Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of February 4, 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. Special thanks to ETA and other federal partners for sharing content included below.

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

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

NEW: EDA Invites Applications for 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program. Apply by April 4.

EDA is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) Program funding starting today, February 1, 2019! The RIS Program, operated by EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), continues to increase regional capacity to bring technologies to market and grow innovative companies by investing in projects that support entrepreneurs and increase access to risk capital. This sixth iteration of the RIS Program again offers funding through two competitions:

  • FY19 i6 Challenge—catalyzing high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the country, the i6 Challenge awards up to $750,000 for projects that increase regional capacity to accelerate the translation of innovations, ideas, intellectual property, and research into products, services, companies, and jobs.
  • FY19 Seed Fund Support (SFS) Grant Competition—unlocking risk capital for entrepreneurs and startups to grow, SFS grants provide up to $300,000 for projects that create, launch, or expand equity-based seed funds or that create networks and tools that enable capital to flow into high-growth startups in all parts of the U.S.

For information on eligibility and how to apply, interested organizations are encouraged to visit EDA’s Regional Innovation Strategies webpage for details on upcoming RIS webinars, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and previous awardees and to read the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in its entirety. All applications to the 2019 RIS Program competitions must be submitted no later than 11:59pm Eastern Time on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Funding Available for Northern Border Communities – Forest Based Economies. LOI due March 15.

The Northern Border Regional Commission is pleased to announce a new opportunity for regional approaches to economic development under the Regional Forest Economy Partnership.

The purpose of the program is to assist rural communities in transitioning from a historic dependence on the forest-based economy to discovering new opportunities for economic diversity, independence and innovation. Congress appropriated no less than $7M to be focused on assisting communities in the NBRC region that have been affected negatively by the decline in the forest-based economy.

This NOFO allows for creative opportunities to improve communities in the Northern Border Regional Commission region. Review the Notice of Funding Opportunity and contact NBRC with any questions at:

http://www.nbrc.gov

NEW: ARC Accepting Proposals for 2019 POWER Initiative. Due 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. Approximately $45 million will be awarded through this competitive grant process. The 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) is available here. Completed applications are due no later than April 10, 2019 at 5 p.m. ET. Before submitting a funding proposal, potential applicants must contact the appropriate ARC state program manager for specific guidance pertaining to the eligible use of POWER funds in their state. ARC has also scheduled upcoming regional RFP Workshops at the following locations:

  • Morehead, Kentucky: Thursday, February 7, Morehead State University
  • Johnson City, Tennessee: Wednesday, February 13, ETSU Millennium Centre
  • Morgantown, West Virginia: Wednesday, March 6, Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place

NEW: HHS Solicits Applications from Tribal Communities for Social and Economic Development Strategies Program. Due April 15.

The Administration for Native Americans within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families his week updated its solicitation for the Social and Economic Development Strategies –SEDS program. This program is focused on community-driven projects designed to grow local economies, strengthen Native American families, including the preservation of Native American cultures, and decrease the high rate of current challenges caused by the lack of community-based businesses, and social and economic infrastructure in Native American communities. For the 2019 calendar cycle, applications are due April 15.  See details in announcement posted on Grants.gov (HHS-2018-ACF-ANA-NA-1339) at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=298007

NEW: Funding for Small and Rural Libraries Avail. Apply by Feb 25.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has launched a new special initiative, Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries (APP), and is accepting grant applications now through February 25, 2019. This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen the ability of small and rural libraries, archives, and related organizations to serve their communities. award sizes range from $10,000 to $50,000. Click here to learn more and apply.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

NEW: DOT Opens 2nd Round of INFRA Grant Program. Webinar Feb 5; Apply by March 4

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is announcing the second round of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) at Grants.gov (Opportunity Number NSFHP-19-INFRA19).  The INFRA program will make approximately $855-902.5M available to projects that are in line with the Administration’s principles to help rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure – a priority for this Administration. Eligible INFRA project costs may include: reconstruction, rehabilitation, acquisition of property (including land related to the project and improvements to the land), environmental mitigation, construction contingencies, equipment acquisition, and operational improvements directly related to system performance. The Application Deadline is March 4, 2019.

For more information view the webinar below and visit: www.transportation.gov/INFRA.

Webinar: How to Compete for INFRA 2019 Grants (Repeat Session)

Date and Time: Tuesday, February 5 (Afternoon) 2pm-4pm

Registration: https://connectdot.connectsolutions.com/ei5sylbcc84h/event/event_info.html 

 

NEW: FY19 WaterSMART Grants Available for Efficient Water and Power Delivery. Apply by March19.

The US Bureau of Reclamation is making about $24M in funding available through its WaterSMART Program for water and energy efficiency grants. These grants will be awarded to projects that will result in quantifiable and sustained water savings and support broader water reliability benefits. Applicants must provide at least a 50 percent cost-share. States, Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts and other organizations with water or power delivery authority located in the western United States or United States Territories are eligible to apply. The funding opportunity is available at www.grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity number BOR-DO-19-F004. Applications will be due on March 19, 2019, at 4 p.m. MDT. To learn more about WaterSMART or the Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, please visit www.usbr.gov/watersmart.

Two related WaterSMART funding opportunities may also be of interest:

 

RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE

NOAA Announces FY19 Coral Reef Conservation Program, Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grants. Apply by Jan 29

The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program (CRCP), provides matching grants of financial assistance through the Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grant. These awards are intended to support coral reef conservation projects in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and coral-dominated banks in the U.S. portions of the Gulf of Mexico. See Opportunity Number NOAA-NOS-OCM-2019-2005879 at Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=310476

 

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT –Nursing

NEW HRSA Funding for Nursing Education and Retention Programs. Apply by March 8.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has identified $4.5 million for investment under the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Veteran Nurses in Primary Care Training Program.  This program aims to achieve a sustainable primary care nursing workforce equipped with the competencies necessary to deliver value-based primary care, improve the distribution of the nursing workforce, increase access to care, and improve population health outcomes by strengthening the capacity for basic nurse education and practice.

