Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of April 22, 2019

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

ACCESS TO CAPITAL

New Guidelines and Resources for Opportunity Zones:

The Trump Administration announced several additional resources to help optimize the utilization of Opportunity Zones and other federal resources that can support economically distressed areas. New resources introduced recently include the following three items:

NEW: IRS Issues New Proposed Guidance to Further Clarify OZ Tax Benefits

On April 17, the Internal Revenue Service issued a second set of  guidance (PDF) providing additional details about investment in qualified opportunity zones. These regulations relate to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the tax reform legislation enacted in December 2017.

The proposed regulations allow the deferral of all or part of a gain that is invested into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QO Fund) that would otherwise be includible in income. The gain is deferred until the investment is sold or exchanged or Dec. 31, 2026, whichever is earlier.

A key part of the newly released guidance clarifies the ”substantially all” requirements for the holding period and use of the tangible business property:

  • For use of the property, at least 70 percent of the property must be used in a qualified opportunity zone.
  • For the holding period of the property, tangible property must be qualified opportunity zone business property for at least 90 percent of the QO Fund’s or qualified opportunity zone business’s holding period.
  • The partnership or corporation must be a qualified opportunity zone business for at least 90 percent of the QO Fund’s holding period.

The guidance notes there are situations where deferred gains may become taxable if an investor transfers their interest in a QO Fund. Many other elements of the incentives and eligibility are also clarified in the 169 page guidance (PDF), which is posted on IRS.gov.

IRS is inviting comments on these proposed regulations and will hold a public hearing on July 9, 2019 to accept additional input.

NEW: White House and HUD Publish Opportunity Zone Implementation Plan

The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council has published its Implementation Plan, outlining to President Donald J. Trump a detailed work plan for how the Council—chaired by HUD Secretary Ben Carson—will accomplish the goals specified in Executive Order 13583 of December 12, 2018.

The Implementation Plan explains the various subcommittees of the Council, as well as describes the strategy to implement administrative reforms and initiatives that will target, streamline, coordinate, and optimize Federal resources in economically distressed communities, including Opportunity Zones.

Read the Implementation Plan here. 

HUD also issued a related Request for Information (RIF), to gather stakeholder input on several questions regarding administration of programs benefitting Opportunity Zones, see summary below or click here to view the federal register notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/04/17/2019-07682/review-of-hud-policy-in-opportunity-zones

NEW: Report Lists  Federal Programs That Support Opportunity Zones

In addition to the implementation plan for further assistance federal agencies will provide to Opportunity Zones, HUD’s announcement also noted that more than 160 programs have already been identified by the Council, in order to increase targeting to Opportunity Zones through grant preference points, loan qualifications, reduced fees, and eligibility criteria modifications.

Click the link to see the list of over 50 programs that Council member agencies have already taken action to better target to Opportunity Zones.

In addition to developing an “OpportunityZones.gov” website, the Council and its Executive Director Scott Turner will be conducting listening tour sessions of rural, urban, and suburban Opportunity Zones and other distressed communities throughout the remainder of 2019.

FY19 Funding Rounds for CDFIs and Native American Assistance. Apply by May 3.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) has opened the fiscal year (FY) 2019 funding round for the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program). The awards from these programs will support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that provide affordable financing and related services to low-income communities and populations that lack access to

NOFAs and application materials can be found on the CDFI Fund’s website at:

A detailed overview of the CDFI Program, the NACA Program, and the types of awards available can be found in the FY 2019 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for those programs.

Water & Waste Disposal Revolving Loan Funds. Apply by May 27.

This USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program helps qualified non-profits create a revolving loan fund (RLF) that can provide financing for the extension and improvement of water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. Applications are currently being accepted until May 27, 2019. To find out more and begin an application, contact a USDA Rural Development program specialist in the state or territory where the revolving loan fund would be available local RD office.

NEW: Updated FY 2019 Section 108 Borrowing Capacity for Entitlement and State Grantees

The Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program (Section 108) provides communities with a source of financing for economic development, housing rehabilitation, public facilities, and other physical development projects, including improvements to increase their resilience against natural disasters. This flexibility makes it one of the most potent and important public investment tools that HUD offers to state and local governments.  Learn about Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.

