North Carolina’s Southeast Regional Economic Development Partnership soon plans to begin a new project bolstered by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
 
The 18-county regional economic development group was approved for a $148,000 grant. North Carolina’s Southeast will contribute a 20% match of $37,000 toward the project’s total $185,000 cost.
 
The EDA grant project, called The Southeast’s Regional Industry Sector Analysis, features four components: an industry sector analysis; an industrial site analysis; an incubator development strategy; and efforts to sharpen the group’s regional marketing and revamp its website, last updated in 2011.
 
Part of the organization’s industry sector assessment could have a component to focus on the Wilmington micro-region, which includes New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick and Columbus counties, said Steve Yost, president of North Carolina’s Southeast.
 
The organization plans to launch the project Sept. 1 and expects to complete it in September 2020.