Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of December 2, 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

 

OPPORTUNITY ZONES

Federal Incentives and Actions Supporting Opportunity Zones

To view over 180 actions taken by federal agencies to support Opportunity Zones, as well as a host of other resources for Local Leaders, Investors and Entrepreneurs in Opportunity Zones, visit the new federal Opportunity Now, Opportunity Zones website hosted by HUD.

New NonFederal Resources for OZs:

  • EIG’s Interactive Map Highlighting Innovative Opportunity Zone Activity across the Country: On November 20, the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) launched the Opportunity Zones Activity Map, an online portal highlighting some of the most innovative and impactful publicly-announced developments catalyzed in the early stages of this new policy. This interactive tool will help raise awareness among policymakers, investors, and the public of the impact Opportunity Zones is having in communities across the country.
  • EIG also published the first three in a series of Opportunity Zone Development Profiles in partnership with the National Council of State Housing Agencies. The projects in Ohio, Maryland, and Florida, which are also highlighted in the EIG Opportunity Zones Activity Map.

 

ACCESS TO CAPITAL & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

NEW: SBA Grants to Support MicroEnterprises in Underserved Areas. Apply by Dec 20

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued Funding Opportunity No. PRIME-2019-0 to provide training and capacity building grant programs t microenterprise development organizations (MDOs). SBA anticipates issuing approximately 30 awards under this $5 million solicitation.

In FY2019, PRIME has two tracks for which SBA will consider granting awards:

  • Track 1 (Technical Assistance) – seeks applications for funding to provide training and technical assistance programs to disadvantaged
  • Track 2 (Capacity Building) – seeks applications for funding to provide training and capacity building services to MDOs, microenterprise development programs, and groups of such organizations to assist them in developing microenterprise training and services.

The application package can be found here.   Note that tribal governments are eligible to apply.  Applications are due by December 20.ork

USDA Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants Available. Next Quarterly Due Date: Dec 31, 2019.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is accepting FY20 applications for its Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program. Awards are made on a competitive basis to utilities that will relend the funds for local economic development efforts.  The funding may be used to assist with business start-up and expansion costs; business incubators; feasibility studies; advanced telecommunications and computer networks for medical, educational, and job training services; and community facilities that spur economic development.  For more information, contact the USDA RD representatives here.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

USDA RD Grants for Providers of Training and Technical Assistance on Rural Water and Waste Water Systems. Apply by Dec 31.

USDA RD’s Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) grant program assists communities with water or wastewater systems through free technical assistance and/or training provided by the grant recipients. For more information, click here.  Application Deadline: December 31, 2019

 

NEW: HUD CDBG Funding for Native American Communities. Apply by Feb 3.

Notice of Funding Availability for the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program (ICDBG) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will award up to $65 million to tribal programs through the ICDBG to develop viable Indian and Alaska Native communities by creating decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities primarily for persons with low- and moderate- incomes. Application Deadline: February 3, 2020.

  • TIP: For more current funding opportunities for Native American and Tribal Communities, see also USDA RD’s biweekly Innovation Matters. Click to SUBSCRIBE

INNOVATION and TECHNOLOGY:

Disaster Resilience and Response Technology Challenge Grant. LOI due Jan 8.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), today announced the Accelerate R2 Network Challenge. The Accelerate R2 Network Challenge is seeking proposals from organizations to form networks on a national scale that will support innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and investment in transformative technologies in the response and resiliency markets. Visit EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship   OIE’s Accelerate R2 webpage for specific details.

Department of Energy Challenges Innovators to Harness the Power of the Oceans. New Prize Competitions Available.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced developments in two new prizes: Waves to Water, which challenges innovators to desalinate water using the power of ocean waves, and the Powering the Blue Economy™ Ocean Observing Prize, a joint DOE-National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) prize, which challenges innovators to pair marine renewable energy technologies with ocean observing platforms. Learn more here.

 

DISASTER RECOVERY, RESILIENCE AND MITIGATION

NEW:  FTA Announces Emergency Funding for Transit Systems in Disaster Areas. Apply by Jan 17, 2020

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $10,462,935 in non-competitive grants under the Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program (Emergency Relief Program) to States, Territories, local governmental authorities, Indian tribes, and other FTA recipients affected by major declared disasters occurring in calendar year 2018. Projects may include costs for disaster response, recovery, and rebuilding activities. FTA will distribute these funds in a manner consistent with the eligibility requirements of this program on a non-competitive basis, subject to the priorities set forth below. For application information, see Grants.gov Opportunity: FTA-2020-002-TPM-ER

FEMA FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Funds Available. Closes Jan 31, 2020.

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program makes available Federal funds to State, Local and Tribal Governments to implement and sustain cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disasters. Visit Grants.gov for full details.

NOAA Funding for Resilience Education Programs. Apply by Mar 26.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a funding opportunity to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience.  For more information, see Grants.gov Opportunity Number: NOAA-SEC-OED-2020-2006190

 

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Department of Labor Grants for Workforce Development in Opioid Impacted Areas. Apply by Jan 9.

