The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced that up to $35.5 million in funding is now available through the Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative. POWER, which was announced at the end of March, is an EDA-led, coordinated effort among multiple federal agencies using existing resources to provide integrated and coordinated investments in communities and workers negatively impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector.
This new funding opportunity leverages funding from EDA, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Funding from these programs has been aligned in this FFO to take a comprehensive approach towards economic diversification and worker advancement in implementing economic development strategic plans in impacted coal communities. These grants will enable grantees to build economic resilience, industry diversification, and promote new job creation opportunities.
The application deadline for EDA and ARC funding is July 10, 2015, and applications for ETA funding will be accepted on a rolling basis. Proposals for SBA’s Regional Innovation Clusters Program contract solicitation will be accepted on a rolling basis after June 1st, 2015. For more information, visit: http://www.eda.gov/power/.
In addition to the POWER initiative, EDA is collaborating with the National Association of Counties and the National Association of Development Organizations to support the economic diversification efforts of coal country communities. For more information on NACo’s work in this area, visit: http://www.naco.org/innovationchallenge.
