Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.4 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping New Mexico Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $2.4 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to six EDA Economic Development District organizations across New Mexico to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide New Mexico with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

“These investments come at a crucial time to help New Mexico’s and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to make these investments in New Mexico’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Eastern Plains Council of Governments, Clovis, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing communities with grant administration technical assistance; working with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions to assist in job creation; diversifying the region’s agriculture and dairy industry; contracting additional staff to support workforce needs; and investing in teleconferencing equipment to communicate with and assist regional communities.
• Mid-Region Council of Governments, Albuquerque, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring additional staff to provide grant application and business technical assistance to its members.
• North Central New Mexico Economic Development District (NCNMEDD), Santa Fe, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring two disaster recovery coordinators, who will provide robust technical assistance to small businesses throughout the region.
• Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Gallup, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by working to diversify the region’s coal-impacted economy, supporting hard-hit Native American communities, and providing resources to support strategic and impactful recovery.
• South Central New Mexico Council of Governments, Elephant Butte, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by expanding assistance to businesses and communities, including efforts to increase their capacity to prepare for future events.
• Southeastern New Mexico Economic Development District, Roswell, New Mexico, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by implementing an economic recovery plan to assist communities impacted by the pandemic.

These entities, all EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD), are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA EDD, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 7, Secretary Ross announced that EDA is accepting applications for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funding opportunities.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.