Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of March 18, 2019

NEW resources highlighted this week include:

Featured Announcement:

Funding Opportunities:

Public Meetings, Events and Training:

Reports, Tools and Data:

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.

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

Featured Announcement. 2

NEW: Dr. John C. Fleming – Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. 2

Funding & Resource Announcements. 3

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.. 3

REDI Program – TA for Rural Economic Development Plans. Apply by Apr 5. 3

FY19 AmeriCorps VISTA Request for Concept Papers and Timeline. 3

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 3

Closing March 29: Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program.. 3

NEW: SBA is Recruiting Participants for 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative. 3

Closing April 4: EDA 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program.. 4

NSF Adds “Project Pitch” Requirement to SBIR Phase 1 Process. 4

PLACEMAKING.. 4

NEA Challenge America Grants for Arts in Underserved Communities. Due Apr 11. 4

RURAL DEVELOPMENT. 4

2019 POWER Initiative for Appalachian Coal Communities. Apply by April 10. 4

Capacity Building Grants for Land Grant Universities. Apply by Apr 18. 5

INFRASTRUCTURE. 5

Rural Broadband: FY19 Community Connect Grants Available. Apply by Apr 15. 5

TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE. 5

DOL Issues Initial Allocation of FY19 TAA Training and Other Activities Funds. 5

Federal Funding Opportunities Closing Soon: 5

Recently Announced Awards. 6

Public Meetings, Events and Training. 6

NEW: March 20 at 2pm ET -Webinar on the American Broadband Initiative. 6

March 27:  Webinar on HHS RCORP Grants for Opioid Impacted Communities. 6

April 9 & 30: UEDA Webinars on Innovation and Economic Prosperity: 7

April 16-17: CDFA Federal Policy Conference; EDA, HUD, USDA, DOT, Treasury, EPA and SBA to Present Updates on Federal Financing. 7

June 18-20 – NADO’s National CEDS Forum in Columbus Ohio. 7

Select USA Spin Off Events Encourage Foreign Investors to Visit Locations Across US. 8

NIH Online Course for Biomedical Innovators:  Applying for SBIR/STTR Funding. 8

Reports, Tools and Data. 8

NEW: Case Studies and Strategies for Resilience and Diversification in Coal Regions. 8

NEW: Small Scale Manufacturing Presentation – Recording Available. 8

NEW: NCSHA Opportunity Zone Fund Directory Features Over 100 Funds. 9

GAO Report Highlights Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (EDA, ARC, DOD, DOL). 9

ETA Publishes FY 2018 Apprenticeship Data & Map of Active Programs by State. 9

Census Posts Latest American Community Survey Data (2013-2017). 9

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info. 9

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations. 9

Funding and other Assistance Available for Recovery: 10

EDA Has Supplemental Funding Available for Areas Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes, Wildfires and Other Disasters  10

HUD Announces Action on CDBG DR Funds in PR and TX. 10

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework. 10

 

Featured Announcement

NEW: Dr. John C. Fleming – Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

 

Dr. John C. Fleming of Minden, Louisiana, has been sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. The action follows the March 7th U.S. Senate vote to confirm Fleming as the new administrator of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). As head of EDA, Dr. Fleming will be responsible for fulfilling the agency’s mission of leading the federal economic development agenda.

 

A four term U.S. Congressman serving Louisiana’s 4th Congressional district from January 2009, to January 2017, Fleming is also a physician, businessman and former Webster Parish coroner. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Dr. Fleming served as a deputy assistant secretary at HHS, overseeing technology modernization efforts.

