La. Admin. Code tit. 13 § III-1709

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section III-1709 - Regional Awards ("Tier 1")

A. Regional awards shall be in an amount appropriated by the Louisiana Legislature to this program and shall be allocated to the eight regions of this state in accordance with the map to be provided by LED. The regions will closely approximate the regions of the state presently served by LED regional representatives. Subject to Subsection E below, each region shall receive such portion of the available amount in accordance with its percentage of population of the state as established by the most recent census of the state. The secretary of LED shall determine the association of the EDOs for each region with which the department will enter into a CEA through which deliverables reflective of the goals and objectives of this program shall be established. The EDO identified by the regional association and approved by LED as the fiduciary agent for the region shall be responsible for coordination within the region to provide for the delivery of certain administrative documents. The costs related to the production of these documents are to be paid for using funds provided by Louisiana Economic Development (LED).

B. Each region shall produce the following core deliverables as a minimum. A regional business retention and expansion program in coordination with the statewide business retention and expansion program designed and implemented by LED, an inventory of industrial/commercial buildings, an inventory of industrial/commercial building sites, an inventory of industrial parks with available building sites, a comprehensive existing business and industry report (regional overview, major employers, etc.), a comprehensive feature attraction report, a comprehensive new infrastructure report, comprehensive labor information, and a regional business development plan as described in §1709. C LED, at its sole discretion, may also require additional deliverables from any region. The balance of regional funds available after the production of required core deliverables shall be spent based on a written plan submitted to and approved by LED. This plan will be approved by the issuance and execution of a cooperative endeavor agreement which will be drafted by LED after submission of a regional award application.

C. A forward looking regional business development plan that lists regional business development goals and objectives and that contains the following components at a minimum:

1. target industry sectors;

2. a marketing plan that will accomplish outreach to selected target industry sectors; and

3. a plan to secure local and regional funding support for the regional business development effort.

D. At a minimum, each regional association shall demonstrate to the secretary of LED that it is constituted by EDOs representing a majority of the parishes and a majority of the population in the region.

E. Notwithstanding population percentages for each region, the minimum funding for any region is $150,000 provided that the appropriation for the Regional Awards Program is $1,800,000 or greater. In the event that the appropriation for the Regional Awards Program is less than $1,800,000, the Secretary of LED is empowered to establish a funding distribution for the eight regional groups so as to ensure an appropriate distribution of resources. The Secretary of LED is empowered to place caps on the maximum amount of funding a regional EDO shall receive so as to ensure an appropriate distribution of resources.

F. At a minimum, each EDO identified by the regional association and approved by LED as the fiduciary agent for the region shall demonstrate the following to the secretary of LED:

1. that its core responsibility is to market and promote the recruitment of new and diversified businesses in accordance with a regional marketing plan;

2. that it has the capacity to administer the cooperative endeavor agreements (CEAs) for the region;

3. that it has the capacity to act as a fiscal agent for the funds made available to the region in accordance with the CEA;

4. that it is acting to market and promote regional economic development in accordance with a marketing plan as described in §1709. C 2

G. LED and each EDO identified by the regional association and approved by LED as the fiduciary agent for the region shall enter into agreements that shall include deliverables, goals and objectives for projects to be funded with regional awards. In addition to deliverables, goals and objectives, and such other necessary terms and conditions as may be provided by the CEA between LED and the EDO; projects shall be funded only upon providing the following:

1. a detailed budget and complete description of fund use;

2. demonstration that regional marketing initiatives are being addressed through the funding;

3. use of no more than 30 percent of the funding for eligible administrative costs and costs associated with economic development programs as specified in the LED Tier 1 Eligible Uses section;

4. database, labor information, real estate information, industrial site and building surveys and selection and other empirical data obtained or used in connection with the award shall be provided to the LED for its research and data collection use;

5. the secretary of LED may vary the terms and conditions of the CEA with EDO's including deliverables, goals and objectives and exhibits in order to accommodate extraordinary situations;

6. the agreement shall provide for submission of projects meeting the goals and objectives of the agreement by the EDO for advance approval by LED and for funding of the project by LED upon completion of the project and the submission by the EDO of the deliverables in accordance with the goals and objectives of the agreement.

