EDA ARPA Programs: Good Jobs Challenge

Understanding EDA ARPA Opportunities  

American Rescue Plan funding enables EDA to provide larger, more transformational investments across the nation while utilizing its greatest strengths, including flexible funding to support community-led economic development. With an emphasis on equity, EDA investments made under the American Rescue Plan will directly benefit previously underserved communities impacted by COVID-19.

EDA is making this funding available through a series of six innovative challenges. WPPDC will break down each funding challenge through this email series to help you identify which opportunities are best for your organization’s goals! 

• District Organizations
• Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes
• State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions
• Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education
• Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State

Project Eligibility Overview: 

• Must align with the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
• Must be consistent with EDA’s Recovery and Resilience Investment Priorities
• Performance period is 24-36 months and grant funds must be disbursed by September 30, 2027.
• Applications that can demonstrate committed non-EDA resources to leverage grant funds will be preferred for award.

Project Goals: 

• The program is for building and strengthening collaborative industry -lead skills training systems and programs and partnerships that bring together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs.
• Funding is available for three phases:
  • System Development funding to help a System Lead Entity establish and develop a regional workforce training system comprised of multiple sector partnerships,
  • Program Design funding for sectoral partnership(s) to identify the skills needed by industry and workers, develop the skills training curriculum and materials, and secure technical expertise needed to train workers with the skills needed by businesses, including providing professional development and capacity-building to trainers and educators, and
  • Program Implementation funding to deliver workforce training and wrap-around services that place workers into quality jobs through a new or expanded sectoral partnership(s).