EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance

Link

https://www.eda.gov/coronavirus/

Additional Links

Notice of Funding Opportunity (Grants.gov)

Deadline

Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

Sponsoring Organization

Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Purpose

Offers assistance to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds community and regional development programs to support the recovery of local economies impacted by the coronavirus crisis. EDA Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding is administered through the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program as part of the Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP).

The program supports a wide range of economic development assistance, including but not limited to:

Planning and technical assistance grants to each of EDA's Economic Development Districts, tribal grantees, university centers, and others
Grants to state and regional organizations to develop recovery and resilience strategies addressing industry supply chains, cluster analyses, econometric analyses, diversification, and travel/tourism marketing campaigns
Capitalizing or recapitalizing Revolving Loan Funds (RFLs) targeting businesses in economically distressed areas affected by the pandemic
Innovation grants focused on technology innovation that will help communities respond effectively to the pandemic

Amount of Funding

Estimated total program funding: $1,500,000,000

EDA expects to receive CARES Act applications that exceed the historical averages for the EAA program. The average EAA program investment is $650,000. Amounts can range from $150,000 to $1,000,000.

Applicants may need to provide matching funds for a portion of the project. Awards are expected to fund at least 80% of total costs and, in some cases, 100% of eligible costs may be funded. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with their state economic development representative regarding the use of in-kind contributions towards the matching share requirement for their project.

Who Can Apply

Every community in the U.S. is eligible to apply for EDA CARES Act funding under the Special Need criteria of the EAA program. Applicants do not need to demonstrate additional economic distress to be eligible but should clearly show how a proposed project will prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus or respond to economic injury as a result of coronavirus.

Eligible applicants include:

District organizations
Indian tribes or a consortium of Indian tribes
States, counties, 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
Institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education
Public or private nonprofit organizations or associations acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state

Geographic Coverage

Nationwide

What This Program Funds

Buildings and Facilities • Capacity Building • Equipment • New Program • Operating Costs and Staffing • Starting a Business

Application Process

Due to a high volume of applications received for CARES Act Recovery Assistance, applicants should contact their regional office representative to determine the availability of funds before applying for EAA CARES Act assistance.

Application instructions and other information about the online application process are available in the CARES Act Addendum to the Fiscal Year 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) program funding announcement on grants.gov.

Applicant webinar recording and slides
Applicant frequently asked questions

Contact

For programmatic or technical assistance questions, contact the appropriate state economic development representative.

Topics This Program Addresses

American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians • Community Planning and Coalition Building • COVID-19 Response • Economic Development • Emergency Planning • Employment • Infrastructure • Teleservices and Technology