Regional Development Corporation outlines microgrant, workforce and capacity-building plans for 2026
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Summary
The RDC told Los Alamos County Council it awarded 71 grants totaling $409,000 last year, conducted 199 business retention visits regionwide, and will emphasize workforce development and microgrant workshops in 2026. Councilors asked how local partnerships and DOE funding shape programming.
The Regional Development Corporation presented its 2025 outcomes and 2026 program priorities to the Los Alamos County Council on Jan. 13, 2026, saying its outreach and small-business funding will continue across the RDC’s seven-county region.
Deborah Breitfeld, the RDC’s economic development coordinator, said the organization performed “199 BRE visits in the last calendar year” and reported 25 of those visits were in Los Alamos. She summarized the RDC’s grant activity: “We had 71 grants totaling $409,000,” and said awardees reported $1,700,000 in revenue increases tied to the RDC programs.
The RDC described its suite of services — business retention and expansion, loan and grant programs, workforce development and capacity building — and highlighted targeted programs for tribal partners. Breitfeld also described the microgrant program: 11 Los Alamos businesses received microgrants last year totaling about $29,000, and RDC staff plan local workshops explaining grant requirements and marketing support ahead of the June microgrant cycle.
Councilors asked about workforce partnerships and grant sizes. Pat Vanderpool, RDC executive director, said the RDC contracts with higher-education institutions for targeted workforce programs, typically about $25,000 per school, and described a $1.6 million DOE Environmental Management grant administered in partnership with San Ildefonso Services for land‑assessment and workforce components. Vanderpool said the RDC leverages Triad National Security funding plus contracts with Santa Fe City and County to extend microgrant reach into rural communities.
Councilors also asked whether Los Alamos County could supplement RDC microgrant funds; Vanderpool said the structure could be adapted if the county chose to provide local funding. The RDC said it will host a regional REDI Summit on March 5 and launch team‑fund and tribal grant opportunities there.
No formal council action was taken; staff and RDC said they would follow up with materials for the county clerk and post the RDC handouts with the meeting record.