The solicitation can be found at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=311817. .  Applications are due by March 8.

 

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
19-501 Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations NSF 10/06/2018 02/28/2019
NSFHP-19-INFRA19 INFRA Grants DOT-DOT X-50 01/02/2019 03/04/2019
BOR-DO-19-F004 WaterSMART Grants: Water and Energy Efficiency Grants for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/31/2019 03/19/2019
BOR-DO-19-F003 WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 03/27/2019
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
BOR-DO-19-F005 WaterSMART Grants:Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 04/24/2019
HRSA-19-092 Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) – Veteran Nurses in Primary Care (VNPC) Training Program HHS-HRSA 01/07/2019 03/08/2019

Recently Announced Federal Awards:

DOL Awards $85M in Youthbuild Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor announced $85 million in grants will be awarded to YouthBuild programs in 32 states.  The grants announced today range from approximately $700,000 to $1.1 million each and will fund 81 YouthBuild programs. YouthBuild is an education and training program with a strong pre-apprenticeship component that helps at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs, earn industry-recognized credentials for in-demand occupations, and undergo training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.

This set of awards mark a significant expansion of the Construction Plus model of YouthBuild, which allows grantees to offer training in locally in-demand industries beyond the required construction training, such as healthcare, information technology, hospitality and retail services, and logistics. This year’s grant awards include 65 programs that applied to offer Construction Plus training.

The U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild program has a network of more than 200 urban and rural YouthBuild programs in 46 states. To find a YouthBuild grantee near you, please visit www.doleta.gov/youth_services/youthbuild.cfm.

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

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

The federal grant-making agency recently released a five-module online course for biomedical innovators considering funding through the NIH SBIR/STTR programs. The course aims to help prospective applicants “evaluate the use of federal grant funding within the context of a broader financial plan.” For information on the latest SBIR/STTR Opportunities at NIH, visit https://sbir.nih.gov/ .

Also Upcoming:

 

Reports, Tools and Data

Census Bureau Releases Revised Economic Indicator Calendar

The U.S. Census Bureau has announced updates to the 2019 economic indicator release schedule in coordination with other agencies and the Office of Management and Budget.

 

BEA Released Prototype GDP by County 2012-2015

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis is requesting feedback and comments on its recently released prototype statistics for gross domestic product (GDP) by county for 2012-2015. Access the data here: https://www.bea.gov/news/2018/prototype-gross-domestic-product-county-2012-2015

 

HHS Publishes 2019 Update of the Poverty Guidelines

The Department of Health and Human has published its annual update of the Poverty Guidelines in the February 1 FEDERAL REGISTER. The Poverty Guidelines continue to be derived from the Census Bureau’s current official poverty thresholds; they are not derived from the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). Click here for the full text; the graphic is based on the tables.

 

WIOA State Workforce Development Plans (2018-2020) Are Available Online

Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), States and Territories submit a Unified or Combined State Plan to the U.S. Department of Labor that outlines a four-year strategy for the State’s workforce development system. Stakeholders may now view, download, and search the approved WIOA State Plans for the period July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020.

 

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.

 

New Report: Small Businesses Generate 44 Percent Of U.S. Economic Activity

A January 30 advisory from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy announces A new report showing that small businesses account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. This is a significant contribution; however this overall share has declined gradually. Across the 16 years from 1998 to 2014, the small business share of GDP has fallen from 48.0 percent to 43.5 percent. Over the same period, the amount of small business GDP has grown by about 25 percent in real terms, or 1.4 percent annually. However, real GDP for large businesses has grown faster, at 2.5 percent annually.

Nominal small business GDP measured $5.9 trillion in 2014, the most recent year for which small business GDP data are available. The three largest small business sectors contributing to it were (1) the real estate and rental and leasing industry; (2) wholesale and retail trade; and (3) the manufacturing and mining sector. The full report, “Small Business GDP, 1998-2014,” and a summary of the research, are available on Advocacy’s website. The news release is available here. Advocacy has sponsored research on small businesses’ contribution to GDP since 1980.

 

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

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

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations

  • Is your home, business or community included in a federally declared emergency or disaster area? 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.

Find recent amendments here: 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:

 

More Resources for Recovery and Resilience

EDA Invests $800,000 to Support Disaster Economic Recovery in Houston, Texas

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding an $800,000 grant to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) of Washington, D.C., to support ongoing economic recovery needs in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. This investment will provide leadership training, peer learning, technical assistance, and best practices for disaster-stricken communities. IEDC will match expert economic developers to specific areas for economic recovery advancement. The project will also leverage investments from local and state government to provide a program of in-kind support and volunteers, which will enable IEDC to contribute a 20% or more match-share. This project is funded under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (PL 115-123) (PDF), in which Congress appropriated to EDA $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program (PDF) funds for disaster relief and recovery as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, wildfires and other calendar year 2017 natural disasters under the Stafford Act.

Self-Paced Webinar – A Guide to SBA’s Disaster Assistance Programs

Take this free self-paced training course for an overview of SBA’s disaster assistance programs which provide low-interest disaster loans to help businesses of all sizes and homeowners recover from declared disasters.  Launch the course

BLS Has Employment, Wages, and Establishment Counts in Flood Zones

USDOL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program has created a set of maps and data for hurricane flood zones on the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts For more information, see the flood zone FAQ page.

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework