Chicago FY 2021 – FY 2023 EDA Planning and Local Technical Assistance

UPDATED 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. To apply in EDGE, please go to: sfgrants.eda.gov. More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO. PARTNERSHIP PLANNING program instructions: Please note that applicants will be invited to submit applications through EDGE for the Partnership Planning program. For more information, please reach out to your EDA point of contact. Program Description: EDA makes planning and local technical assistance investments to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States. Under the Planning program, EDA makes Partnership Planning, Short-Term Planning, and State Planning awards to eligible recipients to create and implement regional economic development plans designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region. More specifically, EDA makes Partnership Planning investments to designated planning organizations (i.e., District Organizations) serving EDA-designated Economic Development Districts and to Indian Tribes to facilitate the development, implementation, revision, or replacement of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS), which articulate and prioritize the strategic economic goals of recipients’ respective regions. EDA also makes Short-Term and State Planning awards for economic development planning activities that guide the eventual creation and retention of high-quality jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the Nation’s most economically distressed regions. Under the Local Technical Assistance program, EDA makes awards to strengthen the capacity of local or State organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities to undertake and promote effective economic development programs through projects such as feasibility studies,...

Pursuant to section 3 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 3122) (PWEDA) and EDA’s regulation at 13 C.F.R. § 300.3, the following types of entities are eligible to receive funding assistance from EDA: 1. District Organizations (as defined in 13 C.F.R. § 300.3); 2. Indian Tribes or a consortium of Indian Tribes; 3. States, cities, or other political subdivisions 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; 4. Institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or 5. Public or private non-profit organizations or associations acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State.

In addition to evaluating applications based on EDA's mission, funding priorities, and the evaluation criteria laid out in the applicable FFO, EDA also considers: (1) The proposed scope of work for the development, implementation, revision or replacement of the CEDS, or the relation of the CEDS to the proposed short-term planning activities or the State plan; (2) The qualifications of the applicant to implement the goals and objectives resulting from the CEDS, short-term planning activities or the State plan; (3) The involvement of the Region's business leadership at each stage of the preparation of the CEDS, short-term planning activities or State plan; (4) The extent of broad-based representation and involvement of the Region's civic, business, labor, minority and other interests in the proposed economic development activities; and (5) The feasibility of the proposed scope of work to create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs through implementation of the CEDS. In addition, for continuation awards, funded recipients are evaluated on the basis of the extent of continuing economic distress within the Region, their past performance, and the overall effectiveness of their CEDS. For Planning Investment awards to a State, EDA will also consider the extent to which the State will integrate and coordinate its CEDS with local and Economic Development District plans.

Generally, the amount of the EDA grant may not exceed 60 percent of the total cost of the project. Projects may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed 30 percent, based on the relative needs of the region in which the project will be located, as determined by EDA. In addition, EDA�s regulations allow an investment rate of up to 100 percent for Indian tribes, for a State or political subdivision of a State that can document that it has exhausted its effective taxing and borrowing capacity, or for a non-profit organization that can document that it has exhausted its borrowing capacity.

The evaluation criteria are set forth in the applicable NOFO.

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.

Fiscal year 2025: Local TA projects: https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/local-technical-assistance