Economic Development Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Public Input for the Launch of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Visioning Challenge
The Obama Administration announces and requests public comments on the structure of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Visioning Challenge (SC2 Pilot Challenge), which is a component of the SC2 Interagency Initiative led by the White House Office of Urban Policy. The SC2 Interagency Initiative is a multi-agency, capacity- building effort to coordinate Federal resources offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Small Business Administration, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (collectively, the ``SC2 Interagency Partnership''), to address the many planning, housing, and economic challenges facing communities across the United States. The President has called upon executive departments and agencies to work together more strategicallythrough better coordination of human, regulatory and financial resourceswith economically distressed cities in the Nation by identifying barriers to federal assistance. Subject to the availability of funds under Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Economic Adjustment Assistance program (42 U.S.C. 3149), the SC2 Pilot Challenge will offer a total of $6 million to support the development and implementation of comprehensive economic development strategic plans for approximately six cities. Each of the winning cities (one selected in each of EDA's six geographic regions) will be awarded $1 million to conduct a community-led challenge competition (referred to as the ``Challenge Competition'') with the support of the SC2 Interagency Partnership, and will receive technical assistance and support from EDA to conduct the Challenge Competition. As a part of the Challenge Competition, each city will invite multidisciplinary teams, representing a variety of disciplines with complementary skills in the economic development arena, to submit proposals for comprehensive economic development strategic plans establishing and promoting a vision and approach to stimulate local economic development. The proposals are expected to be multi-faceted, to include plans to restructure and realign land-uses, infrastructure, and economic and social resources (e.g., industry clusters, workforce development), and economic development approaches that promote competitiveness and high-growth potential. The final comprehensive economic development strategic plan for the city will be based on a genuine understanding of the local, regional, and global economic realities. The plan will serve as a blueprint to guide the city's and region's future investments towards economic prosperity. To design the Challenge Competition, EDA anticipates using the new authority granted to Federal agencies to conduct prize competitions and challenges under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-358 (2011)) (America COMPETES Act). In this regard, EDA will engage a prize and challenge expert to help develop the competition framework, including rules regarding eligibility, potential prize amounts, process and other criteria, that each winning city will use to run its local Challenge Competition. Through this notice, EDA requests public comments on the structure of the SC2 Pilot Challenge, in particular regarding how the agency can best use the America COMPETES Act authority to conduct prize competitions to implement the SC2 Pilot Challenge. Please also see the section titled ``Solicitation for Comments on the SC2 Pilot Challenge'' for a list of specific questions. Subject to the availability of funds in FY 2012, EDA anticipates publishing a federal funding opportunity (FFO) notice to announce the SC2 Pilot Challenge in December 2011.
The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will hold a meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The open meeting will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. A limited number of seats are available to members of the public who would like to attend the meeting in person. The public can also dial in to the meeting via a listen-only conference number: 800-369-3377, passcode 9687020. Chartered on November 10, 2009, the Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Data Collection for Compliance With Government Performance and Results Act
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
The Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge; a Coordinated Initiative To Advance Regional Competitiveness
The Obama Administration announces the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (Accelerator Challenge), an initiative of 16 Federal agencies and bureaus to accelerate innovation-fueled job creation and economic prosperity through public-private partnerships. The Accelerator Challenge will offer, subject to the availability of funds, a combination of $33 million in funding from three agencies and technical assistance resources from 13 additional agencies and bureaus to support customized solutions for approximately 20 competitively selected industry clusters in urban and rural regions across the nation and across all sectors. A competitive solicitation is expected to be announced in May 2011. President Obama has prioritized the development of strong regions \1\ as the building blocks of a strong and globally competitive American economy and as key elements in our strategy for winning the future. Understanding that jobs are not created on Capitol Hill but in America's regions, the Obama Administration is committed to smarter use of existing Federal resources to support regional innovation and sustainable economic prosperity. Knowing that regional innovation clusters provide a globally proven approach for developing economic prosperity, this new, multi-agency initiative creates an unprecedented platform for integrating and coordinating the wide range of Federal economic development resources.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of EDA Grant Process Improvement
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Request for Comments: Review and Improvement of EDA's Regulations
On February 1, 2011, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) published a Federal Register notice requesting public input to improve the agency's regulations (76 FR 5501). Because of strong interest in the agency's efforts to streamline and update its regulations, EDA publishes this notice to extend the deadline for submitting regulatory comments.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Reporting and Compliance Requirements
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Request for Comments: Review and Improvement of EDA's Regulations
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that leads the Federal economic development agenda by making strategic grants-based investments. EDA's regulations provide the framework through which the agency administers its economic development assistance programs. EDA is beginning the process of updating the agency's regulations and is committed to ensuring that public feedback helps shape the revised regulations. As part of the Administration's commitment to open government and in response to Executive Order 13563 ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review'', EDA requests input from the public on any obstacles created by EDA's current regulations and ways to improve them to help the agency better advance innovative economic development in the 21st century. EDA expects that this process will result in an updated rulemaking that reflects current economic development practice to advance an innovative economy.
