Department of Commerce
FY 2021 - 2023 Economic Development RNTA
Key facts
- Deadline
- No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Award size
- Up to $1.5M
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 6
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/75fc5a54-3480-4e11-bdae-eb5d41a36797 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/e3c0212f-0837-4b68-b8a1-0dbb4b5e1448
More from Department of Commerce
- Atlanta FY 2021 – FY 2023 EDA Planning and Local Technical Assistance · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Climate Program Office for FY 2012 · No deadline listed: see the official notice
About this grant
NOTICE: PLEASE READ - April 6, 2023
EDA is excited to announce the launch of its new grants management platform: the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE). EDGE was developed to streamline the application and grants management process by implementing a single platform with increased transparency, improved user experience, higher data quality, and more efficiency throughout the entire grant lifecycle.
As of April 6th, 2023, applications can no longer be submitted on Grants.gov, and will ONLY be accepted through EDGE. Once your concept proposal has been reviewed, you will receive an invitation to apply in EDGE. More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO. You must submit concept proposals to rnta@eda.gov.
Program Description
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. Under this NOFO, EDA solicits applications from applicants in order to provide investments that support research and technical assistance projects under EDA’s R&E and NTA 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.
This NOFO employs a two-step application process: (1) the Concept Proposal and (2) the Full Application. EDA will only review Full Applications submitted by applicants who first submitted a Concept Proposal. Any Full Application received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and not considered for funding. For the Concept Proposal, applicants may use the optional template available at https://eda.gov/programs/rnta/resources/. Full Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using the link that EDA will provide with its response to the Concept Proposal.
*Please note: While the published Notice of Funding Opportunity (available under "Related Documents") states that the ED900A form and the SF424B form are both required for a complete application, these forms are no longer required and have therefore been removed from the package template.
Who can apply, from the official notice
Additional Information on Eligibility: Pursuant to Section 3(4) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3122(4)) and 13 C.F.R. § 300.3 (Eligible Recipient), eligible applicants for and recipients of EDA RNTA investment assistance include: a District Organization; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; a State; a 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; an institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; a public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State; private individual; or a for-profit organization.Additional Information:
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice FY21-23_RNTA_NOFO_-_Web_links_updated_06262023.pdf (34 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Award size and project length
Award amounts here are per year · p. 17
“In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414(f), an applicant that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (unless the applicant is a state or local unit of…” Open page 17
Registrations you need first (4)
Grants.gov · p. 2
“All changes will be communicated on Grants.gov.” Open page 2
SAM.gov · p. 10
“See also 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(b) (Exempting individuals who apply for or receive agency awards or direct subawards from the requirements of the unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)). 8 Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.101(c), EDA will apply subparts…” Open page 10
EDA EDGE · p. 11
“Full Application Full Applications will only be accepted electronically through EDGE at the link that EDA will provide with its response to Concept Proposals.” Open page 11
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 18
“Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to…” Open page 18
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 9
“After the initial meeting, the recipient generally will be required to submit a final work plan to EDA staff for review and approval.” Open page 9
Budget narrative / justification · p. 10
“Applicants must clearly and in detail describe their justification for the request within their Budget Narrative in accordance with section D.2.b.i(4) (p. 15).” Open page 10
Letters of support or commitment · p. 10
“In order to meet these requirements, applicants must, at a minimum, submit for each source of matching share, a commitment letter or equivalent document signed by an authorized representative of the organization or entity providing the matching funds.” Open page 10
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 13
“Project Design and Substance Document Executive Summary Project Narrative Applicant Capacity and Project Management Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan Schedule of Major Milestones and Deliverables Resumes of Key Personnel Matching Share Documentation (as…” Open page 13
Form SF-424A · p. 15
“(4) Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan A separate budget narrative must be created and submitted to describe the costs associated with each line item on the Form SF-424A.” Open page 15
Form ED-900A · p. 16
“Form Description Number ED-900A Additional EDA Assurances for Construction or Non-Construction Investments One per applicant SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance One per applicant SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs One per application…” Open page 16
Form SF-424 · p. 16
“Form Description Number ED-900A Additional EDA Assurances for Construction or Non-Construction Investments One per applicant SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance One per applicant SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs One per application…” Open page 16
Form CD-511 · p. 16
“Form Description Number ED-900A Additional EDA Assurances for Construction or Non-Construction Investments One per applicant SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance One per applicant SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs One per application…” Open page 16
Form SF-LLL · p. 16
“Form Description Number ED-900A Additional EDA Assurances for Construction or Non-Construction Investments One per applicant SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance One per applicant SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs One per application…” Open page 16
Indirect cost rate agreement · p. 17
“(b) Copy of Current, Approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include documentation to support the indirect cost rate it is using (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis…” Open page 17
