EDA University Center Grant for Regional Economic Development (Austin & Denver Regions)

This NOFO announces the availability of funding for EDA’s FY 2023 University Center Economic Development Program Competition. This program funds technical assistance provided by an accredited institution of higher education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education that is focused on one or more of the following program focus areas: advancing regional commercialization efforts, advancing high-growth entrepreneurship, cultivating innovation, encouraging business expansion in a region’s innovation cluster(s), developing a high-skilled regional workforce, and increasing the resilience of a region. EDA solicits competitive applications from accredited institutions of higher education and from consortia of accredited institutions of higher education that are located in and have programs targeting only geographic areas served by EDA’s Austin and Denver Regional Offices:

Austin Regional Office (separate posting for applicants applying from within the Austin Regional Office)

Serves: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Denver Regional Office

Serves: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming 

EDA recognizes that institutions of higher education are critical players in the development of vibrant economic ecosystems. Universities are sources of significant economic development assets—such as faculty, staff, students, research and proof of concept centers, laboratories, and high-speed broadband networks—that can support regional economic growth. In addition, universities create significant knowledge spillovers and possess broader and deeper networks of expertise that can assist innovators and entrepreneurs. Potential university-based support for economic growth includes the commercialization of research, the conversion of intellectual property and ideas into products and services, and the support of regionally-owned strategies that support business expansion and job creation. Universities have also been leaders in addressing impacts of climate change on regional economic ecosystems and helping to facilitate environments conducive to trade and global exports by providing services for businesses to connect to international markets.

Through this NOFO EDA intends to advance university-based support for economic development in accordance with EDA’s investment priorities, but also to pursue, where practicable, certain specific priorities related to equity, workforce development, and climate change resiliency so that investments can benefit everyone for decades to come.

The purpose of EDA’s University Center Economic Development Program (also referred to in this announcement as the University Center program) is to enable institutions of higher education and consortia of institutions of higher education to establish and operate University Centers specifically focused on using university assets to build regional economic ecosystems that support innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship, resiliency and inclusiveness. University Centers collaborate with other EDA partners, such as Economic Development Districts (EDDs) by providing expertise and technical assistance to develop, implement, and support regional strategies that result in quality job creation, high-skilled regional talent pools, and business expansion in a region’s innovation clusters. Expertise and technical assistance may address, for example, workforce training programs, applied research centers, technology commercialization, feasibility studies, market research, economic impact analyses training, and other technical assistance to help communities foster vibrant economic ecosystems.

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, individuals 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, and underserved communities within geographies that have been systemically and/or systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic prosperity such as Tribal Lands, Persistent Poverty Counties, and rural areas with demonstrated, historical underservice.

Submitting an application:

EDA is excited to announce its new grants management platform: the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE). EDGE was developed to streamline the application and grants management process by implementing a single platform with increased transparency, improved user experience, higher data quality, and more efficiency throughout the entire grant lifecycle. 

To apply to this NOFO, please go https://sfgrants.eda.gov/s. More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO.