The State of Ohio invests in local economic and community development, and arts and culture projects, through its state capital budget. This legislative process reflects the statewide priorities of the Ohio General Assembly, the DeWine Administration, and regional economic development partners. 

Over the last 12 years, the Greater Akron Chamber has played an integral role in our community’s effort(s) to gather, review and prioritize regional projects that are seeking funds from the state capital budget. To help ensure our region gets its fair share of state funding for priority projects, the Chamber convenes a working group of key stakeholders, including leaders from within business, economic development, nonprofit, and community organizations. Following the due diligence of these leaders, we provide funding recommendations for eligible projects to state legislators, the DeWine Administration and relevant state agencies.

We will continue to help streamline connectivity and information sharing between interested parties. The Chamber is uniquely positioned to assist in these efforts due to our direct and ongoing role in regional economic development activities and our ability to convene community stakeholders to prioritize projects through our Task Force. Our evaluation process includes a determination of eligibility (in respect to state guidelines) and a merit-based prioritization (as agreed upon by community leaders serving on the Task Force). 

To do this work, the Chamber has once again assembled its Community Projects Task Force. We look forward to helping our region prepare for this funding opportunity and produce a list of project recommendations that stand to have positive implications on economic development for Greater Akron. 

Linked below are documents to review and complete prior to submitting a project to the Task Force, should you seek our endorsement and support. Within these documents, you will find an overview of the Chamber’s internal process and a questionnaire intended to gather all relevant information. 

• Greater Akron Community Task Force Process Overview
• Greater Akron Community Task Force Project Questionnaire
• State of Ohio’s Eligibility Guidelines, Community Project Guidance, and Tips for Securing an Allocation

Please note: All projects being submitted to the Task Force must be emailed to John Rizzo at jrizzo@greaterakronchamber.org by 5 p.m. on November 17, 2023. 

Additional information is available upon request for project sponsors who have completed and submitted the attached questionnaire.

For more information, contact John Rizzo, Vice President of Government Affairs, at jrizzo@greaterakronchamber.org and visit our Advocacy Center.

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