Community Trade Adjustment Assistance Program Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Report
This report is provided in compliance with Section 275(f) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2371d(f)), which directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide an annual report describing and assessing the impact of implementation grants made under the Community Trade Adjustment Assistance (CTAA) Program by the 15th of December each year. Section 275 states: (f) Annual Report.Not later than December 15 in each of the calendar years 2009 through 2011, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report (1) Describing each grant awarded under this section during the preceding fiscal year; and (2) Assessing the impact on the eligible community of each such grant awarded in a fiscal year before the fiscal year referred to in paragraph (1).
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Report
This annual report is submitted in accordance with Section 1866 of the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act (TGAAA) of 2009, which was included as subtitle I (letter ``I'') of title I of Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115, at 367). Section 1866 of the TGAAA directs the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress an annual report on the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) Program by the 15th of December each year. The TAAF Program is one of four Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Programs authorized by the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2341 et seq.) (Trade Act). Administered by the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), the goal of the TAAF Program is to help economically distressed U.S. businesses develop strategies to compete in the global economy. In general, the program provides cost-sharing technical assistance to eligible businesses to create and implement targeted business recovery plans, called Adjustment Proposals under the program. Firms contribute a matching share to create and implement their plan. Technical assistance is provided through a nationwide network of eleven EDA-funded Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers (TAACs), which are either non-profits or university-affiliated. The TAACs provide assistance to firms petitioning EDA for certification of eligibility under the program and in the development and implementation of business recovery plans. Firms that completed the TAAF Program in FY 2008 report that at completion, average sales were $10.3 million, average employment was 73, and average productivity was $140,977 (sales per employee). One year after completing the program (FY 2009), firms report that average sales increased by one percent, average employment decreased by 10 percent, and average productivity increased by 11 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that nationwide for the manufacturing industry in FY 2009, average employment decreased 12 percent and average productivity increased by 4 percent. Two years after completing the program (FY 2010), firms report that average sales decreased by 14 percent, average employment decreased by 16 percent, and average productivity increased by 3 percent. BLS reported that nationwide for the manufacturing industry in FY 2010, average employment decreased 12 percent and average productivity increased by 9 percent. Overall, there has been an increase in the demand for the TAAF Program in FY 2010, as demonstrated by the increase in the number of petitions for certification and Adjustment Proposals submitted to EDA for approval. In FY 2010, EDA approved an additional 114 petitions, a 53 percent increase as compared to FY 2009; and approved an additional 93 Adjustment Proposals, a 54 percent increase as compared to FY 2009. The addition of TAAF staff resources facilitated EDA's ability to improve processing time for petitions and Adjustment Proposals in FY 2010. Although there was a spike in petitions and Adjustment Proposals, EDA successfully met the 40-day processing deadline to make a final determination for petitions accepted for filing; and the 60-day processing deadline for approval of Adjustment Proposals as required in the TGAAA. In fact, the average processing time for petitions has started to decline below the 40-day requirement and the average processing time for Adjustment Proposals is below 30 days.
Solicitation of Applications for the Planning and Local Technical Assistance Programs
Pursuant to the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended, EDA announces general policies and application procedures for grant-based investments under the Planning and Local Technical Assistance Programs. These programs will help communities develop the planning and technical expertise to support communities and regions in their comprehensive, entrepreneurial, and innovation-based economic development efforts. Resulting in increased private investment and higher-skill, higher-wage jobs in areas experiencing substantial and persistent economic distress, these programs are designed to enhance the competitiveness of regions. Applicants are advised to read carefully the federal funding opportunity (FFO) announcement for this notice and request for applications. For a copy of the FFO announcement, please see the Web sites listed below under ``Electronic Access.''
