ED Now

Bill Sabo, EDP, CPPM, regional director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? Fort Smith used to be a major manufacturing hub with Trane, Whirlpool, and several other large employers. In the past decade most have moved out, taking thousands of jobs with them that aren’t coming back. The EDP ...

Betsy Kramer, EDP, revitalization coordinator at SEDA-Council of Governments, is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? Having been a successful small business owner for 12 years, I was the direct result of the efforts of an SBDC, and I was eager to have the opportunity to assist other entrepreneurs when I started my role in economic development at SEDA-Council of Governments. SEDA-COG serves an 11-county region ...

EDA has published a Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for FY23. The Public Works program provides resources for construction and infrastructure design to enable communities to become more economically competitive. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program supports activities such as construction and upgrading of public infrastructure, sector partnerships for workforce training, design and engineering, technical assistance, economic recovery strategies, and capitalization or recapitalization of Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs). Through this NOFO, EDA intends to pursue projects that prioritize equity, workforce development, and climate resilience. EDA supports bottom-up strategies that ...

Led by the City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives, the Southern Arizona Coalition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience was named one of 60 finalists in EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge out of more than 500 applicants from across the U.S. Though they did not win the phase two award, the region came away stronger and the coalition is staying together to maintain its commitment to building back better.

As a part of IEDC’s Take Action Against Racism in Economic Development series, The Services Desert and Its Impact on Equity webinar focused on combating issues of broadband access, nutritional insecurity, and service deserts. The panelists made it clear that the root of inequity in the United States stems from generations of structural racism and disinvestment in communities of color and other minority groups. Vermont state representative Laura Sabilia shared steps the state is taking to increase broadband access to rural and underserved communities. A large part of the solution is the development of communication union districts (CUDs). CUDs are formed by two or more towns coming together to ensure high-quality broadband access ...

In case you missed it, on October 30, 2020, Congress enacted the Reinvigorating Lending for the Future Act of 2020. The new law reforms EDA’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program by eliminating “in perpetuity” reporting requirements. Seven years after the disbursement date of an RLF award, recipients can request a release of federal interest, thereby gaining more flexibility with newly “defederalized” funds. The National Association of Development Organizations hosted a webinar on the defederalization of RLF awards and how the new policy will aid in economic recovery from the pandemic. The fundamentals of an RLF are still intact: EDA awards an organization with a grant that is matched with local funds to enhance ...