Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week ending September 25, 2020

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.

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

Still Available:  EDA CARES Act Funds

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) continues to accept applications from eligible grantees for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) supplemental funds (EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance) intended to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance investments will support a wide range of non-construction and construction activities, including Revolving Loan Funds, in regions across the country experiencing severe economic dislocations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Details for applicants are provided in  an Addendum to our Fiscal Year 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (FY20 PWEAA NOFO) available on Grants.gov. Interested applicants are encouraged to consult with an EDA representative near you, prior to submission. Contact info is available at www.eda.gov/contact.  Also visit these resources on the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page:

ACCESS TO CAPITAL, BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Updated Sept 2:  Treasury Releases New Guidelines for Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF)

On August 28, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an FAQ documentoutlining new requirements for Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) recipients. The Treasury Department recently updated the FAQs and its Guidance for State/Local Governments as of September 2, 2020. The updated material is posted on the Treasury Department webpages at these links:

Next Deadline is Sep 30: USDA RD Rural Econ Development Loan and Grant Program

USDA is accepting applications for grants for projects that promote economic development and job creation in rural areas through its Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program. Application deadlines for FY21 are:

  • First Quarter, Sept. 30, 2020;
  • Second Quarter, Dec. 31, 2020;
  • Third Quarter, March 31, 2021;
  • Fourth Quarter, June 30, 2021.

 Applications must be submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office for the State where the Project is located. Find your Rural Development State Office contacts at: www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.

NEW Apply by Oct 15: SBA Funding for SBDCs to Address Economically Distressed Areas

The Small Business Administration has identified a total amount of approximately $500,000 in funding has been identified available for this SBDC Portable Assistance Project. Eligible applicants are existing SBDC Lead Centers.   The purpose of each project must be to mitigate the effects of job losses and other negative effects of business and/or government closings and downsizings within each respective SBDC Service Area.  SBA expects to make 5 awards of not more than $100,000 per award. There is no matching fund requirement. Applications are due October 15.  The solicitation can be found here.

INFRASTRUCTURE.

LOI Due Oct 15. EPA Water Infrastructure Financing Programs (WIFIA)

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2020 notice of funding availability under its Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. This funding accelerates investment in critical water infrastructure through long-term, low cost, supplemental credit assistance under customized terms to creditworthy water and wastewater projects of national and regional significance. This year’s notice of funding availability prioritizes construction-ready projects in three areas: updating aging infrastructure; reducing exposure to contaminants; and water reuse and recycling. EPA will accept letters of interest from prospective WIFIA borrowers through October 15.  For more information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

Opens Sept 30. Apply by January 29, 2021: FEMA’s FY20 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs

On August 4, 2020, FEMA posted the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Notification of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program and the new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation grant programs. FEMA’s two competitive mitigation grant programs provide states, local communities, tribes and territories (SLTTs) funding for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness by reducing disaster losses and protecting life and property from future disaster damages. This year there is $160 million available in funding for FMA and $500 million for BRIC. The BRIC priorities are to incentivize public infrastructure projects; projects that mitigate risk to one or more lifelines; projects that incorporate nature-based solutions; and adoption and enforcement of modern building codes.  The FY20 BRIC and FMA application period opens on September 30, 2020. Applications must be received in the FEMA GO Portal by January 29, 2021. Note that FEMA will require applicants to have a current FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation Plan at time of application and award. Visit the FY20 HMA NOFO webpage for more information.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Apply by Sep 22.  EPA FY21 Environmental Workforce Training Grant

EPA is soliciting applications to deliver Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. While Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants require training in brownfield assessment and/or cleanup activities, these grants also require that Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training be provided to all individuals being trained. EPA encourages applicants to develop their curricula based on local labor market assessments and employers’ hiring needs, while also delivering comprehensive training that results in graduates securing multiple certifications. Click this link for the full announcement (EPA-OLEM-OBLR-20-03): FY2021 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants (PDF)

Apply by Sept 24. USDA Agricultural Workforce Training Grants Program.

The Agricultural Workforce Training (AWT) Grants program seeks to develop a technology- and data-savvy workforce, ready for the field and industrial jobs within the food and agricultural sciences. Through the development of new workforce training programs, or the expansion, improvement, or renewal of existing workforce training programs at community, junior, and technical colleges/institutes, this program will expand job-based, experiential learning opportunities for students to enable a work-ready labor force for 21st century agricultural jobs. Visit NIFA’s website for more information: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/agriculture-and-food-research-initiative-education-workforce-development.