On April 18, HUD released an updated document that provides information on existing borrowing capacity for CDBG Entitlement Communities and States looking to apply for Section 108 guaranteed loans. (Non-entitlement communities can apply with their State’s support.) Section 108 offers state and local governments the ability to access low-cost, long-term federally guaranteed financing for housing, economic development, and infrastructure projects or loan funds. These borrowing capacity calculations are based on the FY 2019 CDBG grant awards as well as grantees’ outstanding Section 108 guaranteed loans and commitments as of April 2019.

View the Current Availability of Section 108 Financing – CDBG Entitlement and State Grantees.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

USDA Rural Broadband Opportunities Opening Apr 23

USDA offers several resources to support expansion of rural broadband under is Rural e-Connectivity Pilot Program: ReConnect Grants and Loan program. The program will furnish loans and grants for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. Up to $200 million in grants, $200 million in loan and grant combinations, and $200 million in low-interest loans will be available; applicants must select one of these options – deadlines vary based on type of financial assistance requested.

  • May 31, 2019, for grants;
  • June 21, 2019, for loan/grant combinations; and
  • July 12, 2019, for low-interest loans.

Attend an application workshop or request technical assistance from USDA by filling out the contact form at https://www.usda.gov/reconnect/contact-us.   Upcoming technical assistance workshops are:

DOE Grants for Energy Infrastructure on Tribal Lands. Apply by May 1.

DE-FOA-0002032 FOA Deployment 2019   The Department of Energy has announced up to $17 million in new funding to deploy energy infrastructure on tribal lands. Grants will be awarded under three topic areas: 1) Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); 2) Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) on Tribal Lands; and 3) Install energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience. An informational webinar on application requirements was held March 14, 2019. Download and view the presentation. 

The full funding opportunity is available online. Read more in the press release.

Rural Community Facilities TA and Training Grants.  Apply by Jun 10

USDA RD has announced that grants are available for intermediary organizations to provide technical assistance and training for rural organizations and agencies to identify and plan for community facility needs that exist in their area, and once those needs have been identified, locating public and private resources to finance those identified needs.  Program page with more information available here: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities-technical-assistance-and-training-grant. Application Deadline: June 10, 2019.

USDA Technical Assistance Grants for Rural Transportation Systems. Due June 25.

The Department of Agriculture’s Rural-Business Cooperative Service is inviting applications for grants to provide Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation (RT) systems under the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) to provide Technical Assistance for RT systems and for RT systems to Federally Recognized Native American Tribes’ (FRNAT) (collectively “Programs”) and the terms provided in such funding. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded from funds appropriated for the RBDG program.  The full announcement can be found in the March 27 FEDERAL REGISTER.  Note references to funding projects that benefit Opportunity Zones and communities responding to impacts from Opioid Misuse.

EPA Credit Assistance Available for Water Infrastructure. Submit LOI by Jul 5.

EPA has published a Notice of Funding Availability on April 5, soliciting letters of interest (LOIs) from prospective borrowers seeking credit assistance for projects eligible under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program. WIFIA program is accepting letters of interest until July 5, 2019. See links below to access further details:

NEW: DOT Opens FY20 Applications for BUILD Grants.

The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants 2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now available on Grants.gov and at www.transportation.gov/buildgrants/build-nofo. See below for links to pages with helpful information about the new round of BUILD:

 

WORKFORCE

NEW: EPA FY20 Environmental Workforce Training Program Grants. Apply by Jun 10

US EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program (EWDJT) supports recruitment, training and placement of unemployed and underemployed people, including low-income residents in solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities, with the skills needed to obtain full-time, sustainable employment in solid and hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater treatment, chemical safety, and the environmental field generally.

Eligible activities include programs that develop and implement training programs, including, but not limited to: brownfields hazardous waste training, solid waste management and recycling, emergency management and oil spill cleanup, Superfund cleanup-related training, including innovative and alternative treatment technologies, wastewater treatment and storm water management, integrated pest management, alternative energy technologies, and chemical safety and enhanced environmental health and safety training.  Applications due by June 10. 

