The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Pilot Challenge, a $6 million pilot initiative to assist economically challenged municipalities in creating long-term economic development plans. Under the SC2 initiative, the EDA will select six pilot communities from across the country. To be eligible for the SC2 initiative, the applicant must be a local government that meet all the economic distress criteria described in the announcement and has a current population of at least 100,000. The six pilot communities then will conduct a challenge in which teams will compete for up to $1 million in awards to provide the city with a comprehensive innovative economic development plan. Applications are due July 23, 2012. Visit the initiative's website...