Apply by Oct 8 – DOL $40M Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $40 million in Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants to expand community colleges’ ability to meet labor market demand for a skilled workforce.Community colleges may apply for funding as a single institution to undertake capacity building at one institution, as a consortium of colleges in one state or across one or more community college districts in a state. The Department expects to fund approximately eight to 16 grants of up to $2 million for single institutions and up to $5 million for consortium applicants. The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is Oct. 8, 2020.

Apply by Oct 14: EDA Announces New $2M STEM Talent Challenge

EDA is seeking applications from eligible applicants to create and implement innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) apprenticeship models that complement their respective region’s innovation economy. The STEM Talent Challenge seeks to develop or expand regional workforce capacity to support high-growth, high-wage entrepreneurial ventures, industries of the future (which usually includes industries that leverage emerging technologies), and other innovation-driven businesses that have a high likelihood of accelerating economic competitiveness and job creation in their respective regions and in the United States.

  • Visit EDA’s Webpage for additional resources here: STEM Opportunity
  • Contact Information: For additional information please send inquiries to the OIE Email
  • Current Closing Date for Applications:October 14, 202

NEW: Apply by Nov 13. DOL Funds Available for Rural Healthcare Workforce Training

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the availability of a grant funds authorized under the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 USC 3224a) for the H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program.

The intent of this grant program is to alleviate healthcare workforce shortages by creating sustainable employment and training programs in  healthcare occupations  (including  behavioral and mental healthcare) serving rural populations. Closing date is November 13, 2020.  Click here for the solicitation.

On approximately October 7, 2020, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page about the H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program will be available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/skills- grants/h1-b-skills-training.

 

Open Federal Funding Opportunities:  

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
EDA-2019-DISASTER FY 2019 EDA Disaster Supplemental DOC-EDA 08/13/2019 Open
PWEAA2020

 

 FY 2020 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (Includes CARES Act Addendum) DOC-EDA 10/18/2019

Updated 05/07/2020

 Open
2020-NIST-MFGUSA-NEAP-01 NIST Manufacturing USA National Emergency Assistance Program DOC-NIST 03/30/2020 Open
EPA-OLEM-OBLR-20-03 FY21 ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB TRAINING (EWDJT) GRANTS EPA 07/27/2020 09/22/2020
FOA-ETA-20-07 Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants DOL-ETA 07/08/2020 10/08/2020
EDA-HDQ-OIE-2020-2006617

 

 EDA-HDQ-OIE-2020-STEMTALENT DOC 08/27/2020 10/14/2020
OSBDC-2020-03 OSBDC Portable Assistance Program SBA 09/01/2020 10/15/2020
FOA-ETA-20-12 H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program DOL-ETA 9/14/20 11/13/20
BIA-EMDP-2020 Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP) DOI-BIA 9/9/20 12/2/20
CNCS-09-11-20 FY 2021 AmeriCorps State and National Grants CNCS 9/11/20

 

 1/6/21
DHS-20-MT-047-00-99 FY20 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities DHS-DHS 08/03/2020 01/29/2021

 

Recently Announced Grants

DOT Announced FY20 BUILD Grants to 70 Projects in 44 States

The Department of Transportation announced this week it will $1 billion in American infrastructure through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants program. The funding has been awarded to 70 projects in 44 states.

Fiscal Year 2020 BUILD Transportation grants are for planning and capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and were awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. BUILD funding supports roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation. The official list of projects can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2020-09/BUILD%202020%20Fact%20Sheets-.pdf

DOD Awards $25M in Grants to 6 Defense Manufacturing Community Designees

The Department of Defense today announced the award of six (6) grants totaling $25,000,000 under the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program by the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA). These awards follow a competitive selection process culminating in Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord’s designation of six Defense Manufacturing Communities on August 16, 2020, and for the OEA to invite grant applications to strengthen the national security innovation base. The awards derive from Fiscal Year 2020 appropriated funding, and leverage an additional $12.6 million in non-Federal funding for a total investment of $37.6 million to enhance critical skills, research and development, and small business support in order to strengthen the national security innovation and manufacturing base. See OEA’s DMCSP page for information about these awards to six regional Defense Manufacturing Communities based  in AL, CA, CT,  OH, PA, and UT: https://oea.gov/Defense-Manufacturing-Community-Support-Program

Webinars, Tools & Research

Sep 21-25 Virtual Summit:  National Tribal Broadband Summit
The Department of the Interior, in collaboration with USDA and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will showcase creative solutions to support tribal broadband development by connecting community leaders with information and resources to help identify opportunities for public and private sector solutions on tribal lands. Register or submit session proposals here: https://www.doi.gov/tribalbroadband

Sept 24 Webinar: HUD CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT Effective Regional Coordination and Engagement Approaches

This webinar is a part of the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT Summer 2020 webinar series intended for all new CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT grantees. Register

HUD’s  Office of Block Grant Assistance (OBGA) Disaster Recovery and Special Issues Division (DRSI) is hosting a webinar series for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grantees to provide an introduction to each program. This webinar will discuss effective ways that regional coordination and collaboration work within their jurisdictions, to include coordination around land use planning, project development, and leveraging funding. A recording of each webinar will be posted on the HUD Exchange so grantees can view the webinar at a later date. Follow these instructions for registering.

