EDA Awards Nearly $35M for Economic Prosperity in Several States, Coal-Impacted Communities

Over the last two months, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has made nearly $35 million in investments intended to spur economic prosperity across the country including nearly $28 million for communities impacted by transformations in the energy industry. These efforts are intended to unlock the potential of regional assets including community members, local institutions of higher education, and regional industies by funding entrepreneurship, innovation, research and development (R&D) activities, and other capacity-building efforts. Among these investments, the EDA announced the winners of the University Center Economic Development Program Competition; and, Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative.

The winners of the 2016 University Center Economic Development Program Competition will be awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to 24 colleges and universities in 16 states and Puerto Rico to fund university-led efforts focused on advancing regional commercialization efforts, entrepreneurship, innovation, business expansion in a region’s innovation cluster, and a high-skilled regional workforce. Announced in March, this year’s competition was open to higher education institutions and consortia of accredited institutions of higher education in states supported by EDA’s Chicago and Philadelphia regional offices. View the full list of awardees…

In partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), EDA announced nearly $28 million in investment “to grow the economy in the nation’s coal-impacted communities.” Part of the Obama administration’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, this new round of funding will support 42 grant awards to projects in 13 states focused on stimulating economic growth and opportunity in communities that have historically relied on the coal economy for economic stability. Tech-based economic development activates supported include:

$2.2 million to Mountain Empire Community College to offer courses that train students, including former coal industry workers, to operate drones and drone sensors to provide commercial and government services;

• $1.4 million to establish a Southwest Virginia Regional Cybersecurity Initiative – a regional hub for the cybersecurity industry;
• $2 million to establish a high-tech business incubator in Bluefield, WV, that will provide high-tech business services including prototype development, product design and development, retooling, and supply chain assistance;
• $1.4 million to Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH, for the Appalachia RISES (Revitalizing an Industry-ready Skilling Ecosystem for Sustainability) Initiative to deliver comprehensive workforce training services in employment fields that meet current and anticipated industry needs in North Central Appalachia – including advanced energy, automotive technology, and petroleum technology;
• $649,958 to Western State Colorado University for its Innovation, Creativity, & Entrepreneurship (ICE) House and ICE Accelerator Innovation Center project including co-working and innovation labs for entrepreneurs;
• $500,000 to Innovation Works, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, for the Revitalization of Southwestern Pennsylvania Coal-Impacted Communities through Innovation and Entrepreneurship project;
• $499,480 to RAIN Source Capital, Inc. for the Appalachia Angel Investor Network project; and,
• $301,916 for the Centralia College Robotics Workforce Training project in Centralia, WA.

A complete summary of the announced awards is available as a White House Fact Sheet.

In early October, two universities in Michigan received $2.5 million to support economic prosperity through R&D activities and entrepreneurship. Kettering University was awarded $1.9 million to support Phase II of Kettering University's GM Mobility Research Center, a 19-acre state-of-the-art automotive research facility and testing grounds. Phase II consists of a low-speed road course and garage facility. The funding will help the university transform an existing brownfield site, promote environmentally sustainable development, and support U.S. industry in innovation and global competitiveness as well as strengthen the university’s offerings of experientially based engineering programs.

The University of Michigan-Flint also received $400,000 to establish a University Center for Community and Economic Development. The EDA-funded University Center will provide entrepreneurship and innovation support in the seven-county region (Genesee, Shiawassee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties). The university also will establish a dedicated EDA University Center Research Fund to support applied UM-Flint faculty and student research around economic and business development needs.