As authorized by the SUPPORT Act (Public Law 115-271), the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is making available up to $20 million in grant funds for the Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery through Workforce Development grant program (FOA-ETA-20-01) to fund approximately 8 to 10 partnership grants, with awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million.   Grants will be made under the WIOA National Dislocated Worker Grants / WIA National Emergency Grants program. These grants intend to allow State workforce agencies (through Participating Partnerships led by local workforce development boards), outlying areas, or Tribal organizations to creatively align and deliver career, training, and supportive services that will best serve workers in their local areas impacted by the crisis. For details, visit Grants.gov.

 

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
PWEAA2020

 

 FY 2020 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs DOC-EDA   10/18/2019 Open
EDA-2019-DISASTER

 

 FY 2019 EDA Disaster Supplemental DOC-EDA   08/13/2019 Open
FR-6400-N-54 HUD’s FY2020 and FY2021 Distressed Cities TA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) HUD   11/26/2019 Open
693JJ319NF-NSFLTP Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) DOT-FHWA   10/04/2018 Open
PRIME-2019-03 PROGRAM FOR INVESTMENT IN MICROENTREPRENEURS SBA   11/21/2019 12/20/2019
TATFY20 TAT Grant Program USDA-RUS   10/01/2019 12/31/2019
FOA-ETA-20-01 The Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery Through Workforce Development DOL-ETA   10/31/2019 01/09/2020
FTA-2020-002-TPM-ER Public Transportation Emergency Relief Funds for Transit Systems Affected by Major Declared Disasters Occurring in Calendar Year 2018 DOT-FTA   12/03/2019 01/17/2020
DHS-19-MT-047-000-99 FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation DHS-DHS   09/09/2019 01/31/2020
DHS-19-MT-047-000-99

 

 FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation DHS-DHS   09/09/2019 01/31/2020
EDA-HDQ-OIE-2020-2006301 Accelerate R2 Network Challenge – FINAL DOC   10/18/2019 03/11/2020
NOAA-SEC-OED-2020-2006190 Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience DOC   10/15/2019 03/26/2020
CRNR-2020 Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program DOI   10/16/2019 04/01/2020
TAP-2020 Technical Assistance Program DOI   10/04/2019 04/01/2020

Recent Federal Awards and Announcements

NEW:  SBA Publishes Final Rule Updating Small Business HUBZone Regulations

The Small Business Administration has announced it is amending its regulations for the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program to reduce the regulatory burdens imposed on HUBZone small business concerns and government agencies, implement new statutory provisions, and eliminate ambiguities in the regulations. This comprehensive revision to the HUBZone Program clarifies current HUBZone Program policies and procedures and makes changes that will benefit the small business community by making the HUBZone Program more efficient and effective. The rule is intended to make it easier for small business concerns to understand and comply with the program’s requirements and to make the HUBZone program a more attractive avenue for procuring agencies. The rule which appears in the November 26 FEDERAL REGISTER is effective on December 26, 2019.

NEW: Treasury Announces $188M to Support CDFI Investments in Distressed Areas

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded 284 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) $188.7 million in Financial Assistance (FA) awards today. The awards, through the fiscal year (FY) 2019 round of the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and the Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program), will enable CDFIs to increase lending and investment activity in low-income and economically distressed communities across the nation. To learn more about the CDFI Fund and its programs, please visit the CDFI Fund’s website at www.cdfifund.gov. View the recent 2019 Awards for CDFIs and NACA Recipients here:

NEW:  DOT Seeks Public Comment on Unmet Rural Transportation Needs and Experience with DOT Discretionary Grant Programs. Submit Comments by Dec 26.

Department of Transportation has Published a Request for Information to Inform Development and Implementation of the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative. DOT seeks comments that illustrate rural communities’ needs and experiences with transportation infrastructure, including the condition of that infrastructure, its effect on safety, and how its use affects the community. This includes comments and data pertaining to current unmet needs in rural transportation, barriers rural communities face in addressing these transportation needs, stakeholders’ experiences with applying to and using DOT discretionary grant and credit programs, and opportunities for the DOT to improve its services and technical assistance to rural communities in relation to these grant and credit programs, within the limits of statutory requirements. In addition, DOT specifically requests comments and data in response to the questions below. To the extent possible, DOT seeks relevant technical information, regulatory citations, data, or other evidence to support the comments received.  Comments must be received on or before 30 days from posting of the notice in the November 27 FEDERAL REGISTER.

View USDA Applications and Awards for Rural Broadband Projects

USDA’s Broadband ReConnect Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis.  Visit https://www.usda.gov/reconnect to view a list and map of applications under review, and projects awarded to date. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

December 11-13 Conference: The National Brownfields Training Conference (Los Angeles, CA)

Held every two years, the National Brownfields Conference attracts nearly 3,000 stakeholders in brownfields redevelopment and cleanup to share knowledge about sustainable reuse and celebrate the EPA brownfields program’s success. Click here for more.

