Region 1 Planning Council

What Region 1 Planning Council does

Region 1 Planning Council (R1) is a special-purpose regional government agency created by intergovernmental agreement under Illinois state law (50 ILCS 15/), headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The agency operates under two federally-required designations: the Economic Development District (EDD) for Boone, McHenry, and Winnebago Counties and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Rockford Region. These designations are statutory prerequisites for local entities to access EDA and USDOT federal funding and constitute R1's central structural position. The agency provides collaborative regional planning services across transportation, economic development, sustainability, housing, blight remediation, and community health to municipal governments, counties, non-profits, and residents of Northern Illinois.

R1's service portfolio spans approximately 15 programs organized into five operating divisions: Economic Development (EDD coordination, CEDS planning, CEJA Clean Energy Job Training, SolSmart); Planning (MPO transportation, Sustainability, Climate Action, Integrated Water Resource Planning, Livable Communities Initiative); Community Revitalization (Northern Illinois Land Bank, Brownfield Cleanup, Winnebago County Trustee Program); Community Impact (data analytics, machine learning analysis of community listening sessions, grant writing, HUD-certified housing counseling); and shared platforms including WinGIS (Winnebago County GIS consortium) and NorthCOG (Northern Illinois Council of Governments). Technology components include the WinGIS geospatial consortium, interactive GIS mapping tools, geospatial and economic modeling, machine learning/NLP for qualitative text analysis, and the Social Pinpoint-powered Engage R1 public engagement platform. The agency has won over $50.5 million in grants for partner organizations in the past year alone, including recent awards from EDA ($1.6M, $70K), USDOT ($7.1M), Illinois DCEO ($3.5M+ CEJA, $1M Economic Empowerment), DOJ ($375K), and EPA Brownfield Assessment funding.

R1 operates on a government-to-government model with no traditional product revenue. Funding flows through federal grants (EDA, USDOT, EPA, HUD), state appropriations, member government contributions, and pass-through administration of programs such as the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB), which distributes proceeds from a half-cent county sales tax. Housing counseling is provided free to Northern Illinois residents; other professional services are grant-funded. With 11-50 employees, R1 is governed by a board representing member municipalities (Rockford, Loves Park, Belvidere, Machesney Park), counties (Winnebago, Boone), the Rockford Mass Transit District, and IDOT. The agency was previously known as RMAP (Rockford Metropolitan Area Planning Agency) and rebranded around 2010 to reflect a shift toward long-range regional sustainability planning.

Name

Region 1 Planning Council

Legal name

Region 1 Planning Council

Website

https://r1planning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Region 1 Planning Council is a special-purpose regional government agency serving Northern Illinois as both an Economic Development District and Metropolitan Planning Organization, delivering planning, transportation, economic development, housing counseling, and community revitalization services to municipalities, counties, and residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Government Planning Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Land Subdivision (2372)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Transportation planning
• Economic development district
• Grant writing services
• Geographic information systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Grant Administration: Coordinates and administers federal economic development grants through EDA, USDOT, EPA programs for local government and non-profit partners
2. Grant Writing Services: Expert grant writing services for government and non-profit clients, winning over $50.5 million in grants for partners in the past year
3. Regional Planning Services: Provides cross-jurisdictional collaborative planning across Northern Illinois including transportation, economic development, sustainability planning
4. HUD Housing Counseling: Free HUD-certified housing counseling services for Northern Illinois residents including financial management, pre-purchase counseling
5. WCCMHB Administration: Manages day-to-day operations of Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, distributing funding from half-cent county sales tax

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Region 1 Planning Council delivers government-to-government regional planning services across Northern Illinois, functioning as the federally designated Economic Development District for Boone, McHenry, and Winnebago Counties and the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Rockford Region. It sells planning coordination, transportation and land use plans, GIS mapping through the WinGIS consortium, grant writing and administration, HUD-certified housing counseling, climate action and water resource planning, and Land Bank property revitalization to municipalities, counties, and partner organizations.

Product overview

Region 1 Planning Council (R1) is a government-to-government agency offering a comprehensive suite of regional planning services across Northern Illinois. The organization operates as both an Economic Development District (EDD) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), delivering services through interconnected programs including: Economic Development District coordination with EDA; MPO transportation planning; Northern Illinois Land Bank for property revitalization; WinGIS geographic information systems consortium; Community Impact team providing data analytics and research; Grant Services for funding acquisition; HUD-certified Housing Counseling; Climate Action and Sustainability Planning; Integrated Water Resource Planning; Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) for neighborhood improvement; Brownfield Cleanup Program for environmental remediation; and the Northern Illinois Council of Governments (NorthCOG) for regional coordination. These services are designed to work together as an integrated regional planning ecosystem, with data services supporting grant applications, transportation planning informing economic development, and community programs feeding into comprehensive regional strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northern Illinois Land Bank: A land bank authority working to combat blight and return properties to productive use across Northern Illinois.
• WinGIS
• NorthCOG

