Message From Commissioner Jepson
Vermont Department of Economic Development Welcome to 2026! In Montpelier, the legislative session has officially kicked off with Governor Scott delivering his State of the State address.
The speech was dedicated in full to the need for education transformation, an issue that impacts us all: "If we get this right, it will improve the lives of all Vermonters... education transformation is not optional, it’s essential to growing our economy, to building a strong skilled workforce, to supporting businesses.”
Addressing the cost of education means an opportunity for future public money to be redirected to other areas of need like housing, childcare, public safety, transportation, and lower taxes. Listen live to the Governor’s upcoming budget address scheduled for today, January 20th at 2:00pm at this link ORCA Media - YouTube
Our team looks forward to working with legislators in the months ahead on shared priorities to meet the needs of Vermont.
Lyle Jepson
Commissioner
Department News
In the Spotlight:
Strengthening Businesses. Delivering Results.
The Vermont APEX Accelerator is part of a nation-wide program established to strengthen U.S. supply chains by helping businesses pursue and perform on contracts with federal agencies, state and local governments, and government prime contractors. Find us online: The Vermont APEX Accelerator
Through one-on-one business counseling, customized bid matching, bid preparation and eBusiness support, training, and partnership networking, the Vermont APEX equips companies to compete effectively in the government marketplace. For one Vermont APEX client in the video production industry, that support was transformative.
"We were assigned to Counselor Ed Williams from Vermont APEX and he has been the rock that we needed,” the client shared. “He helped us set realistic goals, guided us through bidding, and supported us when we hit roadblocks. We would not be here without him.”
HDmedical Founder, Marie Pavini, MD, FCCM, FCCP, shared similar praise for counselor Elizabeth “Betsy” Adams:
“Betsy is a dynamo when it comes to the fine detail and important nuances of submitting government documents. She is the ‘fastest gun (or mouse) in the West’ when it comes to finding reference materials and valuable contacts. And with all of her expertise and talent, she is a true pleasure to work with!”
These success stories reflect the mission of Vermont APEX Accelerator: providing expert guidance, technical support, and strategic insight to help businesses navigate government contracting and achieve real, measurable growth.
The VT APEX Accelerator team will be hosting Adam Gamelin, Cybersecurity Advisor with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), for a free online event: Lock it Down: Passwords & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Join us on Thursday January 29th at 11am to discuss the two most important ways to protect your business from cyber threats. You will learn about resources available through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and walk away with actionable steps and simple practical measures you can implement for your business immediately. Visit the Vermont APEX Accelerator events page to register: Vermont APEX Accelerator Training & Events
Community Housing and Infrastructure Program (CHIP)
The launch of the Community Housing and Infrastructure Program (CHIP) remains on track for later this month. In the meantime, a required interest form is now live for municipalities to provide a high-level overview of their proposed projects. This brief form will help the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) track program interest and anticipate incoming applications. Additionally, recordings are now available CDFA - Vermont’s Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) Webinar Series: TIF in Practice of the recent educational webinars.
If you are interested in learning more Vermont League of Cities & Towns is hosting a webinar on Thursday, February 19th, 2026.
Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Spring 2026 Round is Coming!
The Grant Management System (GMS) will begin accepting pre-applications for Catalyst, Forest Economy Program, and Timber for Transit on February 2nd with a deadline for submission of February 27th, at 5:00 p.m. Registration for the GMS is required and is open now. Program materials will be available on the NBRC website starting January 23rd.
If you have not yet done so, a Project Interest Form submitted to Kristie Farnham, Vermont’s State Program Manager at [email protected] will allow for feedback to be provided.
The 2025 calendar year Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) List is now available. This is a vital tool that gives each region a voice when projects are scored by Vermont’s team.
If you missed it, you could check out Vermont’s Fall 2026 awardees for all of NBRC’s programs on NBRC’s Vermont webpage. For those really curious, you can see awards as far back as 2016. There are a lot of amazing projects that have received critical funding.
Pictured: Is a Spring 2025 Catalyst award that will be used to rebuild the Benson Village Store, restoring a vital economic and social hub for the rural community of Benson, Vermont. This project will construct a new 2.5-story general store with a deli, gas station, post office, and gathering spaces, providing essential services while fostering local engagement and economic growth. This is a project of the new Village Trust Initiative, a joint program through Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
Nonprofit Revolving Loan Fund Registration
Does your non-profit conduct lending activities through a revolving loan fund for affordable housing, community development, and/or economic development? If so, starting on January 1, be sure to report your information to the Registry of Non-Profit Revolving Loan Funds.
Opportunities and Resources
VT Outdoor Business Alliance Workforce Survey
Please help VOBA support the VT outdoor community by promoting our VT Outdoor Workforce Survey. We'd appreciate if you could share the attached survey flyer and make a post with the attached social media tile.
The survey is for any owner, manager, or employee of an enterprise with operations involved with the Vermont outdoor recreation economy. Please share this with folks in your network who fit into or work regularly with this group.
OUR PROGRAMS
Brownfields Revitalization Fund (BRF)
Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP)
International Trade Assistance (STEP)
Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI)
Vermont Training Program (VTP)
1.20.2026. Vermont Department of Economic Development
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