FY 2020 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (CARES Act Update)
RFP Summary provided by the agency
Updated May 07, 2020 to include CARES Act Funding. See italicized section below.
Under this NOFO, EDA solicits applications from applicants in rural and urban areas to provide investments that support construction, non-construction, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund projects under EDA’s Public Works and EAA programs. Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. EDA provides strategic investments on a competitive- merit-basis to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States.
Public Works Program
Through the Public Works program, EDA provides catalytic investments to help distressed communities build, design, or engineer critical infrastructure and facilities that will help implement regional development strategies and advance bottom-up economic development goals to promote regional prosperity. The Public Works program provides resources to meet the construction and/or infrastructure design needs of communities to enable them to become more economically competitive. Prior examples of investments EDA has supported through the Public Works program include projects supporting water and sewer system improvements, industrial parks, high-tech shipping and logistics facilities, workforce training facilities, business incubators and accelerators, brownfield redevelopment, technology-based facilities, wet labs, multi-tenant manufacturing facilities, science and research parks, and telecommunications infrastructure and development facilities.
Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA)
Through the EAA program, EDA provides investments that support a wide range of construction and non-construction activities (including infrastructure, design and engineering, technical assistance, economic recovery strategies, and capitalization or re-capitalization of Revolving Loan Funds (RLF)) in regions experiencing severe economic dislocations that may occur suddenly or over time. EDA utilizes EAA investments to provide resources that help communities experiencing or anticipating economic dislocations to plan and implement specific solutions to leverage their existing regional economic advantages to support economic development and job creation. Like Public Works investments, EAA investments are designed to help communities catalyze public-private partnerships to foster collaboration, attract investment, create jobs, and foster economic resiliency and prosperity.
Updated May 07, 2020 to include CARES Act Funding (See additional detail in the updated NOFO)
As part of CARES Act Recovery Assistance, EDA will also fund projects that qualify for EAA funding but are similar to the kinds of projects funded under other EDA programs, such as Public Works, Research and National Technical Assistance, Planning, Local Technical Assistance, University Centers, and Build to Scale (formerly Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS)). In addition to projects with a regional focus, EDA anticipates making awards for projects of national scope as part of this funding opportunity. In general, except as discussed below, EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance serves as an addendum to and follows the same rules as the FY 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Notice of
Funding Opportunity (FY20 PWEAA NOFO) . For more information, please see EDA’s website at or contact the EDA representative for your region who can be found here.
Funding Availability
The CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) provided EDA with $1,500,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, … including for necessary expenses for responding to economic injury as a result of coronavirus.” EDA intends to make these funds available through the EAA program using the existing procedures specified in the FY20 PWEAA NOFO.Under the EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance addendum, EDA expects on a case by-case basis to receive applications that exceed the historical averages described in section B.1 of the FY20 PWEAA NOFO.
CARES Act Recovery Assistance Projects
Successful applications will enable affected communities to respond to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic by supporting affected businesses and communities, including by providing technical assistance to retain existing and hire new employees; by providing a range of skills-training and workforce development projects to help employees compete for high-quality jobs; and by developing and implementing strategies to diversify regional economies to create jobs in new or existing industries. EAA investments are designed to help communities catalyze public-private partnerships to foster collaboration, attract investment, create jobs, and foster economic resiliency and prosperity. Examples of projects that may be funded through CARES Act Recovery Assistance include economic recovery planning and preparing technical strategies to address economic dislocations caused by the coronavirus pandemic, preparing or updating resiliency plans to respond to future pandemics, implementing entrepreneurial support programs to diversify economies, and constructing public works and facilities that will support economic recovery, including the deployment of broadband for purposes including supporting telehealth and remote learning for job skills.
What is the mission and focus of the program: research, social, economic or others?
The Economic Development Administration’s (EDA’s) mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for economic growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA fulfills this mission through strategic investments and partnerships that create the regional economic ecosystems required to foster globally competitive regions throughout the United States. EDA supports development in economically distressed areas of the United States by fostering job creation and attracting private investment. Under this NOFO, EDA solicits applications from applicants in order to provide investments that support construction, non construction, planning, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund projects under EDA’s Public Works program and EAA program (which includes Assistance to Coal Communities). Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities, including those negatively impacted by changes to the coal economy.
Who are the target applicants: cities, universities, companies, small business, nonprofits, or others?
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
City or township governments
County governments
State governments
Special district governments
Private institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