Funding & Resource Announcements

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

REDI Program – TA for Rural Economic Development Plans. Apply by Apr 5

The Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) initiative application is now available for rural communities and regions to apply for free technical assistance to develop, and implement, economic development plans. This assistance is designed to assist communities to develop evidence-based assessments; quantifiable goals; plans to improve the local and regional economy; and metrics to track implementation and progress. Application Deadline: April 5, 2019. Download the application or request information at [email protected]

 

FY19 AmeriCorps VISTA Request for Concept Papers and Timeline
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) seeks Concept Papers for the AmeriCorps VISTA program from outcome-driven organizations that share the AmeriCorps VISTA mission of providing long term solutions to poverty. Organizations interested in hosting AmeriCorps VISTA members are required to submit a concept paper via eGrants to the CNCS State Office. If the concept paper is accepted, the organization will be invited to submit a full AmeriCorps VISTA project application to the State Office for review. AmeriCorps NCCC Project Application To learn more about sponsoring an NCCC team, including contact information for NCCC regional campuses, visit the Sponsor an AmeriCorps NCCC Team page.

 

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

 

Closing March 29: Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program
USDA Rural Development’s RBDG Program offers a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas which will employ 50 or fewer new employees and has less than $1 million in gross revenue. Applications are accepted through USDA Rural Development’s local or State offices once per year. Click here for RDBG Fact Sheet and contacts. Application Deadline: March 29, 2019.

NEW: SBA is Recruiting Participants for 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of the 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative for executives of small businesses poised for growth in emerging markets. Local area recruitment for the 2019 training cycle is currently ongoing at designated SBA District Offices. Interested small business owners can learn more regarding eligibility, how to apply, class schedules, and locations at www.sba.gov/emergingleaders, or by contacting their local SBA District Office.

 

The SBA’s Emerging Leaders provides free entrepreneurship education and training for executives of small businesses that are potential job creators. This intensive executive entrepreneurship series includes nearly 100 hours of classroom time. Participants are provided with the opportunity to work with a network of experienced coaches and mentors, attend specialized workshops, and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and the financial community in order to build sustainable businesses that promote economic development within their communities.

 

 

Closing April 4: EDA 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program

EDA is now accepting applications for the 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) Program funding. The RIS Program, operated by EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), again offers funding through two competitions: FY19 i6 Challenge and FY19 Seed Fund Support (SFS) Grant Competition. All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm ET on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply through grants.gov, visit EDA’s Regional Innovation Strategies webpage.

NSF Adds “Project Pitch” Requirement to SBIR Phase 1 Process.

The National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program provides small businesses with equity-free funding to conduct research and development (R&D) work that will lead to the commercialization of innovative new products and services. NSF SBIR and STTR Program Phase I proposers are now REQUIRED to submit a three-page “Project Pitch” that outlines the project objectives, technical innovation and associated technical risks. Submit a Project Pitch at any time.

Small businesses that have been invited to submit a full proposal can do so in one of the following a submission windows:

  • now – June 13, 2019
  • June 14, 2019 – December 12, 2019

For full details see: Program Solicitation NSF 19-554.

 

PLACEMAKING

NEA Challenge America Grants for Arts in Underserved Communities. Due Apr 11.
Grants to support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Matching grants are for $10,000. Application deadline: April 11, 2019. Click here for  APPLICATION GUIDELINES

 

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

2019 POWER Initiative for Appalachian Coal Communities. Apply by 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.  Access the 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) here.

 

Capacity Building Grants for Land Grant Universities. Apply by Apr 18

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking FY19 applications for its 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program (USDA-NIFA-CBGP-006696). Applications submitted to CBG must address at least one of the following NIFA strategic goals: sustainable bioenergy; food security; childhood obesity prevention; or food safety. Closing Date: Thursday, April 18, 2019. Click here to Apply for Grant

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

Rural Broadband: FY19 Community Connect Grants Available. Apply by Apr 15.

RUS is now accepting applications for FY 2019 for the Community Connect Grants program. This program helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service. The application window closes April 15, 2019. Applications for this program are serviced by RUS national office staff, available at [email protected].  See the Community Connect fact sheet, and the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for details.

 

TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE

 

DOL Issues Initial Allocation of FY19 TAA Training and Other Activities Funds

DOL’s Employment Training Administration has announced the Initial Allocation of FY 2019 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Funds and Process for Requesting TAA Reserve Funds. Information is available in the Training and Employment Guidance Letter 12-18.

