What Central Florida Regional Planning Council does

Central Florida Regional Planning Council (CFRPC) is an intergovernmental regional planning agency established in 1974 and headquartered at 555 East Church Street, Bartow, Florida. It operates under Florida state law as a designated Regional Planning Council and Economic Development District, providing planning advisory and coordination services to five member counties (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk) and approximately 25 municipalities within those counties. Its functional remit spans regional transportation planning (HRTPO staffing, Heartland Rides, Heartland Regional Safety Action Plan), emergency management (LEPC coordination, Local Mitigation Strategy development), economic development planning, comprehensive plan updates (Highlands 2050, Heartland 2060), Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan updates, fair housing and Title VI compliance services, and resiliency planning via the Heartland Resiliency Coalition.

The council's service portfolio is delivered through public workshops, board and committee meetings, community surveys (SurveyMonkey), virtual stakeholder sessions (Microsoft Teams), and direct technical assistance to member government staff. Core technology is described as standard government planning, GIS mapping, and community engagement tooling; there is no proprietary software platform, AI/ML capability, or commercial product. CFRPC is not a venture-backed or publicly traded company; it is a government agency that is owned and governed by its member local governments, with a board composed of representatives from those jurisdictions.

CFRPC's funding model is a mix of recurring annual member government dues from the five counties and 25 cities, supplemented by project-specific grants from FloridaCommerce (including Community Planning Technical Assistance grants), the Florida Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (MIRR grants), and HUD-related consolidated planning work. No commercial pricing applies; services are provided to member governments at no direct cost. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Staffing is reported as 11-50 employees, and the organization celebrated its 50-year milestone in 2024.

Name

Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Legal name

Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Website

https://cfrpc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CFRPC is a Florida intergovernmental regional planning agency founded in 1974, providing planning advisory services in transportation, emergency management, economic development, comprehensive plans, and CRA planning to five member counties (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, Polk) and their 25 municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Government 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), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Transportation planning
• Emergency management
• Economic development
• Community redevelopment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bartow

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. Government Grants and Funding: CFRPC receives state and federal grant funding for planning projects including FloridaCommerce grants, Department of Defense Military Installation Resiliency Review (MIRR) grants, and Florida Department of Transportation funding for transportation planning.
2. Member Government Dues: Annual dues and contributions from member governments (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk counties) to support council operations and regional planning services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Central Florida Regional Planning Council provides regional planning advisory services to five member counties (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk) and 25 municipalities. Core offerings include transportation planning through HRTPO and Heartland Rides, economic development district services, emergency management (LMS, LEPC), comprehensive plan updates, Community Redevelopment Agency plan updates, and fair housing compliance surveys. Services are delivered at no direct cost to governments, funded through member dues and state/federal grants.

