The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and its partners are seeking to place up to 65 Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellows within partnering organizations to activate economic development projects or plans that generate new practices and paradigms for equitable and inclusive change.
Submit your project idea by June 30, 2023!
Hosts can initiate the application process by clicking the “Submit Expression of Interest” button below. You will have the opportunity to tell us more about your community / region and share your ideas for a project that a Fellow could help advance during the 30-month fellowship.
To help you prepare your online submission, review the following information:
All submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and must be received by 11:59 pm Hawaiian Standard Time (HST) on Friday, June 30, 2023.
If you are unable to submit the form via the internet, or require accommodations (language interpretation, broadband connectivity, etc.), please call (202) 942-9473 ext. 3307 or email [email protected] before the submission deadline (June 30th).
The ERC was created to address long-standing economic issues in America that surfaced or were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for historically underserved populations and communities, that led to vastly different outcomes that continue to impact recovery efforts. Guided by the EDA’s investment priorities of equity, recovery, and resilience, the ERC will ensure that all types of communities have the capacity and resources needed to effectively engage in economic development work.
The Economic Recovery Corps program will accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in distressed areas by connecting host organizations with highly-trained early- to mid-career professionals (Fellows) from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to build stronger, more resilient, equitable economies.
Fellows will be based in the host organization’s community or region for a period of 2.5 years (30 months), and will provide dedicated technical assistance, planning, and capacity-building support to the host organization. In addition, the Fellow will help identify and advance innovative, locally-driven economic development initiatives, enabling host organizations and communities to better access funding opportunities. Hosts will have the opportunity to interview and participate in the Fellow selection process. There is no cost to an organization or community to host a Fellow. Fellows will be paid and overseen by IEDC.
ERC Fellows and Hosts will be organized into peer-learning sub cohorts led by one of the six ERC partners who will provide monthly coaching and support. Combined with annual convenings and quarterly peer learning, networking, and exchange opportunities, the knowledge and practice produced by Fellows and Hosts will be shared and disseminated to the broader economic development field to scale impact and drive change.
In addition to the on-site capacity-building support and technical assistance provided by the Fellow, Hosts will have numerous opportunities to strengthen their own capacity and resources. These include quarterly virtual peer learning exchanges with subject matter experts, annual networking gatherings with other host communities, and three years of complimentary IEDC membership benefits. Among the many benefits offered to IEDC members include discounts on conferences and courses, professional development, access to IEDC’s tools and resources along with its online member directory, publications, and more.
The ERC placement and selection process is divided into four key phases
Phase 1: Expression of Interest | Now through June 30, 2023
Share your project idea. Potential Hosts should think through core questions around their need for a Fellow. What problem is your community / region trying to solve? What resource gaps exist in your community? What strategic interventions or initiatives have lacked capacity? What types of change would your communities both benefit from and support? Think big and be bold!
Phase 2: Interviews | July 17 – August 3, 2023
Organizations with top project ideas will be invited to interview with ERC program partners. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to further develop their project ideas through a summer accelerator that launches in mid-August.
Phase 3: Project Accelerator | August 21 – September 30, 2023
During this phase, prospective Hosts will participate in a project plan accelerator – a series of workshops held the last two weeks of August where Hosts will get the opportunity to learn more about what hosting a Fellow involves, refine their project idea, and network with other organizations from across the country. Applicants will then have up to a month to continue strengthening their project through group coaching sessions with ERC partners. The top project plans will move on to match with a Fellow at the end of September 2023.
Phase 4: Host and Fellow Matching | October 1 – December 15, 2023
Based on the outcome of the Fellow recruitment process, prospective Hosts will receive a shortlist of potential candidates to interview in early October. From October through November Hosts will conduct interviews with Fellows and work with ERC partners to determine the best fit for a Fellow placement. Placement offers will be made to Fellows by November 30th. Fellows will have 10 days to accept / decline their offers. Matches and Fellow-Host agreements will be finalized by December 15th.
Fellow placements will begin in January 2024 with a 1 week in-person training for Fellows and run through June 2026.
Ideal host placement partners are organizations or communities ready to advance a local or regional economic development strategy or transformative project but have struggled to find the resources to bridge the gap between planning and implementation. Additionally we are looking for partners that are action-oriented, and dedicated to building stronger, more resilient and reimagined local economies.
The ERC program is open to a broad range of public and nonprofit community and economic development organizations from city and county government to regional coalitions, economic development organizations, Tribal Nations, economic development districts (EDDs), education institutions, and entrepreneurial technical assistance providers.
Host sites will be selected based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to:
We will be keeping a running list of FAQ as the application cycle continues. Make sure to check back periodically to view new or updated information.
Email or call our team directly at [email protected] or (202) 223-7800 ext. 3316. We are here to help.
This activity was prepared by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070188 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.