Form CD511 · p. 33
“Requirement Location ☐ All required forms (ED 900A, SF424, SF424A, CD511, SFLLL) Section D.2.b (p. 11) ☐ Executive Summary (500 words or less) Section D.2.b.i (p.13) ☐ Project Narrative (may not exceed 12-single sided, 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-…” Open page 33
Length limits
Word limit (see quote): 500 words max · p. 13
“This should be no more than 500 words and, if selected for funding, may be used in a public announcement or on EDA’s website.” Open page 13
Formatting rules
1-inch margins · p. 13
“The Project Narrative may not exceed 12-single sided, 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12- point font and 1-inch margins.” Open page 13
12-point font, 1-inch margins · p. 14
“The Applicant Capacity and Project Management section may not exceed 5-single sided, 8.5x11- inch pages, with a minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins.” Open page 14
How applications are scored (100 points listed)
Build your narrative outline from these criteria
Cross Collaboration with other EDA and/or RNTA Partners Organizational or Applicant Capacity and Personnel: 15 points · p. 22
“Cross Collaboration with other EDA and/or RNTA Partners Organizational or Applicant Capacity and Personnel (15 Points)” Open page 22
Strategic Approach: 30 points · p. 22
“Strategic Approach (30 Points)” Open page 22
Feasibility of Budget and Financial Match: 15 points · p. 23
“Feasibility of Budget and Financial Match (15 points)” Open page 23
Feasibility of Deliverables and Timeline: 15 points · p. 23
“Feasibility of Deliverables and Timeline (15 points)” Open page 23
Sustainability, Scalability, and Dissemination: 15 points · p. 24
“Sustainability, Scalability, and Dissemination (15 points)” Open page 24
Cross-Collaboration with other RNTA partners and grantees: 10 points · p. 24
“Cross-Collaboration with other RNTA partners and grantees (10 Points)” Open page 24
Mistakes that get applications rejected (7)
Not an eligible applicant: Any Full Application received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed... · p. 11
“Any Full Application received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and not considered for funding. 1.” Open page 11
Not an eligible applicant: received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and eliminated... · p. 12
“received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and eliminated from the competition without further review.” Open page 12
Extra or uninvited material: Additional application materials not requested under this NOFO will not be reviewed or evaluated. · p. 12
“Additional application materials not requested under this NOFO will not be reviewed or evaluated.” Open page 12
Over the length limit: Applications that do not meet all requirements or that exceed the word/page limitations set forth in... · p. 21
“Applications that do not meet all requirements or that exceed the word/page limitations set forth in section D.2.b (p. 11) of this announcement may be considered non-responsive and may not be considered for review.” Open page 21
Not an eligible applicant: Concept Proposals or Full Applications received from ineligible entities will not be considered for funding. · p. 24
“Concept Proposals or Full Applications received from ineligible entities will not be considered for funding.” Open page 24
Outside what the program funds: Concept Proposals that do not address all required elements in the slide-deck as described in section D.2... · p. 24
“Concept Proposals that do not address all required elements in the slide-deck as described in section D.2 (p. 11) of this NOFO may be deemed non-responsive, and the proposing organization may not receive a link to submit a Full Application (see section E.1.b…” Open page 24
Missing a required part: Full Applications that do not contain all forms and required documentation listed in section D.2.b (p.11)... · p. 24
“Full Applications that do not contain all forms and required documentation listed in section D.2.b (p.11) of this NOFO may be deemed non-responsive and excluded from further consideration.” Open page 24
Who in Tennessee has won this program
6 awards to Tennessee groups in 4 counties since 2017. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | $560K | 2017 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $329K | 2022 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | $329K | 2022 |
| Midsouth Development District | Memphis, Shelby County | $225K | 2024 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $221K spent that year | 2025 |
| Meharry Medical College | Nashville, Davidson County | $5,395 spent that year | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
About the federal program
Economic Development Technical Assistance
Program number 11.303 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration · Project grant
How applications are judged
The evaluation criteria are set forth in the applicable NOFO.
Match
EDA encourages cost sharing, and applications that include matching funds may be more competitive than those that do not. Generally, the amount of an EDA award may not exceed 60 percent of the total cost of the project. However, for RNTA awards, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development (Assistant Secretary) has the discretion to establish a maximum Investment Rate of up to 100 percent where the project: (i) Merits, and is not otherwise feasible without, an increase to the Investment Rate; or (ii) Will be of no or only incidental benefit to the Eligible Recipient.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2025: Local TA projects: https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/local-technical-assistance
About the federal program
Research and Evaluation Program
Program number 11.312 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration · Project grant
How applications are judged
EDA will review all Research and Evaluation applications for the feasibility of the budget presented and conformance with EDA statutory, regulatory requirements, and those enumerated in the applicable federal funding opportunity (FFO). Applications must meet EDA's investment policy guidelines as set forth in 13 C.F.R. � 301.8, the requirements of 13 C.F.R. part 306, as applicable, and other requirements as provided in the applicable FFO.
Match
Statutory Formula: Title 13, Part 306, Subpart A,Public Law 108-373.EDA encourages cost sharing, and applications that include matching funds may be more competitive than those that do not. Generally, the amount of an EDA award may not exceed 60 percent of the total cost of the project. However, for RNTA awards, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development (Assistant Secretary) has the discretion to establish a maximum Investment Rate of up to 100 percent where the project: (i) Merits, and is not otherwise feasible without, an increase to the Investment Rate; and (ii) Will be of no or only incidental benefit to the Eligible Recipient[1].
If an Applicant is requesting an EDA investment rate of greater than 60 percent, the applicant must provide the basis for the request. Applicants must clearly and in detail describe their justification for the request within their...