Selected Federal Agency Announcements and Related for the Week of November 12, 2018

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

USDA Announces Grants Available for Training Programs to Assist Veterans Pursue Agricultural Careers (AgVets). Apply by Jan 10.

 

USDA has announced a grant opportunity under AgVets identifying $4,797,500 for investment.  Applications are due by January 10 from eligible organizations. 

 See: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=310087

The Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Program provides grants to non-profits to increase the number of military veterans gaining knowledge and skills through comprehensive, hands-on and immersive model farm and ranch programs offered regionally that lead to successful careers in the food and agricultural sector. The program encourages the development of training opportunities specifically designed for military veterans. AgVets project offer onsite, hands-on training and classroom education leading to a comprehensive understanding of successful farm and ranch operations and management practices. Projects may also offer workforce readiness and employment prospects for service-disabled veterans. Ensuring there are pathways for military veterans interested in pursuing careers in agriculture — regardless of age or production choice — strengthens agricultural production and rural economies across the United States.

Request for Applications

Apply for Grant

Posted Date: Thursday, November 1, 2018

Closing Date: Thursday, January 10, 2019

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-OP-006669

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

USDA Announces Funding Opportunity under the Technical Assistance and Training Program – Water and Waste Water Systems. Apply by Dec 31.

The Department of Agriculture’s Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program has been established to communities with water or wastewater systems through free technical assistance and/or training provided by the grant recipients. Applications are due by December 31.

For details, see: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=309338

 

Rural Broadband Grants (Non-Federal):
NTCA -the Rural Broadband Association is offering grants through the Smart Rural Community Collaboration Challenge. Funding is to support the development and implementation of innovative broadband-enabled solutions to support rural commerce, healthcare, public safety, economic development, education, energy, and other community-oriented initiatives. Deadline: December 1, 2018. Click here to learn more and apply.

 

INNOVATION AND ADVANCED MATERIALS

 

NEW NOAA Seeks SBIR Phase I Applications for new R&D with Commercial Potential. Proposals Due Jan 8.

NOAA’s SBIR Program is seeking highly innovative products with excellent commercial potential. All SBIR proposals must directly benefit the NOAA mission, but should also be responsive to the greater market demands in order to be successful. All SBIR applications must be made in response to a NOAA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The FY19 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been posted to Grants.gov. In particular, applicants should review Section 9 for current Research Topics.  To view the full announcement, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=310297.The deadline for proposals is January 8, 2019.

 

For more information, please view the NOAA SBIR Grants Fact Sheet

 

9.0     RESEARCH TOPICS

 

US Forest Service – 2019 Wood Innovations Program Request for Proposals. Apply by Jan 23.

The Wood Innovations Grants funding supports traditional wood utilization projects, expands wood energy markets, and promotes using wood as a construction material in commercial buildings.

For detailed information on the application process, visit the 2019 Wood Innovations Program Request for Proposals.

 

JOB CREATION AND CAPITAL

SBA Changes Job Creation or Retention Requirements under the Development Company Loan Program (504 Loans)

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is changing the job creation or retention requirements under its Development Company Loan Program (504 Loan Program) by increasing the dollar amounts used in calculating the number of jobs that must be created or retained for each 504 Project and for the portfolio average of each Certified Development Company. In addition, SBA is designating additional areas for application of the higher portfolio average. The job creation or retention requirements and the designation of the additional areas that are described in this document will apply to all 504 loans that are approved under the 504 Loan Program on or after November 2, 2018. See details in the FEDERAL REGISTER https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-11-02/pdf/2018-24033.pdf)

 

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

DOL ETA Releases Revised FY19 Funding Levels for WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Program Allotments

The Employment and Training Administration has released Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 16-17, Change 1 which is available here: https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=8075

The guidance provides states with revised allotment levels for WIOA Adult and DW FY 2019 funds, which became available to states in October 2018. This Change 1 to Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 16-17 restores the set-aside for evaluations to the funding available to states in October 2018