DOE Launches Second Round of Online Webinars for Energy Efficient Manufacturing

The DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office’s Better Plants program has launched the second round of its Online Learning Series, held weekly on Thursdays. Topics focus on helping manufacturers and industrial facilities improve their energy efficiency and competitiveness. To view upcoming subjects and to register, visit the AMO website.

US Census Bureau data tools for disasters, natural hazards, and weather events:

View the latest information from the US Census Bureau at the following links:

SBA Office of Advocacy’s 2020 Small Business Profiles by Congressional District

SBA Office of Advocacy’s state profile series provides user-friendly snapshots of national, state, and congressional district small business statistics. Each profile focuses on the impact of small businesses in 436 congressional districts, and contain the congressional district’s total number of small employers and their industry breakout, plus the number of workers employed and payroll expended by small businesses.  The profiles are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, however, the data were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic.  Reports are available here.

NADO Recognizes 79 High Impact Projects Across the Country

NADO’s latest newsletter congratulates recipients of the 2020 Aliceann Wohlbruck NADO Impact Awards. The Impact Awards program honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional economic development and improved quality of life. These projects have made significant impacts on their regions and demonstrate the diversity of services and program delivery provided by regional development organizations across the country. The 2020 class of awardees consists of 79 projects from 48 organizations spanning 19 states. Please contact NADO Research Foundation Associate Director Brett Schwartz at [email protected] with any questions.For more information about the NADO Impact Awards, click here.  To learn more about  previous award-winning projects, click here.

 

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework

On behalf of the Department of Commerce, EDA leads the Economic Recovery Support Function (ERSF), under the National Disaster Response Framework (NDRF). Read more about EDA’s role in Disaster Recovery here: https://www.eda.gov/disaster-recovery/

Following are weblinks to federal programs and resources to assist with economic recovery following major disasters:

Federal Disaster Declarations

COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Resources

Department of Commerce (DOC) Resources

Census Bureau Resources

Economic Development Administration (EDA) Resources

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Centers Received CARES Act Funding

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): Broadband USA

ERSF Partner Agencies (FEMA, Labor, SBA, Treasury, USDA)

Additional Selected Federal Recovery Resources:

Department of Defense (DOD) COVID-19 JATF Industry Portal. COVID-19 National Response Team Joint Acquisition Task Force Industry Portal for Procurement and Grant Opportunities.

Department of Education (DOE): Education Stabilization Fund. These funds support state education agencies and local education agencies during the pandemic.

  • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Lifeline and Broadband Services. Keeping Americans Connected

Housing and Urban Development (HUD): HUD COVID-19 Homepage.

See in particular:

Health and Human Services (HHS):  HHS COVID-19 Homepage.

 

Non-Federal Resources

NADO: Regional Development Organization (RDO) COVID-19 Resource Center

IEDC: Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency

Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA): COVID-19 Resource Center

 

Assistance for Natural Disasters

EDA Disaster Supplemental Funding Available for 2018/19 Natural Disasters

EDA Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), made available $587 million for eligible grantees in communities impacted by presidentially declared natural disasters in 2018, and by floods and tornadoes in 2019. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. View Opportunity Number EDA-2019-DISASTER on Grants.gov,  and contact your EDA Regional Office representative for eligibility information and application assistance.

Congressional Research Service -2020 Hurricane Season FAQ

On July 24, CRS issued a report ahead of the 2020 Hurricane Season to address frequently asked questions regarding Federal Disaster Assistance for Hurricanes During the COVID-19. The report is focused on FEMA and SBA funds available following emergency and major disaster declarations under the Stafford Act. Read the report here: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46385

NIST Funding Available for MEP Disaster Assessment Program

  • NIST MEP Disaster Assessment Program: NIST will accept applications from MEP Centers on a rolling basis based on the date of the subject FEMA Disaster Declaration. See NOFO (2020-NIST-MEP-MDAP-01) for full details.

EPA Toolkit Features Resources to Prepare for Natural Disasters

HUD Technical Assistance (TA) for Disaster Recovery in Small Cities.