- Granting Agency: Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
- Appropriation Amount: $500,000,000
- Grant Amount: Award Ceiling $10,000,000, Award Floor $100,000, 0% to 20% match depending on economic impact, EDA Grant Officers in the regional office will consider on a case by case basis
- Announcement Date: July 22, 2021
- Closing Date: March 21, 2022
Purpose: Provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to, and recover from, the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including long-term recovery and resilience to future economic disasters. Under this announcement, EDA solicits applications under the authority of the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, which is flexible and responsive to the economic development needs and priorities of local and regional stakeholders.
Eligible Expenditures:
Workforce Development
Potential grantees considering projects to develop or support regional workforce training systems should submit proposals under the EDA ARPA Jobs Challenge NOFO, unless that project requires a construction activity not eligible under the Jobs Challenge NOFO. Projects to develop or support regional workforce training systems that require a construction activity are encouraged to apply to this NOFO. For any project that seeks workforce development funding under this NOFO, EDA strongly encourages the applicant to follow and incorporate the principles outlined in the Jobs Challenge NOFO around creating and implementing an employer-driven job training system.
Strategy Grants
In addition to implementation projects, applicants may also seek funding in the form of a “strategy grant” to develop, update, or refine a statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) or multi-jurisdictional CEDS that incorporates the needs of multiple Economic Development Districts.3 Such a CEDS must aim to alleviate long-term economic deterioration or prepare strategies for dealing with future sudden or severe economic dislocations, including future pandemics, as described in EDA’s regulations at 13 C.F.R. § 307.3.4 Depending on the needs of a state or region, applicants may be eligible for an initial strategy grant and a subsequent implementation grant. EDA will consider applications submitted by eligible applicants located in or acting on behalf of the region(s) to be covered by the CEDS.
Eligible Applicants:
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
State governments
Special district governments
City or township governments
County governments
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education