Webinars prepare local governments for EDA American Rescue Plan funding

The CAPCOG Community and Economic Development Division in early July hosted its first webinar of a three-part series aimed at preparing communities to apply for U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) American Rescue Plan Act funding. The next webinars will be at 11 a.m. July 15 and 22 on Microsoft Teams. The EDA has about $3 billion to distribute nation-wide to help spur economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; these funds also include money for tourism related projects.

The webinars cover different topics about EDA grant funding opportunities. The July 8 webinar discussed application forms and documents that would-be applicants should prepare for construction and non-construction projects as well as a grants.gov overview. The July 15 webinar will feature Giddings EDC Director, Tonya Britton, who will discuss best practices and tips for submitting successful EDA grant applications. Giddings received $1.8 million for a broadband, water, and road improvement project as part of EDA’s CARES Act funding opportunity. The third webinar on July 22 will provide an overview EDA’s Rescue Plan notification of funding opportunities for the standard program and the tourism allocation.

Learn how to join the webinars.

Watch the recorded webinars.

Eligible entities for the funding opportunities include state, counties, cities, political subdivisions engaged in economic or infrastructure development, higher education institutions, and nonprofits acting in cooperation with political subdivision. Funding will be awarded on a first-come basis. The pandemic will serve as the funding opportunities’ qualifying criteria, but communities can strengthen their applications by aligning them with the EDA’s recently set investment priorities: equity, recovery and resilience, workforce development, manufacturing, technology-based economic development, environmentally-sustainable development and exports and foreign direct investment.

The EDA’s Rescue Plan funding is double its previous CARES Act funding which awarded about $236 million to projects within the five-state area that includes the CAPCOG region. Two economic development projects in the CAPCOG region received CARES Act funding. CAPCOG is directed by EDA to provide technical assistance, project development and application coordination on EDA grant programs.