Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of March 25, 2019

New announcements this week include:

Funding & Resource Announcements:

The following is a selection of recent announcements gleaned from various federal sources and colleagues, and is provided to EDA’s Economic Development Integrators to increase our awareness of complementary resources for economic development. Special thanks to ETA and other federal partners for sharing content included below.

See more open funding opportunities at federal agencies on the EDI webpage at https://www.eda.gov/edi/assistance/

Also visit the following links on our updated EDI webpages at www.eda.gov/edi for additional information about federal resources that are available to support comprehensive regional economic development strategies, including:

Click here to view all weekly federal announcement posts.

Contents

Funding & Resource Announcements. 2

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.. 2

REDI Program – TA for Rural Economic Development Plans. Apply by Apr 5. 2

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 2

Closing April 4: EDA 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program.. 2

NEW NSF Invites Proposals for its Pilot Convergence Accelerator. Concept Paper due April 15. 2

NEW: EPA Region 4 Announces Grants for Projects Advancing Sustainable Materials Management. Apply by May 10 (Southeastern US). 3

SBA is Recruiting Participants for 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative. 3

RURAL DEVELOPMENT. 3

2019 POWER Initiative for Appalachian Coal Communities. Apply by April 10. 3

INFRASTRUCTURE. 3

Rural Broadband: FY19 Community Connect Grants Available. Apply by Apr 15. 3

Federal Funding Opportunities Closing Soon: 4

Public Meetings, Events and Training. 4

March 27:  Webinar on HHS RCORP Grants for Opioid Impacted Communities. 4

April 9 & 30: UEDA Webinars on Innovation and Economic Prosperity: 5

NEW April 16 EPA Webinar: Identifying and Prioritizing Environmentally Impacted and Vulnerable Communities  5

April 16-17: CDFA Federal Policy Conference; EDA, HUD, USDA, DOT, Treasury, EPA and SBA to Present Updates on Federal Financing. 6

NIH Online Course for Biomedical Innovators:  Applying for SBIR/STTR Funding. 6

Reports, Tools and Data. 6

Small Scale Manufacturing Presentation – Recording Available. 6

GAO Report Highlights Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (EDA, ARC, DOD, DOL). 6

Census Posts Latest American Community Survey Data (2013-2017). 6

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info. 7

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations. 7

Funding and other Assistance Available for Recovery: 7

EDA Has Supplemental Funding Available for Areas Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes, Wildfires and Other Disasters  7

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework. 7

 

Funding & Resource Announcements

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

REDI Program – TA for Rural Economic Development Plans. Apply by Apr 5

The Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) initiative application is now available for rural communities and regions to apply for free technical assistance to develop, and implement, economic development plans. This assistance is designed to assist communities to develop evidence-based assessments; quantifiable goals; plans to improve the local and regional economy; and metrics to track implementation and progress. Application Deadline: April 5, 2019. Download the application or request information at [email protected]

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Closing April 4: EDA 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program

EDA is now accepting applications for the 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) Program funding. The RIS Program, operated by EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), again offers funding through two competitions: FY19 i6 Challenge and FY19 Seed Fund Support (SFS) Grant Competition. All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm ET on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply through grants.gov, visit EDA’s Regional Innovation Strategies webpage.

NEW NSF Invites Proposals for its Pilot Convergence Accelerator. Concept Paper due April 15.

 

The National Science Foundation has released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) for its pilot NSF Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel) activity, which aims to fund approximately 50 Phase 1 projects at up to $1 million each, with proposals due in the spring of 2019 and projects to start no later than the fall. In 2020, Phase 1 projects will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 C-Accel support, for up to $5 million.  Three tracks for projects are:

  • An Open Knowledge Network (as part of Harnessing the Data Revolution)
  • AI and Future Jobs (as part of Future of Work)
  • A National Talent Ecosystem (as part of Future of Work)

The DCL provides more detailed information about participating in the pilot Convergence Accelerator. The first step in participation, submission of a Research Concept Outline, is due April 15, with full proposals due by June 3.  Webinars to answer questions about the submission process or about C-Accel broadly will be held on March 27 and April 3 at 2 p.m.  Follow @NSF_OIA on Twitter for C-Accel updates. For more info, about the details of this DCL, contact [email protected]