December 18 Webinar: CDFI and NACA Program Pre-Application Webinar

The CDFI funding is offering a free webinar to assist in preparing for a fiscal year (FY) 2020 Community Development Financial Institutions Program or Native American CDFI Assistance Program Application. cdfifund.gov/cdfi www.cdfifund.gov/native

HHS Seeking Public Recommendations and Input on Employment Training Programs For NonResident Parents. Comments due Mar 20.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) seeks to further the development of employment programs for nonresident parents and is soliciting ideas and information from a broad array of stakeholders on improving nonresident parents’ employment outcomes, including how to create a comprehensive, multi-system approach that addresses multiple barriers that nonresident parents face when trying to support their children. ACF will analyze information collected from a November 20 RFI published in the FEDERAL REGISTER. Comments are due by March 20. Questions, comments, and supplementary documents can be submitted to [email protected].

Reports, Research and Tools

NEW: Small Business Administration Publishes Final Rule Amending HUBZone Program

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has published a final rule that contains amendments to the regulations governing the HUBZone Program. SBA is making changes to its regulations to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 which authorized the inclusion of “Governor-designated covered areas” under the HUBZone program. This direct final rule would merely replicate these statutory changes into SBA’s regulations. This rule is effective on January 1, 2020, without further action, unless significant adverse comment is received by December 16, 2019. If significant adverse comment is received, SBA will publish a timely withdrawal of the rule in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

NEW: Two New Census Tools Available: API Extract Creator and Jobs to Jobs (J2J) Explorer

American Community Survey: Census Bureau Introducing the Beta Version of the Census API Extract Creator

The Census Bureau notes: “This unique interactive platform allows you to compose an API call that extracts the selected 5-Year American Community Survey (ACS) variables from the most recent release. The data points come from Data Profile, Subject, and Detailed Profile tables representing over 135,000 variables.” Click here to try it out.

Census Bureau Releases 1.0 Version of the Jobs to Jobs (J2J) Explorer;

The Census Bureau released the 1.0 version of the J2J Explorer application on November 21.   J2J Explorer is a web-based analysis tool that enables comprehensive access to an innovative set of statistics on worker reallocation in the United States. The 1.0 update provides access to Metropolitan Area tabulations and Earnings indicators, as well as rankings and data normalization functionality. To access the tool, please go to: j2jexplorer.ces.census.gov.

New ARC Report on Post-Recession Employment Growth in Appalachia

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has recently released Industrial Make-Up of the Appalachian Region, a new report examining employment and earnings across the Region. Drawing on data from 15 industry sectors, the report catalogues how the Region’s industrial make-up and earnings compare to that of the country as a whole. The report primarily focuses on the period from 2002–2017—the years immediately before, during, and after the Great Recession—and finds that employment growth varies across the Region. Overall, while post-Recession employment growth has been positive in Appalachia, it lags behind the growth that was experienced by the country as a whole. The report also finds an overall employment shift across the Region towards professional & technical services; health & social services; and tourism-related jobs. More …

DOL Workforce GPS Highlights Workforce Development Resources for Employers:

Providing services to the business community is a key component to the publicly funded workforce system. Businesses seek our assistance in various stages of their business cycle-everything from start-up assistance in hiring new staff, to helping them identify other business that have similar needs that they can work with, and even assistance in layoff aversion tactics or Rapid Response services.  WorkforceGPS has several communities that focus on employers including the Business Engagement Collaborative, Apprenticeship, and several communities focusing on the H-1B program. These communities exist to share ideas, experiences, resources and outcomes, and promote innovations to business engagement strategies, tactics, partnerships, measurements, and more.

WorkforceGPS is an online technical assistance website created to help build the capacity of America’s public workforce investment system.Sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, WorkforceGPS was developed specifically for workforce professionals, educators, and business leaders. To access these resources, join WorkforceGPS by emailing  [email protected].

 

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.

Funding and other Assistance Available for Economic Recovery:

EDA Disaster Supplemental Funding Available for Areas Impacted by 2018/19 Disasters

On August 13, 2019, EDA announced the EDA Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), making available $587 million for eligible grantees in communities impacted by Presidentially declared natural disasters in 2018, and by floods and tornadoes in 2019. Applications will be 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. For more information, view EDA’s September 2019 webinar video recording and download the slides on our Disaster Supplemental Web page.

EPA Toolkit Features Resources to Prepare for Natural Disasters

The U.S. EPA Urban Waters Federal Partnership has released a new toolkit, How to Prepare for Natural Disasters: A Pre-Disaster Toolkit for Small to Medium-Sized Communities.  The toolkit has two sections – one for local government officials, including Emergency Management Coordinators (EMCs), utility district managers, and local elected officials – and a section for community residents. It provides information, tools and resources to help with planning for hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. Click here to access the toolkit.

HUD TA for Disaster Recovery in Distressed Cities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is accepting requests for Technical Assistance (TA) under the new Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) Program.  Note that HUD strongly encourages interested jurisdictions to contact your HUD Field Office prior to submitting a request for TA.

USDA Rural Housing Announced Availability of 2019 Disaster Relief Act Funds

USDA Rural Housing Service’s Community Facilities Program (CF) has supplemental grant funding available for necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Michael and Florence and wildfires occurring in calendar year 2018, tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, and other natural disasters. Submit applications through USDA State Office contacts, available here.

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework

  • Read more about the Economic Recovery Support Function (ERSF) and the National Disaster Response Framework here.