Twenty-two municipal and regional projects in Greater Lowell will leverage more than $210,000 to advance local and regional priorities in housing, energy and sustainability, economic development, transportation, and grant research, application, and administration. NMCOG annually provides technical assistance for planning projects across the region. This work is funded through the District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program and the Grant Assistance Program (GAP), which utilizes funding the Legislature and Governor appropriate annually and are distributed to all regional planning agencies, including NMCOG. In making project awards, NMCOG prioritized projects that advance fair housing goals, implement existing local or regional plans, lead directly to changes in policy, utilize matching funds, or represent collaborations between multiple municipalities. 

NMCOG solicited project proposals from its nine communities in December 2025. The following local projects have been awarded technical assistance and are being advanced in 2026: 

• Billerica: Assistance administering the regional “Bridging the Digital Divide” digital equity grant, scoping and grant writing assistance to obtain funding for a Community Master Plan, updated Trail Maps, and modernization of Town Subdivision Rules and Regulations 
• Chelmsford: Scoping, grant writing, and technical assistance for a Managed Growth Strategy 
• Dracut: Revision of a recently completed Open Space and Recreation Plan for state approval, and a Commercial Zoning Analysis to incentivize economic development 
• Dunstable: A Larter Field Master Plan, grant writing and administration assistance with the Union School Building Reuse Study, and creation of a Townwide Fishing Brochure 
• Lowell: Completion of the Evaluation of Lowell’s Urban Renewal Districts
• Pepperell: Completion of the Pepperell Housing Production Plan, grant writing assistance for Housing Production Plan implementation, a Commercial Zoning Analysis to incentivize economic development, and a Small Towns Collaborative Economic Development Survey  
• Tewksbury: Completion of the Tewksbury Open Space and Recreation Plan 
• Tyngsborough: A Hazard Mitigation Plan 
• Westford: Completion of the Westford Open Space and Recreation Plan, and the first phase of a Housing Production Plan 

In addition, regional projects serving all nine communities are being advanced: 

• At Home in Greater Lowell: Regional Housing Strategy Phase 2 
• Application for a regional Communitywide Brownfields Assessment Grant
• Northern Middlesex CEO Group support

Additional technical assistance beyond the projects listed above is provided to member communities through NMCOG’s Unified Planning Work Program, annual assessments from member municipalities, leveraged grants from state programs, and fee-for-service contributions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and additional awards may be announced later in the year.  

Read more about NMCOG’s Technical Assistance Program.