Program areas at LEAP
Regional growth department- provides Economic development services and programs throughout the metropolitan Lansing region (ingham, eaton, and clinton counties). The division focuses on proactive business expansion, attraction and retention that works directly with key businesses in targeted industries domestically and internationally to provide assistance and incentives that result in the creation and retention of jobs and investment in the Lansing region. This is achieved by regular communication with regional businesses, real estate site selection community, collaboration with regional municipalities and working with local university and colleges to attract and retain talent. Five projects were officially recruited and announced in 2023, including $77 million in pledged investment and over 200 new jobs from an automotive manufacturer for nuts and bolts. Two others mark foreign direct investment successes from china in automotive. The other company is high tech software company that integrates into autonomous busses based out of turkey. Additionally, another three business expansion projects were facilitated in 2023 constituting over $25,400,000 in pledged investment and over 256 jobs created, including strong investment from the mobility sector. For all 8 projects, the average range surpassed $23.97 / hour, well over 200% of the alice single adult wage threshold. Business attraction conducted 94 regional site searches, hosted 16 prospective company visits, and conducted 58 retention visits. Business attraction continued implementing and closing out the $120,500 grant from the Michigan Economic development corporation to better prepare vacant industrial sites for development across 4 ingham county sites. Leap's medtech advisory group and business attraction team also completed in 2023 its eda grant for the creation of a Lansing region medtech branding which included a new logo and website.
Ultium project- in january of 2022, the Michigan strategic fund approved $66.1 million through a strategic sites readiness program (ssrp) grant agreement with leap, in which leap acts as the fiduciary and administrator of dollars scoped to support public infrastructure costs necessary in order for delta charter township to provide the ultium high volume electric vehicle (ev) battery cell manufacturing facility with water, sewer and wastewater service, and similarly for the Lansing board of water & light (bwl) to provide ultium the electricity energy required by the project. The ultium project is a $2.6 billion investment, the largest in the history of the Lansing region. Delta township and bwl are both sub-grantees to leap under this infrastructure grant project, and an mou is in place with ultium itself as the primary end user benefiting from the new public infrastructure. In 2023, there have been many significant improvements to ready the infrastructure for the new facility. Bwl continues to work diligently and will likely conclude their portion of funding into 2024. Delta township works continually on the wastewater component into 2024.
Site-readiness funds- in 2022, leap secured five separate Michigan build ready grant agreements totaling $3.4 million. Funds from all five grants were scoped and spent in 2023 to be spent on various site preparation expenses such as real estate assemblage fees, environmental due diligence costs, infrastructure planning costs, and various associated professional services related to properties across clinton, eaton, and ingham counties. While much of the fund balance was expensed during 2022, the scope of work for these grants closed out into 2023.
Entrepreneurship & innovation team (formerly new economy division) assisted in forming 8 startup companies, follow on funding was achieved at top levels constituting $6,727,435 in investment and the creation of 74 jobs. Leap-led and leap-supported startup events were done at a high level of quality, returning in-person. Finished #4 in the entire state of Michigan in dollars awarded and number of submissions for the baf program. Three hatching pitch competitions were successfully held featuring judges from across the tri-county region. One&all program successfully launched 118 graduates since its start in 2020. The renewal for the gateway representative was submitted. Leap's contract to manage the ldfa was successfully renewed at $35,000 and a contract was created to provide the ldfa a dedicated staff person.
Department of equitable Economic planning (deep) deep's strategy to enhance equitable development in the Lansing region involves a three-pronged approach of internal policy review and evolution, community partnerships and programs to enhance business ownership and Economic participation among its target groups. Some of the highlights/major accomplishments in each Area include: 1) we launched our first cohort for elevate, a business accelerator program focused on supporting black businesses with a focus on revenue, profitability an prominence. Elevate, was made possible from a grant by pnc and support from ingham county. 2) second year of our level-up program, which helped 27 bipoc businesses by enhancing their operational sophistication/processes and converting them from dbas to llcs. 3) formed partnerships with the Lansing regional chamber of commerce to promote the importance of dei for small businesses and corporations by launching the diversity star award, with our inaugural recipient being peckham. 4) launched new program in Partnership with city of Lansing's office of financial empowerment, small business boost, which helped 47 entrepreneurs improve their personal and business finances and credit scores, allowing them to be better positioned financing and growing their businesses.
Clinton county - a newly established contract with clinton county in 2023 for $100,000. Through the contract with clinton county, leap provides enhanced Economic development services to help optimize and align Economic development opportunities across the region creating more jobs and assist business startups and business investment. The contract includes services provided to the entire county. In 2023, leap created a new subpage on our website to bring awareness and further guidance to clinton county businesses.
Eda medtech industry cluster strategy project: the u.s. eda awarded leap on june 7, 2021, federal funds associated with its medical technology (medtech) industry cluster strategy project. Leap's medtech advisory group and business attraction team also completed in 2022 its eda grant for the creation of a Lansing region medtech cluster building strategy. In 2023 leap created the Lansing regional sbir+ medtech accelerator program with msu research foundation's spartan innovations group managing it. This program had 2 cohorts from summer 2022 through fall 2023, totaling 19 startups. In addition, leap through the Lansing regional smartzone has launched a local accelerator program which provides grant funds to achieve key milestones and is complemented by a statewide program. Leap also worked with a marketing/communications firm to bring stakeholders together for a naming exercise to rebrand the industry cluster to now be "michigan's health core".
Early childhood investment corporation grant: in 2023, leap was awarded the early childhood investment corporations "regional child care planning grant" to convene stakeholders in the childcare industry in the region for the first time ever in the history of the region. This grant work included gathering baseline data, conducting surveys and focus groups, strategic planning work, and later in 2024, implementation. The initial grant for the capital Area child care coalition was for $150,000 but since has increased to be $241,515.00.
Ingham county contract: through a contract with ingham county, leap provides enhanced Economic development services to help optimize and align Economic development opportunities across the region creating more jobs and assist business startups and business investment. The contract includes services provided to vevay township dda, village of webberville dda, city of leslie ldfa, village of dansville dda, and city of williamston edc in addition to administration of the ingham county Economic development corporation and ingham county brownfield redevelopment board. In 2023, leap created a new subpage on our website to bring awareness and further guidance to ingham county businesses.