Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $4.2 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Iowa Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $4.2 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to 11 EDA Economic Development District organizations across Iowa to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide Iowa with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

“These investments come at a crucial time to help Iowa’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 Iowa’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

“I’m glad the Economic Development Administration has awarded an additional $4.2 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to support communities across Iowa,” said Senator Chuck Grassley. “Businesses, industries and families all across the state have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants will assist community organizations to respond directly to the effects of the pandemic and help boost their local economies.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Area 15 Regional Planning Commission, Ottumwa, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by supporting recovery and resiliency efforts for local communities, entrepreneurs, businesses, and workforce development.
• East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by strengthening regional and local pandemic resiliency planning, providing technical assistance to local communities to support recovery efforts, and assisting local communities with accessing state and federal funding opportunities to further support economic development.
• Mid-Iowa Development Association Council of Governments, Fort Dodge, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by supporting local economic development organizations and assisting business and communities in accessing resources for recovery and resiliency.
• North Iowa Area Council of Governments, Mason City, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring additional staff to develop an economic recovery and resiliency plan.
• Northwest Iowa Planning & Development Commission, Spencer, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by developing strategies to boost the region’s tourism economy; developing a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to assist local business and industry; implementing strategies to grow the region’s critical manufacturing sector; and supporting workforce training.
• Region XII Council of Governments, Carroll, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by implementing response strategies and fostering community and business recovery and resiliency efforts.
• Southwest Iowa Planning Council, Atlantic, Iowa, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing technical assistance to communities and businesses.
• Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG), Creston, Iowa, will receive a $390,945 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by taking a multi-level approach towards the recovery of their eight-county service area. SICOG will use this EDA grant to coordinate with local development corporations and chambers of commerce to diversify and expand the region’s manufacturing sector; hire additional staff; and help restore the retail and service sectors.
• Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, Postville, Iowa, will receive a $398,445 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing technical assistance, resiliency planning, grant writing assistance, and business workshops and trainings to communities and businesses in their service area.
• Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, West Burlington, Iowa, will receive a $328,760 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by to provide technical assistance to communities and businesses in the region.
• Region 6 Planning Commission, Marshalltown, Iowa, will receive a $320,036 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by assisting communities to develop or diversify spaces for value-added opportunities, and working with communities to evaluate options to solve economic development challenges.

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.