Mid Iowa Growth Partnership (MIGP) was designated a regional collaborative by the State of Iowa in mid 2005. MIGP consists of nine counties located in north-central Iowa, with a population of 175,000 and a potential labor force of over 300,000. In 2009 MIGP received a $250,000 regional planning grant through the Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration (DOL, ETA). This 18 month grant was used to develop a regional economic and strategic plan. The Regional Innovation Grant was used to gather outside resources on a larger scale by identifying and reaching out to a broader audience and engaging with them . The work included SWOT analysis, asset mapping, economic studies, scenario planning and social network mapping.