 years to 50 member municipalities and 25 unincorporated places. Its core offering is professional planning services — master planning, hazard mitigation, capital improvement planning, grant writing and administration, GIS mapping, scenic byways coordination, and economic development strategy implementation — delivered through a small professional staff of approximately 8 to 10 planners and led by an Executive Director with 15+ years of tenure.

The Council's revenue model is built on a diversified mix of government funding streams, recurring member dues, and fee-for-service work. Primary inflows come from the U.S. Department of Commerce EDA (via the EDD designation), NH Department of Transportation contracts, annual municipal member dues, and professional services fees for grant administration and technical assistance to both member and non-member communities. Member municipalities receive preferential rates and enhanced service access, while non-members and program participants (e.g., Household Hazardous Waste collection events) pay standard fees.

Its technology layer is modest and operational rather than productized: ArcGIS-based platforms including Story Maps, Survey123, and three regional resource hubs (Funding Opportunities, Mapping & Data Analysis, Climate Resiliency) support data management and visualization. The organization supplements direct planning delivery with structured civic engagement through standing committees (TAC, CEDS Committee, Scenic Byways Council), regional coordinating councils, municipal representative networks, newsletters, webinars, and community events — operating more as a regional intermediary and institutional convener than as a technology vendor.

Name

North Country Council

Legal name

North Country Council

Website

https://nccouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Country Council is a quasi-governmental Regional Planning Commission and Economic Development District providing professional land use, transportation, environmental, and economic development planning services to 50 municipalities across northern New Hampshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Grant administration services
• GIS mapping services
• Transportation planning services
• Economic development planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (EDA): Primary funding from US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a designated Economic Development District. Federal funding supports economic development activities and planning initiatives.
2. State Funding & Contracts: Funding from NH Department of Transportation and other state agencies for specific programs including transportation planning, scenic byways, and regional coordination.
3. Member Municipality Dues: Annual dues from member municipalities that assist in leveraging other funding resources for planning efforts. Dues vary from year to year based on member size and current funding landscape.
4. Grant Writing & Administration Services: Professional services including grant writing and administration for communities. Members receive preferential rates while non-members pay standard fees for these services.
5. Technical Assistance & Planning Services: Fee-for-service professional planning services provided to communities including master planning, hazard mitigation, transportation studies, and land use assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

North Country Council is a Regional Planning Commission and federally designated Economic Development District that delivers regional, community, transportation, environmental, resiliency, and economic development planning services to 50 municipalities and 25 unincorporated places in northern New Hampshire. It also provides grant writing and administration, GIS-based mapping and data analysis, and runs shared regional programs such as Household Hazardous Waste collection and the Scenic Byways program.

