Press Release

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo Announces First Awards Distributed Under Economic Development Administration’s American Rescue Plan Programs

Statewide Economic Development Planning Grants Lay the Foundation for President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo is pleased to announce that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has begun awarding its historic $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks.

Today, EDA will award $24 million in grants to states and territories across the nation for statewide planning efforts to boost economic development, enhance U.S. competitiveness, combat the climate crisis, and recover from the pandemic. These are the first EDA American Rescue Plan grants announced.

All 59 states and territories have been invited to apply for a $1 million grant through EDA’s Statewide Planning program—one of six programs EDA developed to equitably distribute its $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding. 24 grants will be awarded today, with the remainder being disbursed in the coming weeks and months.

“The Biden Administration is giving states and territories the unprecedented opportunity to bring all their communities together to develop comprehensive plans to build back better and stronger,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The $1 million Statewide Planning grants will be used to lay the groundwork for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda to build resilient economies and increase U.S. Competitiveness.”

“Planning is the backbone of economic development and Building Back Better,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “EDA is proud to partner with state and territory leaders as they begin to tackle a wide range of challenges—including climate change, broadband, electric vehicle infrastructure, and pandemic recovery—and develop a comprehensive plan for their entire state or territory that ensures communities work together toward a common economic development vision for the future.”

The following states were awarded $1 million grants today:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

For more about EDA’s Statewide Planning grant and other American Rescue Plan programs, please visit: https://www.eda.gov/arpa/.

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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.