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
693JJ319NF-NSFLTP Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) DOT-FHWA 10/04/2018
RDBCP-DHCS-2018 Delta Health Care Service Grant Program USDA-RBCS 09/07/2018 11/19/2018
ETA-TEGL-PY-FY-ADULT-2018-C1 Revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Advance Funding Levels for WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker (DW) Program Allotments DOL-ETA 11/02/2018 12/03/2018
ETA-TEGL-PY-FY-DW-2018-C1 Revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Advance Funding Levels  for WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker (DW) Program Allotments DOL-ETA 11/02/2018 12/03/2018
DE-FOA-0001987 Advanced Systems Integration for Solar Technologies DOE-GFO 10/15/2018 12/07/2018
18-598 Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs NSF 09/20/2018 12/18/2018
TATFY19 Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program for Water and Wastewater Systems USDA-RUS 10/01/2018 12/31/2018
SWMFY2019 Solid Waste Management Grant Program USDA-RUS 10/01/2018 12/31/2018
NOAA-OAR-OAR-TPO-2019-2005899 FY 2019 SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM DOC 11/08/2018 01/08/2019
HRSA-19-003 Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) HHS-HRSA 10/19/2018 01/08/2019
USDA-NIFA-OP-006669 Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans USDA-NIFA 11/01/2018 01/10/2019
19-506 Partnerships for Innovation NSF 10/19/2018 01/17/2019
USDA-FS-WERC-2019 2019 Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity USDA-FS 10/31/2018 01/23/2019
DHS-18-MT-047-000-99 Fy 2018 Pre-Disaster Mitigation DHS-DHS 08/03/2018 01/31/2019
DHS-18-MT-029-000-99 FY 2018 Flood Mitigation Assistance DHS-DHS 08/03/2018 01/31/2019
19-516 NSF – Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future NSF 11/01/2018 02/04/2019
19-501 Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations NSF 10/06/2018 02/28/2019

 

 

Public Meetings, Events and Training

 

NEW DOL Announces National Apprenticeship Week Nov 12-18

With NAW beginning on Monday, November 12, ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship reports there are 840 events taking place across the country during the coming week.  You can check them out on the NAW website. Please encourage the workforce system stakeholders and grantees to register their NAW events here, or use the mapping feature to find an event near them to participate in to learn more about Apprenticeship.

 

NEW Nov 14 Webcast Event: Brookings to Launch Platform on “Transformative Placemaking”

An advisory from Brookings:

On November 14, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program will formally launch the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. Registration for event attendance / registration for webcast: https://www.brookings.edu/events/transformative-placemaking-expanding-opportunities/

 

Related Webinar Series Also Begins Nov 14 – runs through April 2019:

LISC has announced a six-part webinar series called “How to Do Creative Placemaking” that will run from November through April. Creative placemaking—the practice of integrating arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities—has become a widespread practice in communities of all shapes and sizes to advance local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Webinars will cover topics such as building partnerships, community engagement, measuring impact, communicating success, hiring & contracting artists, and more. Click here to learn more and register.

 

Nov 14 at 2 PM (ET) NTIA BroadbandUSA Webinar on Transforming Healthcare

When: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 Time: 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET

Overview: Broadband connectivity is critical for many reasons, including access to quality healthcare. Connected-care services significantly reduce economic and administrative costs for patients and health care providers. This webinar will explore innovations in telehealth and telemedicine applications and programs that two leading universities have developed to improve patient health in their states, especially in rural and remote areas. Please pre-register for the webinar using this registration link.

 

Nov 26, 3 PM (ET) – Webinar on Inclusive Development in Opportunity Zones

On November 26 from 3PM-4PM ET, the Aspen Institute in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation present a webinar on:  Expanding inclusive development through employee ownership in opportunity zones. If your organization has been thinking about whether and how Opportunity Zones might achieve the goals of economic transformation in communities that have been left out of American prosperity, join the Aspen Institute on November 26 from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET to learn why employee ownership is a central part of an inclusive development strategy. Registration link: https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/#/?meeting=5jwe0xa4al5z&campaign=f8iq2x56d289

 

Also Upcoming:

 

Reports, Tools and Data

New Publication: Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers

How can well-structured and effective workforce programs and policies result in better economic outcomes for individuals, businesses, and communities? Explore contemporary research, best practices, and resources from more than 100 authors in the book Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers.

The publication of the three volumes of Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers is one of the capstones of a multiyear initiative that started in 2017. The Investing in America’s Work­force (IAW) initiative included planning, listening, brainstorming, researching, and engaging with partners. It involved communicating with stakeholders on workforce development and how it can be understood as an investment in eco­nomic growth, business competitive advantage, and worker economic oppor­tunity. The book (formally released on November 9) is divided into three volumes: Investing in Workers, Investing in Work, and Investing in Systems for Employment Opportunity. Within each volume are discrete sections made up of chapters that identify specific workforce development programs and policies that provide positive returns to society, to employers, and to job seekers. Download the three volumes and individual chapters below.

Download Volume 1, Investing in Workers                         

Download Volume 2, Investing in Work                        

Download Volume 3, Investing in Systems for Employment Opportunity

 

Note: The policies and practices presented in the book are intended to spur innovative thinking that results in context-specific solutions. The perspectives are not intended as an endorsement from the Federal Reserve System or its partnering institutions.

 

The publication acknowledges that the 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Fed Board of Governors were core partners in developing and executing the various components of the Invest­ing in America’s Workforce initiative, as well as contributing authors and edits from Universities, philanthropy and practitioners.  Remarks by Patrick T. Harker President and Chief Executive Officer Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia at the book’s launch: https://philadelphiafed.org/-/media/publications/speeches/harker/2018/11-09-18-investing-in-americas-workforce.pdf?la=en

 

Report on Benefits of Investing in Mitigation for Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure

The National Institute of Building Sciences has issued its latest report in a multi-year study on natural hazard mitigation. This report, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure, examines the potential benefits associated with investing in mitigation for select utility and transportation infrastructure. The project team sought to use Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants to look at how the agency’s mitigation efforts to address four potential perils and four categories of utilities and infrastructure might benefit communities, and used the data to estimate benefit cost ratios (BCRs) for 12 flood or wind mitigation investments. The project team also supplemented the analysis of EDA grants by studying a few leading options for natural-hazard mitigation of utilities and transportation infrastructure.

Download Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure.

 

Rural Resource Guide to Help Communities Address Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Misuse

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Deputy Director Jim Carroll and U.S. Department of Agriculture Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett have unveiled a listing of Federal programs that can be used to build resilient communities and address opioid misuse in rural communities. The Rural Resource Guide to Help Communities Address Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Misuse is a first-of-its-kind, one-stop-shop for rural leaders looking for Federal funding and partnership opportunities.

Earlier this month, USDA launched the Community Assessment Tool, an interactive database to help community leaders assess how and why the opioid epidemic is impacting their regions. USDA’s Community Opioid Misuse Toolbox is free and available to the public. It can be accessed on USDA’s Rural Opioid Misuse Webpage.

 

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia

What are the key building blocks for a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem? How are Appalachian communities putting these concepts to work? What data and resources are available for each of the Region’s 420 counties?

These are some of the questions driving Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia, a suite of research reports and resources supporting entrepreneurial ecosystem development in Appalachia. The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems refers to a region’s “framework conditions” that serve to support the start-up and growth of new companies. Appalachian communities are at different stages when it comes to fostering supportive entrepreneurial environments; some are nascent and others are well-developed.

After a comprehensive literature review examining entrepreneurial development theory, the first report of the series identifies seven core elements associated with effective entrepreneurial ecosystems, including: market access, capital, talent, business assistance, specialized infrastructure & facilities, community culture, and regulatory & government support. Read the report > 

Eight Appalachian communities were selected as case studies to reflect both the diversity and complexity of entrepreneurial ecosystem development. The seven core elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems were examined in each location, providing a large number of examples for other communities throughout the Region to explore and consider. Read the case studies

 

US Cluster Mapping Site Updated.

TCI Network recently announced that the U.S. Cluster Mapping Portal has been refreshed with 2016 cluster data in regions.

The U.S. Cluster Mapping site provides over 50 million open data records on industry clusters and regional business environments in the U.S. to promote economic growth and national competitiveness. It is led by Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Economic Development Administration.

See: http://clustermapping.us/