Membership of the Economic Development Administration Performance Review Board
In accordance with 5 U.S. C. 4314 (c) (4), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), Department of Commerce (DOC), announce the appointment of those individuals who have been selected to serve as members of EDA's Performance Review Board. The Performance Review Board is responsible for (1) reviewing performance appraisals and rating of Senior Executive Service (SES) members and (2) making recommendations to the appointing authority on other performance management issues, such as pay adjustments, bonuses and Presidential Rank Awards for SES members. The appointment of these members to the Performance Review Board will be for a period of twenty-four (24) months.
Solicitation of Applications for the Public Works, Economic Adjustment Assistance, and Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund (GCCMIF) Economic Development Assistance Programs
This notice announces new application submission and review procedures for FY 2011 funding under EDA's (i) Public Works and Economic Development Facilities Program; (ii) Economic Adjustment Assistance Program; and (iii) Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund (GCCMIF) Program. To enhance the competitiveness, transparency, and efficiency of EDA's grants-making process and ensure timely responsiveness to applicants, in FY 2011 EDA will move to a funding cycle system under which applications submitted under these programs will be considered for funding roughly once a quarter. Beginning on October 14, 2010, applications will still be accepted on a continuing basis but must be received by the deadlines set out below in order to be considered for funding during a particular cycle. Eligible applicants have the option of receiving preliminary feedback on an application's technical and competitive merits by submitting the application for an optional preliminary review as described in section V.A. of the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement, which is posted on EDA's Web site at http://www.eda.gov/ InvestmentsGrants/Grant%20Process.xml. EDA will provide such feedback not later than 15 business days after EDA's receipt of the application, and applicants will have the opportunity to revise and/or supplement the application as necessary or submit a new application by the funding cycle deadline or in time for consideration in a subsequent funding cycle. Applicants that elect to receive such feedback should take care to submit the application sufficiently in advance of a funding cycle deadline so that EDA can provide the feedback and the applicant can make any changes and/or provide additional documentation or submit a new application by the funding cycle deadline. EDA will not select projects for funding until after the funding cycle deadline has passed. Applications may be submitted electronically in accordance with the instructions provided at http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy to the applicable regional office. Please see sections IV. and V. of the FFO for complete information on the new application submission and processing procedures. Deadlines: Beginning in FY 2011, EDA will accept and review applications submitted under its Public Works, Economic Adjustment Assistance, and GCCMIF Programs in funding cycles. To be considered during a particular funding cycle, complete applications must be accepted and validated by http://www.grants.gov or delivered in hard copy to the applicable regional office listed in section IX. of the FFO with a postmark or courier service's time and date stamp on or before 5 p.m. local time in the applicable regional office on the deadline date for the funding cycles listed below. For FY 2011, the funding cycle deadlines are as follows: December 15 for funding cycle 1; March 10 for funding cycle 2; June 10 for funding cycle 3; and September 15 for funding cycle 1 of FY 2012. Please note that applications for financial assistance submitted under EDA's Planning, Partnership Planning, Local Technical Assistance, University Center, and Research and National Technical Assistance Programs are not subject to the deadlines described above, and requirements for these programs will be published in separate FFO announcements. In addition, applications for any supplemental appropriations that EDA receives will not be subject to the deadlines published in this notice, and EDA will publish a separate FFO for any such appropriations. Please contact the applicable regional office listed in section IX. of the FFO for additional information on submitting an application under any of EDA's programs.
FY 2010 Gulf Oil Spill Supplemental Federal Funding Opportunity
Pursuant to the Supplemental Appropriations Act, Public Law 111-212, 124 Stat. 2302 (2010), EDA announces general policies and application procedures for the FY 2010 Gulf Oil Spill Supplemental Federal Funding Opportunity. This investment assistance will be made available to help devise and implement short- or long-term economic redevelopment strategies and for technical assistance activities to address economic development challenges in regions impacted by the discharge of oil stemming from the April 20, 2010, BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. Applicants are advised to read carefully the federal funding opportunity (FFO) announcement for this notice and request for applications. For a copy of the FFO announcement, please see the Web sites listed below under ``Electronic Access.''
