Services for Rural Illinois
IIRA provides services through various programs that support our goals of:
- Promoting a sound statewide rural policy.
- Advancing the state of knowledge about rural issues.
- Providing high quality training and technical assistance to rural leaders.
These programs are the cornerstones of our success in improving the quality of life for rural citizens.
Programs for Economic Development
Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center (RETAC)
RETAC provides services including data analysis and retrieval, economic impact and retail sector analysis, assistance with international marketing, as well as skills and capacity building training programs.
Illinois Value Added Sustainable Development Center (IVASDC)
IVASDC educates agriculture producers and economic development professionals regarding value-added agricultural opportunities for their area. Additional technical assistance is provided to these groups as they organize business ventures that will increase their income as well as expand employment opportunities in rural Illinois.
Business and Geographic Information Services (BGIS)
The BGIS provides economic developers with the tools needed to asses and promote their communities to business and industry. BGIS provides demographic data, and analysis which include retail trade analysis, a competitive demographic report and workforce data.
Illinois Small Business Development Center
The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University in Macomb is one of over 40 Illinois Small Business Development Centers and more than 1100 SBDCs nationwide which provide confidential business counseling at no charge to prospective and established business owners and inventors.
Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
PTAC provides assistance to businesses that are seeking to sell to the government marketplace (Federal, State or Local). PTAC can assist a business on a broad variety of topics including electronic bid match, bid preparation, registrations, certifications, government specs, etc. The Illinois PTAC of Central Illinois is one of 11 PTAC offices in the state of Illinois. The center is hosted by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University with the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce also providing sponsorship.
Programs for Housing
Rural Community Development Initiative for Housing
The IIRA Rural Housing program works to provide resources for rural communities to develop, research and initiate rural housing solutions.
Programs for Community Development
MAPPING the Future of Your Community
MAPPING THE FUTURE OF YOUR COMMUNITY program (Management and Planning Programs Involving Nonmetropolitan Groups) is a strategic visioning and planning process whereby local residents of rural communities create a long-range vision and a plan of action for achieving it.
Health MAPPING
The health MAPPING program bridges helps rural regions to develop an action plan to address needs for local health care services, public health education, and a healthier environment.
Peace Corps Fellows Program
The two-fold mission of the Peace Corps Fellows Program in Community Development is to train the next generation of community development specialists and to assist small towns with the implementation of community projects.
Midwest Community Development Institute (CDI)
The Midwest CDI is a comprehensive professional training program in community and economic development. CDI provides hands-on practical training.
Each CDI session lasts five days and the complete CDI program consists of attending three sessions, referred to as Year One, Year Two, and Year Three. Once completed participants become certified as a Professional Community and Economic Developer.
Transportation
Rural Transit Assistance Center (RTAC)
The Rural Transit Assistance Center (RTAC) mission is to promote the safe and effective delivery of public transportation in rural areas and fulfills its mission through providing the Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) for the State of Illinois.
RTAC provides training, technical assistance and research to promote public and specialized transportation in rural areas.
RTAC is also the clearinghouse for the Illinois Coordinating Committee on Transportation, created by Public Act 93-0185 to encourage the coordination of public and private transportation services.
Alternative Energy
Illinois Wind
Illinois Wind is a website dedicated to information about using wind as a source for renewable energy.