Products and services

• Economic Development District (EDD) Serves as the bridge to the Economic Development Administration (EDA), coordinating the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plan and assisting local government and non-profit organizations with economic development funding applications for Boone, McHenry, and Winnebago Counties.
• Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Services Plans and coordinates decisions regarding the Rockford Metropolitan Planning Area's surface transportation system, conducting a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (3-C) transportation planning process that fulfills the five core MPO functions.
• Northern Illinois Land Bank Acquires abandoned properties and returns them to productive use by providing clear titles to new purchasers through a judicial deed process, combating blight across Northern Illinois.
• WinGIS Consortium A GIS consortium for Winnebago County providing geographic information systems data, mapping services, and spatial analysis for the region.
• Community Impact Services Addresses regional problems by analyzing conditions and pursuing projects that improve quality of life, including data analytics, program evaluation, strategic planning, and grant writing services.
• Data Services Provides comprehensive data analysis including custom research reports, program evaluation, economic analysis, machine learning models, and geospatial modeling for regional planning.
• Grant Writing and Administration Services Expert grant writing services with a track record of securing funding, including full grant packages, searches, application review, and grant management for economic development, sustainability, and community health initiatives.
• HUD-Certified Housing Counseling HUD-certified housing and budget counseling services providing financial management, pre-purchase counseling, and guidance through the homebuying process for Northern Illinois residents.
• Climate Action Planning Develops regional climate action plans including greenhouse gas emissions inventories, vulnerability assessments, and implementation strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation in Boone and Winnebago counties.
• Integrated Water Resource Planning Promotes sustainable and equitable water management through coordination of water, land, and related resources, providing technical assistance on stormwater, wastewater, watershed planning, and water supply.
• Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) Provides technical assistance to middle neighborhoods to improve quality of life through sustainable, accessible development, with eligibility for implementation funding for infrastructure projects.
• Brownfield Cleanup Program Environmental assessment and cleanup program for brownfield properties in Boone and Winnebago Counties, funded by a $1 million EPA grant, including Phase I/II assessments and reuse planning.
• Northern Illinois Council of Governments (NorthCOG) Develops and represents unity among local governmental bodies for shared legislative priorities and joint ventures to overcome regional challenges and reduce local government operations costs.
• Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB) Administration Manages day-to-day operations of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, distributing funding from a half-cent county sales tax to mental health and substance use service providers.
• Winnebago County Trustee Program Property Sales Online sales system for selling Winnebago County Trustee parcels, reducing program inventory and returning properties to productive use.
• Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Long-range transportation plan addressing the transportation system in Boone, Winnebago, and northern Ogle Counties, providing a framework for the region's transportation network over 20-30 years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won $50.5M+ in grants for partners in the past year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant partner - environmental assessment of properties in Boone and Winnebago Counties
• Boone County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant partner - environmental assessment of properties
• Winnebago County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant partner - environmental assessment of properties
• Fehr GrahamminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Consultant for Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant - environmental consulting services
• Rockford Local Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$1.6M EDA grant for Revolving Business Loan Fund for Winnebago, Boone & McHenry Counties
• City of RockfordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$7.1M USDOT grant for Whitman Street Interchange Reconfiguration
• The Workforce ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Illinois DCEO Climate Equitable Jobs Act grants for Clean Energy Job Training ($3.5M+ total)
• GoodwillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Illinois DCEO CEJA grants for Clean Energy programs
• Rock Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Illinois DCEO CEJA grants for Clean Energy programs
• Think Big!coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$1M Illinois DCEO Economic Empowerment Centers grant to expand services for minority entrepreneurship and business development in Rockford
• City of FreeportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$375K Department of Justice grant to support domestic violence programs
• VOICES of Stephenson CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$375K DOJ grant for domestic violence programs - VOICES provides services as partner
• Belvidere Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenways Working Group participant for regional greenway network planning
• Boone County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenways Working Group participant for regional greenway network planning
• Forest Preserves of Winnebago CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenways Working Group participant for regional greenway network planning
• Natural Land InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenways Working Group participant and land conservation partner
• Rockford Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenways Working Group participant for regional greenway network planning

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission: Metropolitan planning commission for Genesee County, Michigan providing transportation planning, community development, and grant administration. Comparable mid-sized MPO delivering integrated planning services to local governments.
• Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization: MPO serving the Indianapolis metropolitan region with transportation planning, data analytics, and federal funding coordination. Highly comparable as a mid-sized Midwest MPO performing 3-C transportation planning and grant administration for member jurisdictions.
• Bi-State Regional Commission: Regional planning commission serving the Quad Cities area spanning Iowa and Illinois. Comparable as a multi-jurisdictional regional council providing transportation planning, economic development, and data services to counties and municipalities.
• East Central Intergovernmental Association: Regional planning commission serving eastern Iowa with transportation planning, economic development, and housing services. Comparable small-to-mid-sized Midwest regional planning body with federal funding administration and community development programs.
• Southwestern Illinois Planning Council: Regional planning council serving southwestern Illinois counties with comprehensive planning, economic development, and grant administration services. Closest peer in size, geography, and service mix — operates under the same Illinois regional planning framework.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP): CMAP is the MPO and EDD for the seven-county northeastern Illinois region including Chicago. Directly comparable as an Illinois MPO/EDD providing regional planning, transportation, and economic development services — but at significantly larger scale and with a much broader geography.
• Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG): SACOG is the MPO and EDD for the six-county Sacramento region, providing transportation planning, economic development, and data analytics. Comparable dual MPO/EDD designation with similar integrated regional planning service portfolio at larger scale.
• Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC): DVRPC is the MPO for the greater Philadelphia region and an EDD, providing regional planning, data, and grant services. Comparable in MPO/EDD dual-designation model and integrated service portfolio, though at a much larger scale.

Others

• Fehr Graham: Engineering and environmental consulting firm already working with R1 as a brownfield coalition assessment consultant. Comparable as a private-sector provider of environmental, planning, and infrastructure services that competes with or complements public planning agencies.

Regional players

• Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission: Regional planning commission serving southwestern Wisconsin counties with planning, economic development, and grant administration services. Comparable small regional planning body operating under similar federal funding frameworks but in a different state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/r1planning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r1planning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Region 1 Planning Council