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.

To see more resources, visit EDA’s EDI webpages at www.eda.gov\edi

Click here to view all weekly federal announcement posts.

Funding & Resource Announcements

Announcements of Federal Funding & Assistance Available:

DOT Resilience and Durability to Extreme Weather Pilot Program, Letters of Interest due Feb 9
DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is seeking to partner with State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Federal Lands Management Agencies (FLMAs), and Tribes to address one of three areas related to deploying resilience solutions:

1. Integrating resilience and durability into agency practices;
2. Using available tools and resources to assess the vulnerability and risk of transportation projects or systems; or
3. Deploying a resilience solution and monitoring performance.

FHWA anticipates funding five to eight pilots, with the FHWA share of the pilot projects ranging from $10,000 to a maximum of $250,000 each. There is a matching requirement. The funding recipient must be a State DOT, MPO, federally recognized tribal government or FLMA. However, partnerships with other agencies such as a local government are permissible. Full details at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/resilience/pilots/

Energy Department Announces $3M for High Performance Computing Collaborations for U.S. Manufacturers. Concept Papers due Mar 15.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3 million in funding for 10 projects to help American manufacturers leverage the national laboratories’ high performance computing (HPC) capabilities to address manufacturing challenges through state-of-the-art modeling, simulation, and data analysis. Funding will be administered by the High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program, which is supported by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office.

This funding will support collaboration between manufacturers and the national labs that will aid in decision-making, innovate in processes and design, improve quality, predict performance and failure, quicken or eliminate testing, and/or shorten the time of adoption of new technologies. View the solicitation and submission instructions for details. Concept paper applications for demonstration projects and follow-on projects are due by March 15, 2018.

For more information, register to attend an informational webinar on Monday, February 12th or Tuesday, February 20th.

CDFI Fund Opens FY18 Funding Round for CDFI and NACA Programs
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) opened the FY 2018 funding round for the CDFI Program and the Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program). The awards from these programs will support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) providing affordable financing and related services to low-income communities and populations that lack access to credit, capital, and financial services. The CDFI Fund plans to award approximately $196.5 million in FY 2018 in Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA) awards, although total amount of funds available for the FY 2018 CDFI Program and NACA Program round is contingent upon passage of final FY 2018 appropriations legislation. The CDFI Fund will be adding guidance materials on a rolling basis to the CDFI Fund website.

The CDFI Fund is providing the following opportunities to learn more about the FY 2018 CDFI Program and NACA Program funding round:

In-Person Application Workshops: CDFI Fund staff will conduct five in-person Application Workshops in Washington, DC. Attendees must register online on the CDFI Fund’s website at www.cdfifund.gov

Q&A Webinars: The CDFI Fund is conducting six targeted live webinars to provide a forum to answer applicant questions about the FY 2018 CDFI Program and NACA Program applications. Advance registration is not required to participate in the webinars.

EPA Funding Opportunity: Tribal Support for E-Enterprise for the Environment. Due March 16.

EPA-OCFO-OEE-18-02. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible organizations that are broadly representative of federally- recognized tribes and are familiar with tribal environmental issues, programs and data to provide outreach to increase and enhance tribal participation in the E-Enterprise for the Environment (E-Enterprise). E-Enterprise for the Environment is a new model for collaborative leadership among environmental co-regulators. Working together, environmental leaders at US EPA, States, and Tribes are using E-Enterprise to deliver better results, often with lower costs and less burden, for the benefit of the public, the regulated community and government agencies.

The overall goal of this cooperative agreement is to enhance tribal participation in E-Enterprise. The recipient will promote discussion, collaboration and partnership among tribes, states and federal agency representatives. Follow this link for application information: Tribal Support for E-Enterprise for the Environment (PDF)

Reminder of 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 visit Grants.gov for a complete list of all current federal opportunities, including areas not listed below.

Public Meetings, Events and Training

February 13, 2 PM (ET) –EPA Webinar on Financing Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Learn how public sector organizations are improving energy efficiency with innovative solutions to financial barriers. Attendees will learn about financing projects in the public and private sectors, the basics of performance contracting, and how EPA’s tools and resources can help you make the decision to improve your facilities now or later.

