February 2019 Newsletter
In December 2017, EDA provided funding for the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST), a nonprofit that focuses on providing a higher quality of living for low-to-moderate income communities, to launch a green construction training and job creation program for disadvantaged youth.
The EDA-supported youth workforce development program helps disadvantaged students (ages 16-24) from low-income communities across New Mexico and Texas receive education and training in the growing green construction industry. The program covers topics such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality remediation, and renewable energy systems. Trainings are offered both online and in-person, with a complementary apprenticeship program for on-the-job training (OJT).
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February 2019 Newsletter
The Choctaw Nation is a Native American territory and Indian Tribe represented in 11 counties in Oklahoma. Between 2014 and 2016, the Choctaw Nation and surrounding region was affected by three federally-declared natural disasters.
In response, EDA invested $750,000 in Choctaw in 2016 to support the development and implementation of the Choctaw Nation Economic Development Initiative in Southeast Oklahoma. The Initiative conducted feasibility and analytical studies to gain vital knowledge to support the exploration of business development, industrial parks, ports, and other economic development activities to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
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February 2019 Newsletter
The 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) Program is open for proposals and EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) is accepting applications until April 4, 2019. Last year, after an incredibly competitive selection process, a total of 40 projects were selected in our 2018 cohort of RIS grantees and many officially kicked off their projects around National Entrepreneurship Week. Check out a quick sneak-peek below at what a few of our 2018 grantees are launching in their communities:
- The Texas Tech University Innovation Hub is kick starting their transformative AgTech Fund called Hub Fuel. Hub Fuel will fund early-stage startups that are commercializing technology in the West Texas ecosystem including elements such as biotechnology, plant and animal breeding, water and environment technologies, big data analytics, and others. They expect to fund at least 25-35 AgTech ventures in West Texas. Read more about the launch Hub Fuel’s work in a recent article from Texas Tech Today.
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December 4, 2018
EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is adding 24 exciting new i6 Challenge projects to its Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program portfolio. Together with 16 new Seed Fund Support awards, EDA is catalyzing a new cohort of capacity-building projects in its diverse RIS portfolio, which has already created over 8,200 jobs and $1 billion in follow-on capital during the program’s first four years of operation.
The 2018 RIS Notice of Funding Opportunity brought in 160 i6 Challenge applications from across the nation. EDA designed the i6 Challenge to increase productivity and accelerate growth through entrepreneurship that translates innovations, ideas, intellectual property, and applied research into new businesses, accelerated paths to export, increased foreign direct investment, and new jobs.
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December 4, 2018
EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship just announced its newest Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program Seed Fund Support (SFS) awards. EDA is adding these 16 awards, along with 24 new i6 Challenge awards, to its existing portfolio of 140 investments that have created over 8,200 jobs and $1 billion in follow-on capital during the program’s first four years of operation.
The annual SFS competition provides funding for technical assistance and operational costs that support the planning, formation, launch, or scale of cluster-based seed funds that will invest their capital in innovation-based startups with a potential for high growth. The 2018 cohort of SFS grantees was selected from 73 applicants who responded to the competitive 2018 RIS Notice of Funding Opportunity, and represent 15 different states from coast-to-coast and in the heartland.
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October 2018 Newsletter
October 5th kicked off Manufacturing Month with Manufacturing Day, a day to recognize the progress the U.S. has made on its growing manufacturing revival. The Trump Administration is celebrating this month by focusing on leveling the playing field and encouraging innovative opportunities to create more jobs across the country. According to an op-ed written by U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross, since January 2017, the manufacturing sector has added 348,000 jobs, with year-over-year manufacturing job growth in 2018 increasing at the fastest rate since 1995. In 2017, U.S. manufacturers produced over $6 trillion in gross output, nearing the largest production values on record.
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October 2018 Newsletter
When Hartford, Connecticut’s Swift Factory closed its doors in 2005, the city lost a large business anchor. M. Swift & Sons, a leading source of gold leafing for state capitol buildings and historic landmarks across the country, was housed in the Swift Factory for 120 years. It employed many citizens in Hartford’s struggling north end neighborhood. In 2017, EDA awarded $2.8 million to non-profit company Community Solutions, Inc to revitalize the vacant industrial building.
Renovations on the Swift Factory began this past summer, and development of a brand-new 19,000 square-foot food manufacturing center and business incubator is currently underway. The Swift Community Food and Business Development Center will bring economic opportunity and prosperity to the north end of the city. The neighborhood is predominantly African-American and Latino, and the revitalized Center will provide new life to the community through new jobs and opportunities for local residents to gain skills they need to grow and progress.
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October 2018 Newsletter
Founded in 1936 and currently the only deep-water port located on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Port of Brownsville handles a wide variety of cargo including steel products, liquid, break bulk, and dry bulk commodities. With the facilities and knowledge to handle international cargo, the port facilitates efficient movement of goods between the United States and Mexico. This enables the promotion of international and retail trade, tourism, and manufacturing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
With the help of EDA’s investment, the port will now be better able to assist partners in the ship building industry and future companies with their construction and cargo operations needs. New economic opportunities at the Port of Brownsville will diversify capabilities and opportunities, increase the Rio Grande Valley’s economic vitality, and help expand the U.S. manufacturing industry.
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September 25, 2018
In 2017, the South Texas Development Council joined EDA’s VISTA Corps program and selected VISTA Member Angela Bonner to address educational attainment and workforce development capacity needs for South Texas. Bonner was assigned to meet and work with community members to identify community needs through data collection and by assisting in the development of a comprehensive plan outlining resources to support local workforce development efforts.
Throughout her service year, Bonner has gathered quantitative and qualitative data to gain better insights on the community. She developed and conducted surveys with community members to identify social and economic barriers prohibiting educational attainment. She has also conducted a number of interviews with educational institutions, local business, city officials, and community stakeholders.
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September 2018 Newsletter
This month, we mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria that devastated parts of Texas, the Southeast U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Over the past year, EDA’s regional offices have been working closely with Economic Development Districts (EDDs), federal, state and local officials and other partners in areas impacted by the hurricanes to assist with economic recovery and growth. Supporting local efforts to boost businesses is a major priority for EDA, and we are proud to assist our nation in building back better and stronger.
As the coordinator of the Economic Recovery Support Function (ERSF) under the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), EDA deployed to four hurricane-impacted locations simultaneously.
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