Space Coast Regional Innovation Cluster Competition
This notice announces the upcoming availability of funding for the Space Coast Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) Competition under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program. EDA solicits competitive applications to catalyze the advancement of Central Florida's key regional industry clusters. Additional information can be found at the Space Coast RIC Web site at http://www.eda.gov/ SpaceCoastRIC. Applicants are advised to read carefully the Federal funding opportunity (FFO) announcement for the Space Coast RIC Competition. For a copy of the FFO, please see the Web sites listed below under ``Electronic Access.''
Solicitation of Applications for the Research and Evaluation Program: FY 2010 Triple Bottom Line Accounting Competition-A Method for Identifying Impacts of Economic Development Initiatives on Regional Economies
Pursuant to the Research and Evaluation program, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) seeks applications to research, develop, and disseminate metrics to enable policymakers and practitioners to more effectively understand how to assess the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social impacts) of various economic development activities. EDA's mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Through its Research and Evaluation program, EDA works towards fulfilling its mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories. By working in conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest economic potential.
Notice of Informational Meeting for the i6 Challenge Under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
The i6 Challenge is a new, multi-agency innovation competition led by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The i6 Challenge is designed to encourage and reward innovative, ground-breaking ideas that will accelerate technology commercialization and new-venture formation across the United States, for the ultimate purpose of helping to drive economic growth and job creation. To accomplish this, the i6 Challenge targets sections of the research-to-deployment continuum that are in need of additional support, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Applicants to the i6 Challenge are expected to propose mechanisms to fill in existing gaps in the continuum or leverage existing infrastructure and institutions, such as economic development organizations, academic institutions, or other non-profit organizations, in new and innovative ways to achieve the i6 objectives. Under the i6 Challenge, EDA intends to fund implementation grants for technical assistance through its Economic Adjustment Assistance Program (42 U.S.C. 3149). The federal funding opportunity for the i6 Challenge was announced on May 3, 2010, and a notice and request for applications was published in the Federal Register (75 FR 23676).
Solicitation of Applications for the Research and Evaluation Program: FY 2010 Mapping Regional Innovation Clusters Project Competition
Pursuant to the Research and Evaluation program, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) solicits applications to develop, implement, and disseminate information that will enable policymakers and practitioners to more effectively understand the regional innovation clusters that drive the national economy and how regional assets and innovation inputs help shape these clusters at the local level. EDA's mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Through its Research and Evaluation program, EDA works towards fulfilling its mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories. By working in conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest economic potential.
Solicitation of Applications for the i6 Challenge Under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
The i6 Challenge is a new, multi-agency innovation competition led by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and its Economic Development Administration (EDA). EDA intends to fund implementation grants for technical assistance through its Economic Adjustment Assistance Program under the i6 Challenge. The DOC and EDA will coordinate this funding opportunity with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to leverage federal resources and maximize available funding to i6 Challenge winners. The i6 Challenge is designed to encourage and reward innovative, ground-breaking ideas that will accelerate technology commercialization and new venture formation across the United States, for the ultimate purpose of helping to drive economic growth and job creation. To accomplish this, the i6 Challenge targets sections of the research-to-deployment continuum that are in need of additional support, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Applicants to the i6 Challenge are expected to propose mechanisms to fill in existing gaps in the continuum or leverage existing infrastructure and institutions, such as economic development organizations, academic institutions, or other non-profit organizations, in new and innovative ways to achieve the i6 objectives.
EDA Participation in the Energy Efficient Building Systems Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative
EDA announces its participation in the Energy Efficient Building Systems Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative (Initiative), the first pilot project of the Interagency Regional Innovation Clusters Taskforce (Taskforce). The Taskforce has been charged with developing a replicable and sustainable model for coordinated Federal and regional efforts that foster and use regional innovation clusters to: Develop and demonstrate sustainable and efficient models for attaining national strategic objectives; create and retain Good Jobs (defined below); eliminate gaps between the supply and demand for workers in specialized fields through training and education; increase regional gross domestic product (GDP); promote innovation in science and technology; and enhance the economic, technological, and commercial competitiveness of the United States on the global stage. The Taskforce has selected Energy Efficient Building Systems Design as the topical focus for its first pilot project. The pilot project will be anchored around a Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Energy Innovation Hub and will incorporate elements funded by each of EDA, SBA, and NIST/MEP. Capitalized terms used in this notice and request for applications have the meanings ascribed to them under the heading SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