Register

Feb 14 – March 14: ARC to Hold POWER Workshops in PA, SC, WV, KY and AL

The workshops will provide information on applying for ARC funding under the POWER program, as well as examples of past projects. Workshops are free; registration is required. Workshops will be offered at the following five locations:

• California, Pennsylvania:  Wednesday, February 14
• Greenville, South Carolina:  Tuesday, February 20
• Daniels, West Virginia:  Wednesday, February 28
• Hazard, Kentucky:  Thursday, March 8
• Tuscaloosa, Alabama:   Wednesday, March 14

Feb 15 CDFA Webinar – Understanding the Investing in Opportunity Act From the Council of Development Finance Agencies:

Tucked inside of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a new tax incentive that creates a plan to help distressed America. The law will accomplish the goal of improving the economic outcomes of distressed communities by incentivizing investments in Opportunity Zones, which are low-income census tracts that have received official designation from their state or territory’s chief executive

CDFA will host Understanding the Investing in Opportunity Act, an informational webinar on the Investing in Opportunity Act on February 15 at 1:00 PM Eastern.  The webinar will feature speakers from Novogradac & Company and the Economic Innovation Group (the conceptual authors of the IIOA program). Registration is free for all attendees. To participate, sign up online>>>Register for the Webinar

Feb 20 – Webinar for EDA Revolving Loan Fund Administrators

CDFA will offer a webinar for EDA RLF Grantees on February 20, 2018 at 2pm Eastern. Topic is: Maximizing Revolving Loan Fund Impact. Registration is free and open for all EDA RLF grantees. See https://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/pages/edarlfprogram.html

Feb 22 Webinar: Investing in America’s Workforce – How Employers Create Good Jobs to Maintain Competitive Advantage

This webinar is the first in a series exploring strategies for improving job quality and outcomes for workers and businesses presented by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, the Aspen Institute, the Good Companies, Good Jobs Initiative at the Sloan School of Management, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Registration at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/577/24162

Begins Feb 26 – Four-part Webinar Series on Strengthening Partnerships for the Manufacturing Workforce

The Dept. of Education’s OCTAE and Safal Partners are hosting a series of conversations on improving the education-to-workforce pipeline with leaders in manufacturing partnerships. Conversations begin at 12:15 PM ET on the following dates:

• February 26, 2018 – Vertical Integration in Your Manufacturing Partnership. Register Here
• March 5, 2018 – Telling Your Partnership’s Story. Register Here
• March 12, 2018 – Managing Your Partnership Tensions. Register Here
• March 19, 2018 – Keeping Your Partners Engaged. Register Here

Feb 28 – DOE Office of Indian Energy Policies and Programs Webinar

February 28, 1 PM (ET) – Steps Toward Your Tribal Community Energy Future

Sovereign tribal nations across the United States have recognized the important economic value of developing and implementing community energy plans. The community energy planning process helps tribal members establish short- and long-range energy and economic development goals, and identify challenges and opportunities for meeting current and future energy needs in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable fashion. In this webinar, tribal leaders and community members will learn how to develop a community energy plan, including an overview of the five-step project development process developed by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the Office of Indian Energy. Speakers will address the importance of using an inclusive planning process with tribal community participation to gain support for and ownership of all aspects of the plan. Speakers will describe barriers likely to be encountered during the planning process, provide tips on how to overcome those barriers, and identify tools and resources that can help tribes establish an energy plan based on developing natural resources with maximum local control and ownership.

Register

Department of Energy to Host 2018 ARPA-E Summit— March 13-15 at National Harbor MD

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will host its ninth annual Energy Innovation Summit from March 13-15, 2018 in National Harbor, MD. The Summit draws thousands of participants from across the United States and internationally to convene a forum on the future of energy innovation. The Summit encourages leaders from industry, government, and academia to build partnerships that shape the direction of public-private cooperation in energy technology. For more information and to register for the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, please visit here.

March 21 NADO Training Workshop on CEDS (Arlington VA)

The workshop will be held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway , 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.  Please e-mail Program Manager Brett Schwartz at [email protected] with any questions. 

UEDA Announces October 21 – 24 Annual Summit theme: “Disruptive Economic Development – Higher Education Ecosystems”

The University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Annual Summit will be held this year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Click here to learn More …

Reports, Tools and Data

Administration Seeks Input on National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing by March 7

On behalf of the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on the development of a National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. Through this Request for Information (RFI), OSTP seeks input from the public on ways to improve government coordination and on long-term guidance for Federal programs and activities in support of United States manufacturing competitiveness, including advanced manufacturing research and development that will create jobs, grow the economy across multiple industrial sectors, strengthen national security, and improve healthcare.

The public input provided in response to this RFI will inform OSTP and NSTC as they work with Federal agencies and other stakeholders to develop the strategic plan.

The formal RFI notice appears in the Federal Register for February 5, 2018 Comments are due within 30 days.

Responses should be submitted online at https://www.nist.gov/oam/rfiresponse or via email to [email protected]. Submissions via email should include “RFI Response: National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing” in the subject line of the message.

