The Mid-Shore Regional Council (MSRC) was created in 2001 via enabling legislation proposed by the Eastern Shore Delegation in response to recommendations made in the Governor's Eastern Shore Economic Development Task Force Report.

The MSRC operates as a cooperative regional planning and development agency within Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot Counties to foster physical, economic, and social development.  The Council initiates and coordinates plans and projects for the development of human and economic resources.

The Council initiates and coordinates plans and projects for the development of human and economic resources.

The MSRC is a federally designated Economic Development District (an economically distressed area) which enables federal funding to the region through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.

Scope of work highlights:

• Facilitate the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Mid-Shore Region.
• Continue to partner with the Maryland Broadband Cooperative, Inc. (MdBC)
• Assist with EDA funding for the Caroline Technology Park located in Ridgely
• Assist with EDA funding for the Dorchester County Business and Technology Park
• Assit with EDA funding for the Regional Medical Facility
• Assist with EDA funding for the Mistletoe Hall Project
• Facilitate the establishment of a Mid-Shore Business and Technology Incubator
• Support the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC)
• Provide governance of the regional transit project Maryland Upper Shore Transit (MUST)
• Continue to partner with Shore Gourmet, Inc.
• Support the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC)
• GeoDASH Initiative - work with EDA, DBED, and TCCLES to build capacity between the ESRGC and BEACON to assist the MSRGC and TCCLES regions in analysis of economic, transportation and workforce issuse through GIS dashboard tools.
• Assist in the establishment of a study to determine the feasibility of a regional technology school or utilizing Chesapeake College in offering regional technology programs.

Key

BEACON = Business, Economics, and Community Outreach Network, Franklin P. Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University

DBED = Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development

EDA = Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

GIS = Geographic Information Systems

TCCLES = Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland