The Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently announced 6 new programs that will invest $3 billion of ARPA related funding into communities struggling to economically recover from the pandemic.  The programs are:

• Economic Adjustment Assistance: This program is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to, and recover from, the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including long-term recovery and resilience to future economic disasters. This is the broadest funding opportunity at EDA and any eligible applicant from any EDA Region may apply. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and before March 31, 2022.

• Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation: This program is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions to rebuild and strengthen their travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry through various infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects. Grants will be delivered through two components: (1) State Tourism Grants and (2) EDA Competitive Tourism Grants. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and before January 31, 2022.

• Indigenous Communities: This program is is designed to support indigenous communities as they respond to, and recover from, the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including long-term recovery and resilience to future economic disasters. Ohio does not have federally recognized Indian Tribes or federally recognized entities serving Native Americans.

• Build Back Better Regional Challenge: This program is designed as a two-phase competition to (1) help regions develop transformational economic development strategies and (2) fund the implementation of those strategies that will create and grow regional growth clusters. Such efforts will help regional economies recover from the pandemic and build economic diversity and resiliency to mitigate impacts of future economic disasters. Currently EDA is only accepting applications for Phase (1). Applications are due October 19, 2021.

• Statewide Planning, Research and Networks This program seeks to build regional economies for the future through two primary avenues: a) Statewide Planning and b) Research and Networks. Awards through the program will help develop coordinated state-wide plans for economic development and data, tools, and institutional capacity to evaluate and scale evidence-based economic development efforts, including through communities of practice and provision of technical assistance among existing and new EDA grantees. For Statewide Planning grants, eligible applicants are limited to the Governor’s Office, or equivalent, of a State, who may designate an eligible applicant type described above to apply for and administer the award. For the Research and Networks grant, the following may apply: state, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; or institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a general purpose political subdivision of a State unless EDA waives the cooperation requirement. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and before October 31, 2021.

• Good Jobs Challenge. This program is designed to help get Americans back to work by developing and strengthening regional systems to develop and execute sectoral partnerships that will lead to well-paying jobs. The goal of regional workforce training systems is to create and implement effective employer-driven training programs that will connect the existing and emerging skills needs of employers with workers and will help workers find and keep quality jobs and advance along their chosen career path. The system or partnership should be led by a System Lead Entity or Backbone Organization, respectively, serving as an intermediary that has convening power in the region and the capacity to coordinate all necessary stakeholders. The application closes January 26, 2022.