Attachment: FY 2019 TAA Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Initial Allocation Amounts, By State

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
BOR-DO-19-F003 WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 03/27/2019
ETA-TEGL-NO-13-18 FY 19 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance DOL-ETA 02/28/2019 03/28/2019
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
RDRUS-CC-2019 Community Connect Grant Program USDA-RUS 02/12/2019 04/15/2019
 

USDA-NIFA-CBGP-006696

 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program USDA-NIFA 02/14/2019 04/18/2019
 

BOR-DO-19-F007

 WaterSMART: Title XVI Congressionally Authorized Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects DOI-BOR 03/04/2019 04/22/2019
DE-FOA-0001976 FY 2019 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 PAMS-SC 03/04/2019 04/23/2019
BOR-DO-19-F005 WaterSMART Grants: Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects for Fiscal Year 2019 DOI-BOR 01/24/2019 04/24/2019
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

 

Recently Announced Awards

Public Meetings, Events and Training

 

NEW: March 20 at 2pm ET -Webinar on the American Broadband Initiative

 

Join BroadbandUSA on March 20, 2019 to learn about the newly launched American Broadband Initiative and Milestones Report, which details the Administration’s strategy to expand broadband connectivity across the country. NTIA will provide an overview of the Initiative’s goals and will be joined by officials from key Agencies who are contributing to its mission.

 

American Broadband Initiative: The Administration’s Strategy for Promoting Broadband Connectivity

Date:   Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Time:  2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET

Please pre-register for the webinar using this registration link.   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

March 27:  Webinar on HHS RCORP Grants for Opioid Impacted Communities.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative called RCORP-Implementation (HRSA-19-082). Award recipients are encouraged to leverage workforce recruitment and retention programs like the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

 

A webinar for applicants will be held on Wednesday, March 27 from 11:30-1 p.m., EDT.

Call-In Number: 1-888-566-7680 Participant Code: 5808487

Weblink: https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/rcorp-implementation/

Playback Number: 1-800-839-4845 Passcode: 4321

To learn more about how HRSA is addressing the opioid epidemic, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/opioids.

 

April 9 & 30: 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)

 

 

April 16-17: CDFA Federal Policy Conference; EDA, HUD, USDA, DOT, Treasury, EPA and SBA to Present Updates on Federal Financing

On April 16-17 in Washington DC, CDFA will host its 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference, featuring development finance experts and practitioners from key federal agencies, congressional offices, and policy organizations. The CDFA Federal Policy Conference will highlight rural and urban financing programs, the Opportunity Zones incentive, programs for supporting small business development, as well as financing programs for infrastructure, energy, brownfields remediation, and water systems financing. The event will be held at the Washington Marriott Georgetown, and space is limited to the first 250 attendees – register early to secure your seat!

June 18-20 – NADO’s National CEDS Forum in Columbus Ohio

The first ever National CEDS Forum is scheduled for June 18-20, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. This event will bring together staff from Economic Development Districts, regional organizations, tribes, and federal agencies for a mix of training sessions, tours, and networking opportunities. Participants will learn about the latest best practices and resources available to support their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) planning, development, and implementation. Session topics will focus on: economic resilience and diversification; accessing and interpreting data; aligning the CEDS with other plans; outreach and engagement; federal funding opportunities; and more.

 

The forum will be co-located with the National Regional Transportation Conference and will include a handful of joint sessions and tours. For more information or to register for this event go here. Registration ends May 15, 2019. If you have any questions please contact Brett Schwartz at [email protected].

Select USA Spin Off Events Encourage Foreign Investors to Visit Locations Across US

SelectUSA is partnering with economic development organizations (EDOs) to plan and promote spinoff events, taking place before and after the June 2019 SelectUSA Investment Summit, in dozens of U.S. locations. View current locations: https://connect.eventtia.com/en/dmz/selectusaspinoffs/website More will be added as they become available.

