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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS
The Economic Development
Administration (EDA) was established to generate jobs,
help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial,
technological, and commercial growth in economically-distressed
areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available
to rural and urban areas of the nation experiencing high
unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress.
The EDA has several
programs that could assist farmers' markets:
Economic Adjustment Program
The Economic Adjustment Program assists state and local interests
design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change
to an economy. The program focuses on areas that have experienced
or are under threat of serious structural damage to the underlying
economic base.
The Economic Adjustment
Program predominantly supports three types of grant activities:
- Strategy grants
help organize and carry out a planning process resulting
in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
(CEDS) tailored to the community's specific economic
problems and opportunities;
- Implementation grants support one
or more activities identified in an EDAapproved CEDS.
Activities may include, but are not limited to, the
creation/expansion
of strategically targeted business development and financing programs
such as, construction of infrastructure improvements,
organizational development
and market or industry research and analysis.
- Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
grants may also be used to implement a CEDS. These
grants capitalize a locally administered fund and
are used for
making loans to local businesses, which in turn, create jobs and leverage
other
private investment while helping a community to diversify and stabilize
its economy.
Partnership Planning Grants for Economic
Development Districts, Indian Tribes,
and other Eligible Entities
Ongoing planning grant assistance provides support for the formulation
and implementation of local economic development programs as well
as strategies designed to create and retain permanent jobs and increase
income for the unemployed and underemployed in areas of economic
distress. Grants are intended to enhance economic development planning
capability, support the formulation of development policies, and
assist in building local institutional capacity.
Planning grants are
awarded to establish and implement effective economic
development programs at local and regional levels. Eligible
activities under this program include:
- the preparation and maintenance
of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
process;
- implementation of the elements
of the strategy; and
- the provision of planning and technical
assistance services to communities and local governments
within the organization's jurisdiction.
Short Term Planning Grants to States, Sub-State Planning Regions,
and Urban Areas
Planning grants provide support for significant new economic development
planning, policymaking and implementation efforts, and to establish
comprehensive economic development planning processes cooperatively
with the state, the state political subdivisions, and economic development
districts.
Planning grants assist
economic development planning and implementation activities
such as economic analysis, definition of economic development
goals, determination of project opportunities, and the
formulation and implementation of development programs
that include systematic efforts to generate employment
opportunities, reduce unemployment, and increase incomes.
Eligible activities include:
- the preparation and maintenance
of a continuous comprehensive economic development
planning process,
- coordination of multi-jurisdictional
planning efforts,
- development of institutional capacity,
- diversification of the local economic
base, and
- implementation of programs, projects
and procedures designed to create and retain permanent
jobs and increase incomes.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate
EDA Regional Office or Economic Development Representative to discuss
the proposal and obtain additional EDA program information, application
instructions and forms. EDA regulations and other information are
also available on the EDA website: www.doc.gov/eda
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