Product overview

Central Florida Regional Planning Council provides regional planning advisory services and programs to DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk County. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected planning services including transportation planning through Heartland Rides and HRTPO, economic development district services, emergency management through LEPC and hazard mitigation strategies, comprehensive plan updates (such as Highlands 2050 and Heartland 2060), community redevelopment agency planning, fair housing compliance surveys, and the Heartland Resiliency Coalition. These services are delivered through public workshops, board meetings, and direct technical assistance to member governments, rather than as a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heartland Rides Mobility information resource developed with FDOT and HRTPO connecting residents of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties with available transportation options.
• CFRPC Board Meetings and Governance Services Regular governance activities including board meetings and council oversight for the regional planning council serving five member counties.
• Title VI/Nondiscrimination Compliance Services Compliance services ensuring nondiscrimination in programs, services, and activities pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including complaint procedures and ADA accommodations.
• Comprehensive Plan Updates Comprehensive planning services including Evaluation and Appraisal Reports (EAR) and plan updates for counties including Highlands 2050, City of Bartow, and others to guide current and future development.
• Heartland 2060 Collaborative 50-year regional blueprint initiative to guide growth and development, establish priorities for conservation areas, natural resources, recreational areas, open spaces, regional education, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, and economic development.
• Polk County Housing Choice Survey Fair housing survey services to assess compliance with the Fair Housing Act and measure attitudes and opinions about housing discrimination, economic development, and growth opportunities.
• Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Plan Updates CRA plan update services for cities including Fort Meade, Bartow, and Bowling Green, including Community Redevelopment Area Market Review, Development Analysis Reports, and Tax Increment Financing projections.
• Heartland Regional Safety Action Plan A data-driven transportation safety planning initiative that identifies potential hazards, assesses risks, and implements targeted measures to prevent crashes and reduce injuries.
• Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Hazard mitigation planning services that identify top hazards (flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, pandemics), prioritize projects, and outline strategies to reduce risk before disaster strikes.
• Community Planning Technical Assistance (CPTA) Technical planning assistance grants funded by FloridaCommerce that provide communities with opportunities to create innovative plans and development strategies to promote a diverse economy.
• Post Disaster Links and Resources Emergency management resources and county-by-county disaster response information for Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties including business response resources.
• Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Services Emergency planning committee meeting coordination and materials for hazardous materials emergency response planning under SARA Title III.
• Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) Staff Services Transportation planning organization services including Multi-County Local Coordinating Board meetings, Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and Citizens Advisory Committee coordination.
• Economic Development District Services Regional economic development planning and coordination services for the five-county region.
• Heartland Resiliency Coalition Regional resilience planning coalition focused on preparing for and responding to regional challenges including natural disasters and economic changes.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFRPC helps member governments maintain eligibility for federal hazard mitigation funding by keeping Local Mitigation Strategies current
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FloridaCommerce Secretary Alex Kelly and State Senator Erin GrallminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025CFRPC hosted a regional tour with FloridaCommerce leadership and state senator to showcase Central Florida rural communities, aviation facilities, and economic development agencies across six counties.
• Highlands CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC works with Highlands County to update the Highlands County Comprehensive Plan through the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) process. This partnership includes virtual stakeholder review meetings and workshops with the Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of County Commissioners.
• FloridaCommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFloridaCommerce provides grant support for CFRPC projects including Local Mitigation Strategy development and Community Planning Technical Assistance grants to member governments.
• Florida Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDOT partners with CFRPC to develop Heartland Rides, a mobility information resource connecting residents of six counties with available transportation options.
• Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC provides staff services to HRTPO, which covers DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties for transportation planning coordination.
• City of Fort Meade CRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC prepares updates to the City of Fort Meade Community Redevelopment Area Plan, including Market Review, Development Analysis, and community engagement.
• Bartow Community Redevelopment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC prepares update to the 2021 Bartow CRA Redevelopment Plan including public meetings, community surveys, and economic analysis.
• Polk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC assists Polk County with Housing Choice Survey and Fair Housing compliance assessment as part of the Consolidated Plan preparation required by HUD.
• City of Bowling GreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRPC provides Community Planning Technical Assistance to prepare update to the City of Bowling Green's 2015 CRA Plan, including market review and community engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council: South Florida regional planning council providing regional coordination, planning advisory services, and economic development district functions to member counties in the Treasure Coast region.
• Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council: Florida regional planning council serving Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter counties with the identical mandate of regional planning coordination, economic development, and transportation planning.
• West Florida Regional Planning Council: Western Florida regional planning council providing intergovernmental planning, economic development district services, and emergency planning across its member counties under the same statutory framework.
• North Central Florida Regional Planning Council: Florida regional planning council covering Alachua and surrounding counties with the same statutory mandate for regional coordination, comprehensive planning, and economic development district functions.
• Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council: Florida regional planning council serving Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Hernando counties. Direct peer with overlapping service portfolio including transportation planning, emergency management, and economic development district designation.
• Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council: Direct analog operating as a Florida regional planning council under identical statutory framework, providing comprehensive planning, economic development, and emergency planning services to member counties.
• East Central Florida Regional Planning Council: One of Florida's ten regional planning councils, organized under the same Florida statutes as CFRPC, performing regional planning, economic development district coordination, and transportation planning across a multi-county territory.
• Apalachee Regional Planning Council: Florida panhandle regional planning council operating with the same statutory authority and service portfolio, including local mitigation strategies, comprehensive planning assistance, and grant administration.
• First Coast Regional Planning Council: Northeast Florida regional planning council performing the same core functions under the same Florida framework — comprehensive planning support, transportation coordination, and economic development services.

Others

• Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO): Transportation planning organization staffed by CFRPC covering DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties. While not a peer organization, it shares strategic and operational adjacency through its staff-service relationship with CFRPC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CFRPC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-florida-regional-planning-council

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Central Florida Regional Planning Council