 

NEW: EPA Region 4 Announces Grants for Projects Advancing Sustainable Materials Management. Apply by May 10 (Southeastern US)

EPA is soliciting applications that accelerate substantial solutions or propose innovative ways of capturing, using, and reusing materials such as: (1) advancing the sustainable management of food (organics) through prevention, donation or recycling; (2) expanding, capturing and/or reusing glass cullet or the glass recycling infrastructure; (3) advancing recycling market development using clear marketing strategies for material reuse opportunities within the Southeast; and (4) advancing Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) in the built environment (including buildings, infrastructure, and resiliency). Priorities for this solicitation are economically-driven strategies to drive SMM of food, glass, recycling markets, and the built environment. Link to the application packet here: RFA NUMBER: EPA-R4-RCRD-19-01 (PDF)

 

SBA is Recruiting Participants for 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of the 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative for executives of small businesses poised for growth in emerging markets. Local area recruitment for the 2019 training cycle is currently ongoing at designated SBA District Offices. Interested small business owners can learn more regarding eligibility, how to apply, class schedules, and locations at www.sba.gov/emergingleaders, or by contacting their local SBA District Office.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

2019 POWER Initiative for Appalachian Coal Communities. Apply by April 10.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is accepting applications for the FY 2019 POWER (Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. ARC’s POWER Initiative will continue focusing on regional investments that maximize economic revitalization in the Appalachian region’s coal-impacted communities.  Access the 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) here.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

Rural Broadband: FY19 Community Connect Grants Available. Apply by Apr 15.

RUS is now accepting applications for FY 2019 for the Community Connect Grants program. This program helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service. The application window closes April 15, 2019. Applications for this program are serviced by RUS national office staff, available at [email protected].  See the Community Connect fact sheet, and the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for details.

Federal Funding Opportunities Closing Soon:  

 

Below is a list of previously highlighted funding opportunities that are still open. Enter the Opportunity Number in Grants.gov to see announcement details. You can also search Grants.gov for a full list of current federal opportunities, including programs not listed below.

 

Opportunity Number Opportunity Title Agency Posted Date Close Date
BOR-DO-19-F003 WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 03/27/2019
ETA-TEGL-NO-13-18 FY 19 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance DOL-ETA 02/28/2019 03/28/2019
EDA-HDQ-OIE-2019-2005942 FY 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program DOC 02/01/2019 04/04/2019
HHS-2018-ACF-ANA-NA-1339 Social and Economic Development Strategies –SEDS HHS-ACF-ANA 02/06/2018 04/15/2019
RDRUS-CC-2019 Community Connect Grant Program USDA-RUS 02/12/2019 04/15/2019
 

USDA-NIFA-CBGP-006696

 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program USDA-NIFA 02/14/2019 04/18/2019
 

BOR-DO-19-F007

 WaterSMART: Title XVI Congressionally Authorized Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects DOI-BOR 03/04/2019 04/22/2019
DE-FOA-0001976 FY 2019 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 PAMS-SC 03/04/2019 04/23/2019
BOR-DO-19-F005 WaterSMART Grants: Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 04/24/2019
EDAP2018 FY18 Economic Development Assistance Programs: Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance DOC-EDA 07/02/2018 Open
693JJ319NF-NSFLTP Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) DOT-FHWA 10/04/2018 Open
EPA-R4-RCRD-19-01 Advancing Sustainable Materials Management EPA 03/25/2019 05/10/2019

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

March 27:  Webinar on HHS RCORP Grants for Opioid Impacted Communities.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative called RCORP-Implementation (HRSA-19-082). Award recipients are encouraged to leverage workforce recruitment and retention programs like the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

 

A webinar for applicants will be held on Wednesday, March 27 from 11:30-1 p.m., EDT.

Call-In Number: 1-888-566-7680 Participant Code: 5808487

Weblink: https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/rcorp-implementation/

Playback Number: 1-800-839-4845 Passcode: 4321

To learn more about how HRSA is addressing the opioid epidemic, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/opioids.

