What Planning and Development District III does

Planning and Development District III is a public government planning district formed by Executive Order of South Dakota Governor Frank Farrar on December 4, 1970, with members subsequently forming a voluntary association in 1973 under state joint powers statutes. It serves 15 counties (Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Lyman, Sanborn, Tripp, and Yankton), 60 municipalities, and 3 tribal governments — Crow Creek Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, and Yankton Sioux — across 13,218 square miles of Southcentral and Southeast South Dakota encompassing a 2020 Census population of 100,636. Headquartered in Yankton, South Dakota, the organization operates with a 13-person professional staff led by Executive Director Lori Cowman.

The organization's core service portfolio spans six interconnected offerings: Planning Services (comprehensive plans, zoning, subdivision regulations, capital improvement plans); GIS Services (custom WebGIS applications on ArcGIS Server, parcel mapping, 9-1-1 data, utility mapping, GPS collection, and Python/JavaScript/VB-driven automation); Housing Programs (Governor's House, SD Housing First-time Homebuyer, EMAP, LAP, CHIP, USDA Rural Development housing); Business Development Services including the Areawide Business Council (ABC) revolving loan fund, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) consulting, and APEX Accelerators government contracting assistance; Project Funding Assistance administering CDBG, EDA, DANR, USDA, DOT, FEMA, and LWCF programs; and Hazard Mitigation Services.

The business model combines annual membership dues from county, municipal, and tribal members, professional-services fees for grant administration, and interest income from the ABC revolving loan fund. Sub-brands include APEX Accelerators (DoD-aligned government contracting assistance), Areawide Business Council (revolving business lending), and the South Dakota SBDC (no-cost SBA-affiliated consulting). Geographic reach is jurisdictionally bounded by state designation, and growth is constrained by the fixed 15-county service region rather than market demand.

Name

Planning and Development District III

Legal name

Planning and Development District III

Website

https://districtiii.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Planning and Development District III is a South Dakota state-designated voluntary association of 15 counties, 60 municipalities, and 3 tribal governments, providing regional planning, GIS, housing, business financing, and federal grant administration services across 13,218 square miles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning and Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Government grant administration
• GIS mapping services
• Economic development financing
• Government contracting assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Yankton

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Voluntary association of county, municipal and tribal governments that pay membership dues for planning services and professional planning assistance at membership rates.
2. Government Program Administration: Staff administer various federal and state funding programs including CDBG, EDA, DANR, USDA, DOT, FEMA, and LWCF grants and loans on behalf of member communities.
3. Revolving Loan Fund (ABC): Areawide Business Council revolving loan fund provides low-interest financing for new and expanding businesses, generating interest income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Planning and Development District III is a voluntary association of county, municipal, and tribal governments that delivers comprehensive development assistance across a 15-county region in Southcentral and Southeast South Dakota. Its core offerings include professional planning services (comprehensive plans, zoning, subdivision regulations, capital improvement plans), GIS and WebGIS mapping services, business development support through the Areawide Business Council revolving loan fund, Small Business Development Center consulting, and APEX Accelerators government contracting assistance, alongside project funding administration for state and federal programs and hazard mitigation planning.

Product overview

Planning and Development District III is a voluntary association of county, municipal, and Tribal governments providing comprehensive development assistance to its membership in Southcentral and Southeast South Dakota. The organization operates as a service-based entity offering planning, GIS, housing, business development, and project funding assistance across 15 counties. The portfolio consists of interconnected services: Planning Services provides land use and community planning; GIS Services offers web-based geographic information systems; Housing Programs connect residents with various homeownership and rental assistance programs; Business Development Services include the ABC revolving loan fund and SBDC consulting; Project Funding Assistance helps navigate federal and state funding programs; and Hazard Mitigation Services support county-level disaster preparedness planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APEX Accelerators: Government contracting assistance program providing technical expertise to South Dakota businesses interested in bidding on and receiving federal, state and local government contracts.
• Areawide Business Council (ABC)
• South Dakota Small Business Development Center

Products and services

• Planning Services Professional planning services for the 15-county region including comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, recreation plans, hazard mitigation plans, water resource plans, transportation plans, and capital improvement plans, delivered to counties, cities, villages, and tribes at membership rates.
• GIS Services Geographic Information System services including custom WebGIS applications, custom programming, application development, data production, hosting, support, training, and consulting for GIS implementation in counties and municipalities.
• Housing Programs Housing assistance connecting residents and communities with the Governor's House Program, South Dakota Housing programs (First-time Homebuyer, EMAP, LAP, CHIP), and USDA Rural Development housing programs.
• Areawide Business Council (ABC) Revolving Loan Fund Revolving loan fund providing low-interest financing for new and expanding businesses to promote development of business and industrial concerns, create jobs, leverage public and private funds, and diversify the area's economy, with over $4 Million obtained through USDA Rural Development for the Meat & Poultry Processors Loan Fund.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Consulting No-cost professional confidential business management consulting services delivered as a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, supporting start-up and existing businesses across South Dakota.
• APEX Accelerators Government Contracting Assistance Technical expertise delivered to South Dakota businesses for government contracting, helping firms pursue and perform under contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and government prime contractors.
• Project Funding Assistance Staff-administered access to and application support for State, Federal and Private Funding Opportunities including CDBG, EDA, DANR, USDA, DOT, FEMA, and LWCF grants and loans on behalf of member communities.
• Hazard Mitigation Services Hazard mitigation surveys and plans for counties within the service region, including active mitigation plans for Bon Homme, Brule, Douglas, and Yankton counties that support community emergency preparedness and eligibility for federal mitigation funding.

Named customers9 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Dakota Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict III hosts the SBDC as a resource partner, providing no-cost professional consulting services to start-up and existing businesses in South Dakota. The SBDC is a resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
• APEX AcceleratorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPEX Accelerators Program provides technical expertise to South Dakota businesses for government contracting. A specialty center of the South Dakota SBDC, APEX provides free government contracting assistance. Part of a nationwide network of PTACs.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)minorOthersSBA is referenced as the federal resource partner for the SBDC network. District III does not administer SBA financial programs but refers businesses to SBA funding programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• South Dakota Planning District IV: South Dakota planning district covering the Aberdeen/northeast region with the same voluntary association structure of counties and municipalities. Provides parallel comprehensive planning, GIS, and federal grant administration services as District III.
• South Dakota Planning District V: South Dakota planning district serving east-central counties with the same voluntary member model, providing comprehensive planning, community development, and project funding assistance. Direct structural and operational peer to District III.
• First District Association of Local Governments: Another South Dakota planning district operating under the same state joint powers statute with the same voluntary association model, providing planning, GIS, and economic development services to member counties and municipalities in northeast South Dakota. Directly structurally and operationally comparable to District III.
• South Dakota Planning District II: South Dakota planning district serving central South Dakota counties under the same state-wide Council of Governments framework as District III, with overlapping service categories (planning, GIS, grant administration, SBDC). Direct peer in scale, mission, and governance model.
• South Dakota Planning District VI: South Dakota planning district covering western South Dakota counties. Operates under the same state statute and member-funded model as District III, providing planning, GIS, and grant administration for member county and municipal governments.
• Planning District VII: South Dakota planning district serving the southeastern Sioux Falls region with the same voluntary association of governments model. Comparable in service mix (planning, GIS, business development, housing) and revenue model (membership dues plus grant administration).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planning-and-development-district-iii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Planning and Development District III