H. Tier 1-LED Regional Funds-Eligible Uses

Tier 1- LED Regional Funds- Eligible Uses

Examples of eligible projects to be included by exhibit to the cooperative endeavor agreements between LED and the regional economic development associations:

Specific, time-limited research studies.

Purchases of demographic data including payment of yearly licensing fees.

Up to 30 percent of funds may be used for administrative costs and costs associated with economic development programs as delineated in the Tier 1 LED Regional Funds Ineligible Uses listed below (e.g. salaries, benefits, etc).

Promotion through inclusion in computer databases to targeted audiences such as relocation consultants.

Direct mail pieces to targeted audiences such as relocation consultants including related postage.

Participant registration, trade show exhibit fees and/or registration fees for events that support national or international strategic marketing events. Costs may include booth design, booth rental, and furniture rental for a tradeshow booth, booth construction, giveaway items or other show specific costs. Meals, lodging, per diem, and travel expenses are not eligible for reimbursement.

Registration fees for EDO staff members to attend professional development seminars and professional development conferences that are required as prerequisites for certification in the field of economic development. Registration fees may also be paid to attend continuing education classes needed to maintain certifications in the field of economic development. Meals, lodging, per diem and travel expenses are not eligible for reimbursement.

Production of printed materials, such as brochures and inserts.

Production of slide presentations, videotapes, DVDs and CD ROMs intended for dissemination to relocation consultants, corporate executives, or other industry or business representatives involved in expansion or relocations activities.

Advertising through mass media, including newspaper, magazines, radio, television, Internet and billboards.

Public relations expenses related to the production of an event, such as production of media kits, media training, ongoing media contact, on-site coordination of media, set-up of interview area and media room, and costs associated with special broadcast media set-up requirements.

Design of an Internet web site, not for ongoing Internet access or website hosting costs.

Familiarization tours for site location consultants visiting Louisiana. To be used for site location consultant related expenses only, and may include site location consultant travel, meals, lodging and event hosting expenses.

Professional fees and informational materials associated with building prospect development and prospect visit hosting capacity at the regional level.

Initial fees and yearly licensing and or subscription fees associated with region wide GIS systems.

Initial fees and yearly licensing and or subscription fees associated with systems supporting the regional business retention and expansion program.

Professional fees to augment regional capacity supporting the regional business retention and expansion program

I. Tier 1-LED Regional Funds-Ineligible Uses

Tier 1- LED Regional Funds- Ineligible Uses

Examples of ineligible projects to be included by exhibit to the cooperative endeavor agreements between LED and the regional economic development associations:

Administrative salaries, benefits, general administrative costs, economic development program costs, and economic development program related salaries and benefits exceeding an aggregate of 20 percent of funds provided.

Administrative costs (e.g. salaries and benefits for accounting, finance, human resources, building management, and information technology functions, etc.) exceeding 10 percent of funds provided.

Entertainment.

Overhead expenses (postage and shipping charges, office space, furniture, fixtures, equipment, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, utilities, general office software, etc.).

Travel, food, beverages, and/or lodging for any persons including volunteers and paid staff of economic development organizations.

Equipment purchases/rentals with the exception of those charges allowed for tradeshow booths as mentioned in the Tier 1 LED Regional Funds Eligible Uses section above.

Beauty pageants, parades, school advertising, local promotions, sponsorships and things of a similar nature.

Promotional items, unless part of an out-of-state marketing activity.

Stationery, toll-free numbers, membership solicitation literature.

Unreasonable and excessive agency costs that exceed 25 percent of the total cost for printed material (Agency costs are costs not billed directly from prepress, printing, illustrations or photography by vendors.).

Unreasonable or excessive technical costs.

Construction costs.

Activities or materials that violate the law.

Ongoing Internet access or web site hosting costs.

Organization membership directories and organization memberships.

In state event hosting, in state event sponsorship and venue rental charges.

In state conferences.

Alcoholic Beverages.

Infrastructure such as land, roads, utilities or buildings.

La. Admin. Code tit. 13, § III-1709

Promulgated by the Department of Economic Development, Office of the Secretary and Office of Business Development, LR 33:41 (January 2007), amended LR 35:635 (April 2009), LR 36:51 (January 2010).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:104 and 36:108.