All Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has published the FY 2021 University Center Economic Development Program Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDF), making $7.4 million in federal funds available to accredited institutions of higher education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education in EDA’s Chicago and Philadelphia regions. A combined total of $2.5 million is available for the first year of awards under this competition.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has published the FY22 Build to Scale (B2S) Program Notice of Funding Opportunity making $45 million in federal funds available to build regional economies through scalable startups. The program continues to further technology-based economic development initiatives that accelerate high quality job growth, create more economic opportunities, and support the next generation of industry leading companies. Under the FY22 B2S program, EDA is soliciting applications for two separate Challenges – the Venture Challenge and Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge seeks to support entrepreneurship and accelerate scalable companies’ growth in communities that are challenging the status quo of markets, commercializing technology, and furthering job creation. The Capital Challenge seeks to increase access to capital in communities, sectors, or regions where risk capital is in short supply. This includes accelerators, educational institutions, angel networks, and investment funds (B2S does not directly fund individuals or individual startups). For full program details, please visit the Build to Scale website.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has published the FY 2022 CARES Act Economic Recovery Corps and Equity Impact Investments Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This NOFO funds two distinct programs that are designed to provide support to underserved communities across the country in their efforts to develop successful economic development plans and projects. The first program (NOFO pages 4-8) is a network of Economic Recovery Corps fellows to add human capital to local organizations focused on improving economic resilience and competitiveness in distressed regions across the country. The second program (NOFO pages 8-11) is Equity Impact Investments that provides technical assistance to enable organizations serving underserved populations and communities to participate in economic development planning and projects.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has published the FY 2022 University Center Economic Development Program Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDF), making $8.4 million in federal funds available to accredited institutions of higher education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education in EDA’s Atlanta and Seattle regions. A combined total of $2.4 million is available for the first year of awards under this competition.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has published the Fiscal Year 2023 Build to Scale (B2S) program Notice of Funding Opportunity, making $50 million available to eligible entities to increase regional capacity to strengthen ecosystems that equitably and inclusively support diverse technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups. These regions are growing technology-driven businesses; creating high-skill, high-wage jobs; and building the industries of the future. The program aims to build regional economies through scalable startups via two competitions – the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has published the Fiscal Year 2023 STEM Talent Challenge Notice of Funding Opportunity making $4.5 million available to eligible entities to create and implement STEM talent development strategies that complement their region’s innovation economy. The STEM Talent Challenge provides funding for work-and-learn programs to increase America’s STEM-capable workforce in emerging and transformative sectors such as aerospace, aeronautics, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity, among others.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has published the FY 2023 University Center Economic Development Program Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity, making $8.4 million in federal funds available to accredited institutions of higher education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education in EDA’s Austin and Denver regions.

Through the Good Jobs Challenge, EDA is allocating $500 million to collaborative skills training systems and programs. EDA encourages efforts to reach historically underserved populations and areas, communities of color, women, and other groups facing labor market barriers such as persons with disabilities, disconnected youth, individuals in recovery, individuals with past criminal records, including justice impacted and reentry participants, serving trainees participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and veterans and military spouses.

Through the Indigenous Communities program, EDA is allocating $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding specifically for Indigenous communities, which were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

EDA seeks applications to develop and test measures, metrics, indicators, and methodologies to help the agency more effectively assess, evaluate, and report on the full impact of its economic development investments on regional economies across the Nation.