The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) will once again provide support for qualifying economic development projects through its rebranded Economic Growth Fund (EGF). Municipalities, nonprofits, academic institutions, economic development organizations, and community organizations in Chautauqua County are invited to apply for this leverage funding to be used toward a project that focuses on growing or strengthening the local economy.

In addition to a new name for the program, CCPEG is also adjusting the application process. Before interested applicants can apply for funding, they must first send a letter of interest that will be used to determine if their project is eligible. After initial review by CCPEG, any and all qualifying projects would then be invited to fill out an application for funding.

“We wanted to rename this grant program to better reflect its connection to CCPEG and our efforts to support economic development projects scattered across the county,” said Josiah Lamp, CCPEG Program Manager. “We also wanted to incorporate a letter of interest into the grant request process in order to better identify eligible projects before applicants spend the time filling out the application.”

This is the fifth year that CCPEG has offered the funding program, which focuses on enhancing economic revitalization and long-term strategic investment throughout the County. Funding for the 2026 EGF program comes from a support grant provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation – awarded to CCPEG in late 2024. This year, up to $300,000 in grant funding will be made available for eligible projects.

Grant awards typically range between $10,000 and $20,000, and requests of up to $50,000 will be considered for high-priority projects. Some projects that have received funding previously include the Westfield Village Green updates, improvements to Hartley Park in Lakewood, developing a Waterfront Activation Plan for Mayville, strategic plan development for the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation & Economic Development, CHQ Chamber’s ShopLocalCHQ program, the Dream It Do It Tech Career Initiative, the Chautauqua County Fair Conceptual Planning and Enhancement project, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Nature for All CHQ project, and many more. Over the past four years, CCPEG has awarded a total of $1,765,000 to more than 80 qualifying projects.

Grant seekers can apply in one of two categories for their projects: either for Planning and Technical Assistance Funds to plant the seeds for future projects; or for Implementation Funds to execute projects. Prioritization will be given to projects that need local match funding for state or federal grants, or are otherwise leveraging new resources for the County.

“Since 2022, CCPEG has supported numerous high-priority projects, all of which were intended to spur economic development within Chautauqua County,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCPEG Advisory Board co-chair. “Thanks to the additional funding we received from the Wilson Foundation in 2024, we’ve been able to continue providing leveraging support for local economic development projects that will build on the momentum we are generating across the County.”

Letters of Interest submissions can start on Monday, January 5, with a deadline of January 23. The application period for qualifying projects will run from February 2 through February 27. After a review of all applications, the 2026 Economic Growth Fund awards will be announced in late March of 2026.

More information about EGF, including what to include in a letter of interest, is available on the Economic Growth Fund page at CHQPartnership.org.

For questions or assistance, please contact Monica Simpson, CCPEG Partner Engagement Coordinator, by calling (716) 363-3770 or emailing SimpsonM@chqgov.com.