For details, visit Grants.gov Opportunity Number: EPA-OLEM-OBLR-19-01 or click the EWDJT tab on EPA’s Brownfields program website at: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

 

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
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
DE-FOA-0002032 FOA Deployment 2019 ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT ON TRIBAL LANDS – 2019 DOE-GFO 03/11/2019 05/01/2019
ETA-TEGL-15-18

 

 Fidelity Bonding Demonstration Grants DOL-ETA 03/26/2019 05/01/2019
 

CNCS-03-06-19

 FY 2019 AmeriCorps Indian Tribes Grants CNCS 03/06/2019 05/02/2019
CDFI-2019-FATA Fiscal Year 2019 CDFI Program USDOT-CDFI 04/04/2019 05/03/2019
CDFI-2019-NACA Fiscal Year 2019 NACA Program USDOT-CDFI 04/04/2019 05/03/2019
EPA-R4-RCRD-19-01 Advancing Sustainable Materials Management EPA 03/25/2019 05/10/2019
UST-SIPPRA-2019-001 Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act Demonstration Projects USDOT 02/15/2019 05/22/2019
 

RDRUS-19-RFP

 Revolving Fund Program USDA-RUS 03/27/2019 05/27/2019
RDBCP-RCDG-2019 Rural Cooperative Development Grant USDA-RBCS 04/09/2019 06/03/2019
USDA-RD-HCFP-RCDI-2019

 

 Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) USDA-RHS 03/27/2019 06/05/2019
USDA-RD-CFTAT-2019 Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant USDA-RHS 04/01/2019 06/10/2019
EPA-OLEM-OBLR-19-01 FY20 ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB TRAINNG (EWDJT) GRANTS EPA 04/15/2019 06/10/2019

Recent Awards of Note

NEW: JPMorgan Chase Announces $15M for AdvancingCities Winners in IL, KY, FL, CA, NY

JPMorgan Chase has announced the first winning cities in the AdvancingCities Challenge, , an annual competition to source innovative and sustainable solutions to address the most persistent problems facing communities. The Challenge is part of AdvancingCities, the firm’s $500 million, five-year initiative to drive inclusive growth and create greater economic opportunity in cities. JPMorgan Chase will award five winning cities—Chicago, Ill., Louisville, Ky., Miami, Fla., San Diego, Calif., and Syracuse, N.Y.— $3 million each over a period of three years, for a total of $15 million.

Led by local nonprofits, the selected cities successfully built local coalitions of public, private and nonprofit leaders working together to address major social and economic challenges such as employment barriers, financial insecurity, and neighborhood disinvestment.

The successful proposals from each city include:

  • West Side United (Chicago): West Side United brings together the Rush University Medical Center, Sinai Urban Health Institute, the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future and Accion Chicago to develop a plan to benefit residents of Chicago’s West Side.
  • Digital Inclusion and Economic Resilience (Louisville): Metro United Way of Louisville will work with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, The Greater Louisville Workforce Development Board (KentuckianaWorks), Russell: A Place of Promise, Catholic Charities, AMPED, One West, Evolve502, and the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky to execute this effort.
  • Resilient305 (Miami): Resilient305 is a soon-to-be-released comprehensive strategy co-led by Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and the city of Miami Beach with support of The Miami Foundation that will enable Greater Miami and the Beaches (GM&B) to more effectively tackle emerging global challenges and trends such as urbanization, globalization and climate change.  The Miami Foundation partnered with the city of Miami, Health Foundation of South Florida, Florida International University and other government, university, and nonprofit partners to develop this Resilient305 — Building Prosperity initiative.
  • Advancing San Diego (San Diego): San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, San Diego Workforce Partnership , San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association, United Way of San Diego County and City of San Diego developed a regional proposal that focuses on all cities within San Diego County.
  • Syracuse Surge: Blueprint for Inclusive Growth (Syracuse): Syracuse Surge will develop long-term strategies to surface talent from vulnerable populations and connect them to jobs in high-tech industries, while also attracting, expanding, and incubating tech businesses led by diverse founders. CenterState CEO led a successful coalition including Allyn Family Foundation, City of Syracuse, Le Moyne College and Onondaga County.

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

April 30 Webinar: 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 30 Webinar: Identifying Transportation Solutions to Improve Access to Economic Opportunities

Limited transportation options, gaps in transportation service, and the inability of vulnerable populations to access transportation affects economic opportunity. A part of its effort to coordinate federal activity at state and regional levels, the Coordinating Council on  Access and Mobility (CCAM) is hosting a webinar on programs to address mobility and transportation challenges for vulnerable families. Join representatives from HHS, DOT and the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) for a free webinar on:

Tuesday, April 30th  1:00pm Central Time*

To Register:

https://connectdot.connectsolutions.com/e78gi2927gbn/event/registration.html

Attendees will:

  • Learn about the ACF programs for which transportation is an eligible expense;
  • Realize coordination opportunities between ACF and FTA programs;
  • Discover federal and state activities that seek to coordinate transportation services across sectors;
  • Acquire information and tools to support state officials to identify transportation services; and
  • Hear from state officials from Ohio and Iowa regarding their work to coordinate transportation services through statewide mobility management.