 

April 9 & 30: UEDA Webinars on Innovation and Economic Prosperity:

The University Economic Development Association (UEDA) is the cornerstone membership organization representing higher education, private sector and community economic development stakeholders. The organization has announced a slate of upcoming webinars with an emphasis on innovation and economic resilience

 

  • April 30 (2:00 p.m. ET) The Best Approaches to Place at Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities

Register: https://iep-place.eventbrite.com

 

  • UEDA Summit: Designing Resilient Regions. September 29 – October 2 (Reno-Tahoe, Nevada)

Details: http://www.uedaannualsummit.org (registration opening in March)

 

NEW April 16 EPA Webinar: Identifying and Prioritizing Environmentally Impacted and Vulnerable Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced training to build the capacity of states to integrate environmental justice into their decision-making process. Over the next year, EPA will conduct five national training webinar, to serve as an ongoing resource for state staff and others interested in developing their environmental justice knowledge and expertise. To complement the online trainings, EPA Regions will conduct training on environmental justice for their respective states. The first training webinar is entitled “Identifying and Prioritizing Environmentally Impacted and Vulnerable Communities.”

Additional webinar topics in the 2019 series include:

  • Enhanced Community Involvement in the Regulatory Process;
  • Using Comprehensive Area-Wide Planning Approaches to Promote Equitable Development;
  • Application of Environmental Justice to State Environmental Impact Assessments; and
  • Environmental Justice Considerations for Rural Water Infrastructure.

 

April 16-17: CDFA Federal Policy Conference; EDA, HUD, USDA, DOT, Treasury, EPA and SBA to Present Updates on Federal Financing

On April 16-17 in Washington DC, CDFA will host its 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference, featuring development finance experts and practitioners from key federal agencies, congressional offices, and policy organizations. The CDFA Federal Policy Conference will highlight rural and urban financing programs, the Opportunity Zones incentive, programs for supporting small business development, as well as financing programs for infrastructure, energy, brownfields remediation, and water systems financing. The event will be held at the Washington Marriott Georgetown, and space is limited to the first 250 attendees – register early to secure your seat!

 

NIH Online Course for Biomedical Innovators:  Applying for SBIR/STTR Funding

National Institutes of Health recently released a five-module online course for biomedical innovators considering funding through the NIH SBIR/STTR programs. For information on the latest SBIR/STTR Opportunities at NIH, visit https://sbir.nih.gov/ .

Reports, Tools and Data

Small Scale Manufacturing Presentation – Recording Available

The recording is now available from the NADO Research Foundation’s recent webinar with Recast City, “Unleashing the Economic Power of Small-Scale Manufacturing.”  This webinar explored how communities across the country are working with small-scale manufacturing businesses to help increase local employment, attract investment into target neighborhoods, and build inclusive economic opportunity. View the recording here:

https://www.nado.org/webinar-recording-unleashing-the-economic-power-of-small-scale-manufacturing/

 

GAO Report Highlights Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (EDA, ARC, DOD, DOL)

A new GAO report, “Economic Adjustment Assistance: Federal Programs Intended to Help Beneficiaries Adjust to Economic Disruption” (GAO 19-85R), identifies federal programs specifically targeted toward helping individuals, businesses, and communities adjust to economic disruptions that reduce the demand for certain workers, commonly referred to as programs that provide Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA). The report summarizes EAA programs and tax expenditures administered by: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (Commerce), Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), and the Treasury.  Click here to read the report.

Census Posts Latest American Community Survey Data (2013-2017)

The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates, which features more than 40 social, economic, housing and demographic topics. The 2013-2017 ACS data are available on www.data.census.gov . County-level geography profiles of the 3,142 counties are available in a visual format with maps, charts and graphs. For official ACS statistics, please access American FactFinder at factfinder.census.gov.

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

Primary site for Disaster Recovery Assistance: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations

 

  • Amended Declarations: Existing Declarations may be subsequently amended to expand covered areas, provide notification that an incident has been closed, or make other necessary changes.

Link: https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-emergency-management-agency#documents

 

Funding and other Assistance Available for Recovery:

EDA Has Supplemental Funding Available for Areas Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes, Wildfires and Other Disasters

These grants will support disaster recovery activities in areas receiving a major disaster designation as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and wildfires and other 2017 natural disasters. EDA plans to accept proposals on a rolling basis until all funds are obligated.  Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. See the following links for details:

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework