Economic Development Administration (EDA)

As a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the EDA provides funding for job-creation projects in distressed areas around the nation. Assistance can also be provided to communities experiencing significant job loss through plant closures or layoffs. OVRDC, as a designated Economic Development District (EDD), is your first stop for securing funding through the EDA.

Public Works and Economic Development Program
This program empowers distressed communities to revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local economies, and generate or retain long-term, private-sector jobs and investment.

Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
This program assists state and local interests in designing and implementing strategies to adjust or bring about change to an economy. The program focuses on areas that have experienced or are under threat of serious structural damage to the underlying economic base.

Local Technical Assistance Program
This program helps fill the knowledge and information gaps that may prevent leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors in distressed areas from making optimal decisions on local economic development issues.

Assistance to Coal Communities Program
This 80% grant rate program with a $3 million max award has the same application process as the standard Public Works program. Appalachian Ohio should be “ground zero” for this funding in the Chicago region of EDA.

Eligible applicants for EDA funding include:
Political subdivisions and public institutions
Educational institutions
Non-profit organizations

Find out what projects qualify for funding and eligibility –

Click on the link below to download the EDA Pre-Application Form:

OVRDC is here to help. Once you have the form filled out, please email it to Jessica Keeton and contact her for additional information or questions, and to express interest in applying for funding.