Product overview

North Country Council is a Regional Planning Commission and Economic Development District serving northern New Hampshire. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of planning services, technical assistance programs, and digital resource hubs. Core services include regional planning (land use, transportation, environmental, community, and economic development), grant administration, and GIS/mapping services. These are delivered through professional consulting engagements with member municipalities rather than a software platform. The organization also maintains several ArcGIS-based online resource hubs (Funding Opportunities Hub, Mapping & Data Resource Hub, Climate Resiliency Hub) that provide access to planning tools, data, and grant information. Additional programs include the North Country Scenic Byways Program, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events, and the Beyond the Front Door ADU education series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Planning Services Core regional planning program that coordinates land use, community, transportation, environmental, and economic development planning across 50 municipalities and 25 unincorporated places in Coös, Grafton, and Carroll Counties of northern New Hampshire.
• Grant Administration and Writing Services Identification of funding opportunities, preparation of grant applications, and administration of awarded funds on behalf of municipalities and regional partners, leveraging the council's federal EDD designation and relationships with state and federal agencies.
• Community Planning and Local Assistance Direct technical assistance to municipalities on master plans, land use regulations, zoning, ordinances, and other local planning matters.
• Economic Development Services Regional economic development planning and program delivery carried out under the council's federally designated Economic Development District status, supporting business, workforce, and infrastructure development priorities.
• Environmental Planning Services Regional environmental planning, including watershed, natural resources, and conservation planning support for municipalities in the tri-county service area.
• Mapping and Data Analysis GIS-based mapping, spatial analysis, and data products for municipalities and regional partners, delivered through ArcGIS, Story Maps, and Survey123 platforms.
• Resiliency and Emergency Planning Regional resiliency, hazard mitigation, and emergency planning services, including support for climate resiliency initiatives across northern New Hampshire.
• Transportation Planning Services Regional transportation planning, corridor studies, and coordination with state and federal transportation programs for the tri-county region.
• Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events Coordinated regional Household Hazardous Waste collection events that provide residents and municipalities with shared disposal services that no single small town could operate cost-effectively.
• North Country Scenic Byways Program Management and promotion of designated scenic byways corridors in northern New Hampshire, supporting tourism, preservation, and corridor planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 50 years of continuous regional planning service delivery
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975EDA designated North Country Council as an Economic Development District (EDD) in 1975. This federal designation enables the region to access economic development funding and requires NCC to develop, maintain, and implement the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
• NH Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHDOT partners with NCC on transportation planning initiatives including the Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan, scenic byways program, and regional transportation safety. NCC assists with project identification, prioritization, and grant applications.
• NH RecyclesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNH Recycles handles business registrations for Household Hazardous Waste collection events organized by NCC in partnership with Pemi-Baker Solid Waste District.
• Pemi-Baker Solid Waste DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC assists with organizing Household Hazardous Waste Collection events serving residents of Pemi-Baker Solid Waste District communities including Littleton, Plymouth, and surrounding towns.
• White Mountain National ForestminorOthersPartner in environmental and recreational planning for the North Country region where the National Forest is located, supporting trail systems and outdoor recreation planning.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Rural Development is represented on the CEDS Committee and partners on rural economic development initiatives across the North Country region.
• Small Business AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBA is represented on the CEDS Committee contributing to economic development strategy and small business support initiatives in the region.
• NH Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNH Charitable Foundation is represented on the CEDS Committee and supports regional economic development and community initiatives through funding and partnership.
• Grafton County Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization represented on CEDS Committee, partnering on economic strategy and business development initiatives.
• Coos Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization in Coös County represented on CEDS Committee, partnering on economic strategy implementation.
• White Mountains Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner represented on CEDS Committee, contributing to workforce development and training initiatives.
• Appalachian Mountain ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor recreation and conservation organization represented on CEDS Committee, partnering on tourism and recreation economy initiatives.
• Grafton-Coos Regional Coordinating Council (GCRCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC assists with GCRCC work including transportation coordination, meeting facilitation, and regional planning for Grafton and Coös Counties.
• Carroll County Regional Coordinating Council (CCRCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC assists with CCRCC work including transportation coordination for Carroll County, supporting regional mobility and human service transportation planning.
• North Country Scenic Byways Council (NCSBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC serves as point of contact for the five scenic byways overseen by NCSBC, providing administrative support and coordinating corridor management planning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Association of Regional Councils (NARC): Umbrella membership organization for U.S. regional councils and planning commissions, including RPCs like NCC. Relevant as the governing trade body and federal advocacy channel for organizations of NCC's type.

Direct peers

• Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission: NH Regional Planning Commission serving a neighboring region with comparable RPC services including master planning, hazard mitigation, transportation planning, and grant administration for member communities.
• Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission: Another of the nine NH Regional Planning Commissions serving a different region of the state with the same RPC/EDD-like mandate, municipal membership model, and portfolio of land use, transportation, environmental, and economic development planning services.
• Lakes Region Planning Commission: Sibling NH Regional Planning Commission with the identical statutory mandate under NH RSA 36:46, providing planning, GIS, and grant administration to member municipalities in central New Hampshire.
• Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission: Another NH RPC offering the same suite of regional planning, transportation, and economic development services under the same state statute, directly comparable in structure and service mix.
• Rockingham Planning Commission: One of the nine NH Regional Planning Commissions with overlapping scope in land use, transportation, environmental planning, and GIS mapping for member municipalities.
• Nashua Regional Planning Commission: Another NH Regional Planning Commission providing municipal planning, grant writing, and GIS services under the same RSA 36:46 framework — a structurally identical peer organization.

Regional players

• Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission: Vermont regional planning commission with a comparable municipal membership model and planning services portfolio across land use, transportation, and economic development in a rural New England region.
• Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission: Vermont's largest RPC, offering the same comprehensive municipal planning, GIS mapping, and economic development strategy services as NCC under a different state's enabling statute.
• Greater Portland Council of Governments: Maine regional planning body providing comprehensive planning, transportation, and economic development services to municipalities — comparable regional scope and service model to NCC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northcountrycouncilrpcedd
• Instagraminstagram.com/northcountrycouncil
• Xx.com/NCCouncilrpc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3950170

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about North Country Council