Call For Districts: ?New Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) District Cohort (2026-2029)

Location:	Massachusetts
Posted:	Nov 3, 2025
Due:	Nov 21, 2025
Agency:	MA Economic Development & Finance Agency
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	59 - Electrical and Electronic Equipment Components C - Architect and Engineering Services - Construction Q - Medical Services U - Education and Training Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Call For Districts: New Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) District Cohort (2026-2029)

MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a unique initiative supporting small and mid-sized post-industrial cities. The program brings state resources directly to neighborhoods most in need—working hand-in-hand with local partners to strengthen community engagement, support small businesses, advance real estate projects, enhance arts and cultural assets, and drive lasting economic development. Each TDI District receives intensive, place-based support over a three-year period. Participating cities form a cross-sector partnership that grows more representative and resilient throughout the program’s duration.

TDI will select six new Gateway City Districts to join the 2026–2029 cohort. All Gateway Cities in Massachusetts are eligible to apply, including Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.

Key Dates:

Application Available: Friday, October 24
District Zoom Webinar: Monday, November 3 * View it here!
Application Due: Friday, November 21
New District Notification: February 2026
TDI Fellow Matching: March 2026
2026-2029 Cohort Dates: July 1, 2026, thru July 1, 2029

FAQs Partnership Questionnaire Partnership Information Template Application Guidelines Application Application Questions TDI District Webinar (11/3/25) Slides

Attachment Preview

TDI Call for Districts FAQ

We are excited to announce the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Call for

Districts! Applications will be released in mid-October 2025. This round will include

both new Districts and the extension of existing Districts.

1. What is TDI?

TDI is unique nationwide among programs for small and medium-sized post-

industrial cities. Our model is built on bringing government to the communities in

greatest need, with the least traditional access to our resources, and rolling up our

sleeves to work with partners at the neighborhood level to build trust and prove our

value over time. We commit intensive resources to a district for a 3-year period,

simultaneously working on real estate development, small business stability and

growth, arts and cultural amenities, placemaking, and targeted technical assistance

and strategic planning. This work is laid on a platform of community engagement

and partnership development; we require that cities assemble a cross-sector

partnership to apply in the first place, and over the course of the program, we work

to make the partnership more representative of the neighborhood and use it as a

platform to grow sustaining, working relationships.

2. Who is eligible?

All Gateway Cities as defined by M.G.L. ch 23A, Section 3A, are eligible to apply for

new Districts. These include:

• Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River,

Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden,

Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem,

Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.

Gateway cities that have previously hosted a TDI Fellow are eligible to apply for a TDI

District with the following restrictions:

• The application must focus on a commercial district other than the original

TDI District (s).

• The partnership in the application must be substantially different than the

original TDI Partnership.

• There must be a local partner willing to co-invest in the district along with

MassDevelopment.

3. What determines eligibility?

Applicants are required to form a local collaborative partnership to apply for a TDI

District designation. The partnership will work with MassDevelopment to move

progress forward in the District. The partnership must identify a lead contact, and

each Gateway City can submit no more than one application. All information

submitted will become the property of MassDevelopment and will be reviewed by

staff and an appointed review committee during the Call for Districts process.

Districts must:

• Be small (a roughly five-minute walking radius).

• Contain a mix of uses around recent public or private investments.

• Be of importance to the city and the region.

• Have suffered from disinvestment in the past.

• Be ripe for organizational support work and catalytic investments to create

momentum.

4. What do selected cities receive if awarded a TDI District? (The TDI Toolkit)

• A TDI Fellow: a midcareer economic development professional who will

serve as a local organizer for the duration of the TDI commitment, fully paid

for by MassDevelopment.

• Custom technical assistance from MassDevelopment and its “House

Doctor” consultants throughout the three-year program.

• Access to small grants, which are new financial and capacity-building tools

developed to promote local market growth focused on small businesses and

activating/improving mixed-use development.

• Consideration for potential strategic MassDevelopment investments in the

District.

5. How does TDI define a partnership?

The local collaborative partnership is a working group of lead stakeholders engaged

in the long-term implementation of the District’s success. The partnership should

be composed of a variety of stakeholders in the District who are able to create broad

community consensus for work to be done in the District. This group should include

property owners and major businesses. While there are no firm requirements for

who belongs in a partnership, the group should be represented by at least the City

itself, and any major employers, anchor institutions, residents, and nonprofits that

work in or near the District.

Thank you for your interest in participating in, or extending your involvement with,

MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.