*This Webinar is designed for state officials, across Regions 5 (IL, IN, MN, MI, OH, WI) and 7 (IA, KS, M0, NE), that administer ACF or FTA programs, as well as other relevant programs. NCMM hopes to build a model in these regions for replication in other regions.

NEW:  May 7-8 – National Small Business Week Virtual Conference

For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Association will host the National Small Business Week Virtual Conference on May 7-8, 2019. The virtual conference will include educational webinars on starting and growing a business, mentoring sessions and business resources. The virtual conference is free of charge, but registration is required.

Register today

Kicking off May 20 –SBA’s SBIR Road Tour in 16 Locations

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it will launch a 16-stop road tour connecting entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

The SBIR Road Tour plays an important role in increasing engagement with entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country and building out greater networks to support the creation of small businesses focusing on high-impact research.

Each SBIR Road Tour stop will be hosted by a local organization involved in supporting entrepreneurs in next generation R&D. Program managers from the participating federal agencies will conduct one-on-one meetings with attendees, take part in targeted panels, discuss technology areas, and share insights into how the agencies make funding decisions.

  • The Central Plains Tour will run from May 20-24, with stops in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Kansas; Des Moines, Iowa; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Fargo, North Dakota.
  • The Southwest Tour will run from August 12-16, with stops in Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Boulder, Colorado.
  • The Eastern Tour will run from September 16-20, with stops in Burlington, Vermont; Albany, New York; New Brunswick, New Jersey; State College, Pennsylvania; and College Park, Maryland.
  • Caribbean: the SBIR Road Tour will stop in Miami, Florida on November 13 and in Puerto Rico on November 15.

Small technology firms, innovators, scientists or researchers seeking more information on the SBIR Road Tour, including a schedule of stops and participating agencies should visit: www.sbirroadtour.com.

For more information about SBIR/STTR programs, please visit www.sbir.gov.

NEW: HUD Seeks Input on Maximizing Benefits for Opportunity Zones. Comment by Jun 17.

HUD is  seeking public input on how the Department can use its existing authorities to maximize the beneficial impact of Opportunity Zones for residents and their communities: https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_19_047.

On April 17, the Department issued a Request For Information (RFI) seeking information and recommendations from the public, regarding the use of public and private investments in urban and economically distressed communities, including qualified Opportunity Zones. The RFI is a part of the work Secretary Carson is undertaking as the Chair of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

In this RFI, HUD is seeking information on several questions, including:

  • Whether HUD should create an information portal, and what information it should include;
  • How HUD should prioritize support for urban and economically distressed areas, including Opportunity Zones, in its grants, financing, and other assistance;
  • What types of technical assistance should be offered through HUD;
  • How HUD can ensure existing residents, businesses, and community organizations in Opportunity Zones benefit from the influx of investment;
  • How HUD can properly evaluate the impact of Opportunity Zones on communities;
  • Any other aspects of Opportunity Zones that should be considered.

Interested persons may submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.  Comments due June 17, 2019. View full details in the Federal Register here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/04/17/2019-07682/review-of-hud-policy-in-opportunity-zones

 

Reports, Tools and Data

BLS Releases Occupational Employment and Wages (May 2018)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics just released the Occupational Employment and Wages report for May 2018. Their news release features transportation and material moving; education, training, and library; and food preparation and serving related occupations, in addition to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) occupations and employment and wages by typical entry-level educational requirement. National employment and wage information for all occupations is shown in table 1.

GAO Report on Coordination Across DOL Employment Training Programs.

The Government Accountability Office has released a report — Employment and Training Programs: Department of Labor Should Assess Efforts to Coordinate Services across Programs.  The highlights may be found here.

 

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

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

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations

  • You can find the latest federal emergency and disaster declarations, as well as prior declarations for other areas, on FEMA’s disaster declarations webpage.
  • 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:

Visit EDA’s Disaster Recovery web page to view the grants that EDA has already made (XLSX) through its 2018 Disaster Supplemental Appropriation.

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework