Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program Phase 1

Recompete@eda.gov

The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program will provide funding to invest in distressed communities to create and connect workers to good jobs in places that need them most. Underserved communities are the program priority, which includes rural, communities of color, women, and other groups facing labor force barriers.

Applicants are encouraged to identify how other federal programs may assist in meeting ancillary needs of the proposed project including infrastructure, education and training, workforce housing, child/long term care, public health challenges, and broadband.

In Phase 1, EDA will fund Strategy Development Grants and will approve Recompete Plans for certain regions. Strategy Development Grants may fund the following types of activities:

• Coordination and execution of an inclusive, locally-defined planning process, across jurisdictions and agencies, to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to address high prime-age employment gaps (PAEG) in the regions
• Identification and fostering of regional partnerships for developing and implementing a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy
• Implementation or updating of assessments to determine regional needs and capabilities
• Development or updating of goals and strategies to implement an existing comprehensive regional PAEG strategy
• Identification or implementation of planning, local zoning, and other changes to code, law, or policy necessary to implement a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy
• Development of plans for promoting broad-based economic growth in a region
• Hiring someone to lead the overall effort and other necessary staff
• Formation of a workforce development strategy, according to the needs for a skilled and diverse technical workforce aligned with the region's strengths
• Activities necessary to prepare for strategy implementation, which may include workforce development strategies, environmental, and engineering documentation, if applicable
• For Tribal entities and Pacific Ocean Territories, collection of data on the population of individuals ages 25 through 54 to determine PAEG

Eligible applicants include:

• Units of local government
• The District of Columbia
• Territories of the United States
• Tribal governments
• Political subdivisions of states or other entities, including special-purpose entities engaged in economic development activities
• Public entities and nonprofit organizations, acting in cooperation with the officials of a political subdivision of a state or other entity described above
• Coalitions of any of the above entities that serve or are contained within an eligible geographic area

Phase 1 Strategy Development Grants will typically be made between $250,000 - $500,000, and up to $750,000 in rare circumstances.

Links to additional guidance and the application instructions are available on the program website.

Submit applications through the online grants portal.