Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $552,733 in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Provide Economic Recovery and Resiliency Assistance to Coronavirus-Impacted Communities Across Missouri

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $552,733 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc., Branson, Missouri, to assist Missouri communities in responding to and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic through the Main Street economic recovery technical assistance and training program. This EDA grant, to be matched with $157,938 in local investment, is expected to create 160 jobs, retain 400 jobs, and generate $8 million in private investment.

“The Economic Development Administration is committed to helping communities across the nation implement strategies to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This EDA investment will help Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc., provide critical technical assistance and training to 40 Missouri communities to help them create and sustain jobs, foster new businesses, and increase the economic resilience of Main Street corridors.”

“Now more than ever, Missouri needs a strong, skilled workforce to move our economy forward,” said Governor Mike Parson. “This grant to Missouri Main Street Connection will provide several communities with important resources to create jobs, expand business, and strengthen their local economies as Missouri continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.”

“This investment will help Missouri Main Street Connection continue their important work to support small businesses through the pandemic and beyond,” said Senator Roy Blunt. “The CARES Act made small business recovery a priority, and I’m glad to see the funding provided in the legislation is continuing to have an impact in our state.”

The project will provide Missouri communities with analysis and expertise to expand their local business ecosystems through a focus on small business development. Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc., will provide communities with services including direct entrepreneur support, online sales training, business ecosystem building, and micro-business development to support economic recovery and resilience.

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts of Missouri’s 18 Economic Development Districts, which EDA funds to help bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs.

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. 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.

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.