HUD Community Planning and Development Funding Data Available Online

The CPD Funding Matrix and Dashboard Reports, as of February 1, 2018, have been posted to HUD Exchange.

These reports provide funding information for each city and state that receive CPD program funds, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Continuum of Care (CoC), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), HOME, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and Housing Trust Fund (HTF). Reports detail the size of each grant received over the past several years, as well as the total amount of funds currently available to be spent on affordable housing and community and economic development activities. Grantees with questions can contact the local field office.

2018 Guide to the National Endowment for the Arts

The new NEA Guide is now available and provides details on the programs and activities that the NEA supports, as well as funding deadlines for our various grants. Included is information on Grants for Organizations, Literature Fellowships, Lifetime Honors, and Partnerships. DOWNLOAD/ORDER »

New Guidance on Use of certain HHS funds to Match specific FTA Programs to Improve Senior Transportation

A February 1 advisory from the Federal Transit Administration

To maximize flexibility and improve transportation coordination, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has clarified and publicized the ability of grantees to use Older Americans Act Title IIIB Supportive Services Funds to match to specific FTA programs.

ACL, a Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) partner as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, worked with The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center to publicize how to use Non-DOT Funds for Local Match. FTA recently added it to guidance documents, including the following fact sheets:

• Urbanized Area Formula Grants (Section 5307)
• Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and People with Disabilities (Section 5310)
• Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311)

New HHS Report Shares Vision for Integrated Community Services Delivery

Excerpts from a recent Family Room blog post by Steven Wagner, Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families / Department of Health and Human Services:

January 29 — ACF brings together a wide range of programs aimed to improve the lives of millions of Americans and increase their economic independence and productivity. Our success is only possible through the work of our key partners, including local community based organizations (CBOs), who are critical parts of the larger human services ecosystem. A new report commissioned by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and the American Public Human Services Association  shares our vision for how we can strengthen the human services ecosystem by joining forces with community based organizations and other partners. We need to align our collective efforts and transcend traditional program boundaries to better serve and improve outcomes for children and families.

To fully realize a vision for a more integrated and effective human services delivery system, the new report highlights a few “north star” initiatives:

• Commitment to measure long-term outcomes. Measuring outcomes over long periods of time requires consistency in what data is being collected and when, and identifying which outcomes are most critical. One example: the Dakota County (MN) Community Services Administration is leading the way by instituting a common tracking system for outcomes across Departments and with their CBO contract providers, and incentivizing good performance based on these metrics.
• Investment in capacity for innovation. To continue to improve, human services need to learn about new approaches and technologies including: big data analysis, improving data sharing and outcome analysis, rapid-cycle testing, continuous improvement, and leveraging mobile technology.
• Strategic partnerships. More than ever, deeper partnerships with government businesses, universities, philanthropy and CBOs are crucial. This new approach may include investments in joint innovation, policy and program development; shared service models; or other cooperative funding models.
• Reducing regulatory barriers. We need to pare back outmoded and duplicative regulations and clarify overlapping regulations.

Also of Interest:

NTIA Highlights Administration Support for Broadband Expansion

NTIA’s recent newsletter highlighted several recent announcements in support of expanded broadband investment including:

• Presidential Executive Order on Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America
• Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of the Interior: Supporting Broadband Tower Facilities in Rural America on Federal Properties Managed by the Department of the Interior
• U.S. Department of Commerce Announcement: Supporting President Trump’s Vision for Expanding Broadband in Rural America
• Federal Reserve System Webinar Broadband Under the Community Reinvestment Act presentation now available online
• National Science Foundation Smart and Connected Communities Funding Applications: Full Proposal deadline February 28, 2018

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

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

Funding Assistance for Recovery Efforts:

Funding Opportunity for Gulf Coast States Recovering from Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (AL, FL, LA, MS, TX)

Through this announcement, member agencies and states of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) may submit applications to fund activities to enhance collaboration, coordination, public engagement, and use of best available science under the Council-Selected Restoration Component of the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) (33 U.S.C. § 1321(t)(2)). Details regarding necessary steps for members to submit applications for funding are available at: https://www.restorethegulf.gov/sites/default/files/GO-RES_20180124_NOFA_CPS.pdf. Applications for project funding will be accepted until April 30, 2018

Updates on FEMA Response in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

Click on these links to find  up-to-date information on FEMA’s response to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on FEMA’s webpage

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.

These are posted in the Federal Register here: https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-emergency-management-agency#documents

Economic Recovery Support

Read more about the Economic Recovery Support Function and the National Disaster Response Framework here: https://www.eda.gov/programs/disaster-recovery/