Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $800,000 in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Connecticut Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $800,000 in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to two EDA Economic Development District organizations across Connecticut to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“These investments come at a crucial time to help Connecticut’s and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to make these investments in Connecticut’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region Corp., Groton, Connecticut, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring a recovery coordinator, working with economic development partners in their region to develop a pandemic recovery plan to assist the diverse business community, and updating its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
• Naugatuck Valley Economic Development District, which is administered by the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, Shelton, Connecticut, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by increasing staff capacity to examine the pandemic’s impacts and develop strategies to grow the region’s critical manufacturing sector, support workforce development, analyze the region’s medical response to the pandemic, and identify health and social needs in the region.

These entities, all EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD), are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA EDD, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 7, Secretary Ross announced that EDA is accepting applications for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funding opportunities.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.