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

National Institutes of Health recently released a five-module online course for biomedical innovators considering funding through the NIH SBIR/STTR programs. For information on the latest SBIR/STTR Opportunities at NIH, visit https://sbir.nih.gov/ .

 

 

Reports, Tools and Data

NEW: Case Studies and Strategies for Resilience and Diversification in Coal Regions

From the recent “Growing Stronger Economies in Our Nation’s Coal Communities” newsletter:  Slides are now available from NACo and NADO RF’s presentation at the Colorado Plateau Economic Development Symposium held last week in Page, AZ.  This convening brought together over one hundred attendees from Arizona, Utah, the Navajo Nation, and elsewhere to address the challenges facing the region with the impending closure of the Navajo Generating Station later this year.  The presentation covered economic resilience planning and diversification strategies as well as provided case studies of successful diversification efforts in coal regions across the country.  Click here to view the presentation.

 

For more case studies of economic resilience in coal communities, see also:

  • “Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia: A Guidebook for Practitioners” is a new publication prepared for the Appalachian Regional Commission.  It contains case studies from counties in the Appalachian region and across the country that offer insight into how communities have rebounded from the Recession and other economic disruptions in mining, manufacturing, hospitality, education, transportation, or similar industries.  Click here to access the guidebook.

NEW: Small Scale Manufacturing Presentation – Recording Available

The recording is now available from the NADO Research Foundation’s recent webinar with Recast City, “Unleashing the Economic Power of Small-Scale Manufacturing.”  This webinar explored how communities across the country are working with small-scale manufacturing businesses to help increase local employment, attract investment into target neighborhoods, and build inclusive economic opportunity. View the recording here:

https://www.nado.org/webinar-recording-unleashing-the-economic-power-of-small-scale-manufacturing/

 

NEW: NCSHA Opportunity Zone Fund Directory Features Over 100 Funds

The National Conference of State Housing Boards (NCSHB) periodically compiles Opportunity Zone funding opportunities. More than 100 funds have been launched to invest in designated Opportunity Zones, according to NCSHA’s latest Opportunity Zone Fund Directory released on March 8. This resource provides descriptions and contact information for publicly-announced funds that have been formed for the purpose of attracting investment in Opportunity Zones.

NCSHA is tracking only multi-project opportunity funds. The 105 funds in the current directory represent nearly $24 billion in anticipated investment. Funds range in size from $1 million to $3 billion, with an average fund size of approximately $225 million. The latest edition of the directory includes 16 new funds and details on each fund’s size and investment and geographic focuses.

 

GAO Report Highlights Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (EDA, ARC, DOD, DOL)

A new GAO report, “Economic Adjustment Assistance: Federal Programs Intended to Help Beneficiaries Adjust to Economic Disruption” (GAO 19-85R), identifies federal programs specifically targeted toward helping individuals, businesses, and communities adjust to economic disruptions that reduce the demand for certain workers, commonly referred to as programs that provide Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA). The report summarizes EAA programs and tax expenditures administered by: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (Commerce), Defense (DOD), Labor (DOL), and the Treasury.  Click here to read the report.

ETA Publishes FY 2018 Apprenticeship Data & Map of Active Programs by State

DOL’s  Employment and Training Administration has updated the Registered Apprenticeship data webpage with Fiscal Year 2018 statistics.  Visit the webpage to review the data tables accompanied State-by-State maps for active apprentices, new apprentices, completers, active programs, and new programs.

 

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.

 

Disaster Recovery Resources & Info

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

Where to Find Federal Disaster Declarations

 

  • 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:

 

HUD Announces Action on CDBG DR Funds in PR and TX

HUD announced its approval of Puerto Rico’s latest disaster recovery action plan, making the island eligible for $8.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG – DR) funds that were appropriated by Congress in February 2018.

 

HUD has also approved the State of TX Recovery Plan for its third allocation of CDBG DR funds.     Read Texas’ recovery plan.

 

Learn more about CDBG-DR and the State’s role in long-term disaster recovery (en español).

Economic Recovery Support & the National Disaster Response Framework