FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity

Contents

A. Program Description 
1. Overview 
2. Funding Pathways 
a. Readiness Path 
b. Implementation Path 
c. Industry Transformation Path
3. Considerations when selecting a path 
4. Which projects are ineligible under this Disaster NOFO? 
5. EDA's investment priorities; economic recovery resilience investment priority 
6. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Requirement 
7. Statutory Authorities 

B. Basic Federal Award Information
1. What funding is available under this funding opportunity? 
2. What funding instrument will be used? What are the anticipated award amounts and how long will the period of performance of a project last? 
3. Who do I contact with questions? 

C. Eligibility and Other Program Requirements
1. What entities are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity? 
2. What locations are eligible for this funding opportunity? 
3. What are the cost sharing or matching requirements? 
4. What are the prohibitions and restrictions for using award funds and match? 

D. Application and Submission Information
1. Where can I find and submit an application? 
2. What is required for an application? 
3. Are there any submission deadlines? 

E. Application Review and Selection Processes
1. Technical Review 
2. Investment Review Committee (IRC)
a. Readiness Path projects 
b. Implementation Path projects (construction and non-construction) 
c. Industry Transformation Path portfolios (construction and non-construction)
3. Selecting Official's Decision 

F. EDGE SYSTEMS ISSUES

G. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 

H. Appendices 
 

APPENDIX I - Required Application Narratives

1. READINESS PATH - Impact and Engagement Narrative Requirements 
2. IMPLEMENTATION PATH - Impact and Engagement Narrative Requirements 
3. INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION PATH - Overarching Narrative Requirements 
 

APPENDIX II - Investment/Policy Commitments Requirements [if applicable]
APPENDIX III - Additional Information on Application, Policy, and Legal Requirements

1. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirements 
2. Pre-award costs 
3. EDA's non-relocation policy 
4. Past performance and non-compliance with award provisions 
5. Notice of government-wide procurement restriction 
6. Requirements for recipients with more than $10 million in federal-wide funding 
7. Financial, performance, and outcomes reports 
8. Funding opportunity changes communicated on Grants.gov 
9. Application package and submission 
10. EDGE system issues 
11. Alternatives to Submission through EDGE 
12. Audit requirements 
13. Build America, Buy America requirements 
14. Certifications required by annual appropriations acts for corporations and for awards over $5 million 
15. Disclosures of information 
16. Disclosures of violations 
17. Projects with EDA's substantial involvement 
18. Federal award notices 
19. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 
20. Fraud awareness training 
21. Freedom of Information Act 
22. Right to use information 
23. General terms and conditions 
24. Government Performance and Results Act 
25. Incubators and accelerators requirements 
26. Office of Inspector General (OIG) rights and responsibilities 
27. SPOC Compliance 
28. Third party subrecipient vs. contractors 
29. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements 
30. DOC pre-award notification requirements 
31. Termination

A. Program Description

1. Overview

President Trump is committed to unleashing the potential of the American economy, affording all Americans the opportunity to pursue their version of the American dream. However, nature often has other plans when damaging storms and unforeseen destructive natural disasters occur. This Administration champions an America First platform, and that extends to Americans needing assistance due to natural disasters. This Fiscal Year 2025 Disaster Notice of Funding Opportunity (Disaster NOFO) responds to that call and aims to seize the moment to support impacted communities to transform their local economies in new, vibrant ways.

As a result, this Disaster NOFO is different than those of previous Administrations. This NOFO seeks projects that are responsive to community needs post-disaster by engaging all aspects of the community, with special focus on private industry partners. No longer can economic development grants be made by bureaucrats in isolation. This NOFO places a considerable emphasis on private sector buy-in and investment as a critical indicator of project viability.

Through this Disaster NOFO, EDA will award investments in regions experiencing severe economic distress or other economic harm resulting from hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

Under this Disaster NOFO, EDA is specifically soliciting applications under its Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, which is flexible and responsive to the economic development needs and priorities of local and regional stakeholders.[1] The EAA program is well-suited to help regions recover from disasters, achieve economic development goals, and improve their economic trajectories.

This Disaster NOFO provides funding through three pathways:

Readiness Path - Standalone non-construction projects designed to increase a community's readiness to apply for or implement disaster recovery funding from private and public sources including, but not limited to, future EDA NOFOs and the Implementation or Industry Transformation Paths under this NOFO. Projects will fund strategy development, capacity building, and/or predevelopment costs necessary for future recovery projects.

Implementation Path - Standalone construction or non-construction projects designed to address the economic challenges faced by a community recovering from a natural disaster and improve economic trajectories beyond pre-disaster economic conditions.

Industry Transformation Path - Led by a coalition of regional stakeholders, a portfolio of large-scale, multicomponent construction and non-construction projects designed to fundamentally transform the economic trajectory of a region through the development or acceleration of an industry.

The sections below provide information about each path.

Applicants are expected to articulate in their applications how an EDA investment will bolster their community's capacity to recover from economic harm due to natural disasters and improve their long-term economic outlook. EDA's goal under this NOFO is to assist communities recovering from a disaster by realizing opportunities to recover and change the economic trajectory of the community for the better. In other words, EDA funding seeks to help communities recover and set them on a path to exceed their previous pre-disaster baseline.

If intending to apply for Readiness Path funding before other paths, Readiness Path applicants should prioritize submitting applications as early as possible and provide details regarding their anticipated follow-on funding request in their Impact and Engagement Narrative. Applicants should review and follow Appendix I, which sets forth the required application materials, additional narrative requirements, and other standard forms necessary under each funding Path.

Applicants are encouraged to review this NOFO in its entirety, including appendices, and work with the Economic Development Representative or other EDA representative for the state where the project will be located. See EDA's website at https://www.eda.gov/about/contact (searchable by state).

2. Funding Pathways

a. Readiness Path

"Readiness" projects are non-construction planning and capacity building projects designed to increase a community's readiness to apply for and/or implement future disaster recovery funding, including future local, state, or federal funding for disaster recovery and if applicable, Implementation or Industry Transformation funding under this NOFO. Put another way, successful projects under the Readiness Path would increase the quality or likelihood of success of future economic development and disaster recovery projects.

EDA expects to fund projects under the Readiness Path in the range of $250,000 to $500,000.

Examples of Readiness Path applications include, but are not limited to:

• Strategy Development: Applicants can request funding for short-term or long-term strategic planning. These grants enable communities to better identify and prepare for future economic development projects through early coordination and planning. For example, where a community already has a strong strategic plan for economic development, it may be appropriate to apply for a short-term strategy grant focused on helping the community identify viable recovery projects for future funding, including but not limited to the Implementation or Industry Transformation Paths under this NOFO. Conversely, where a community needs more foundational help developing a long- term economic development strategy in the wake of a disaster, it may be more appropriate for the applicant to seek a long-term strategy grant in the form of a planning grant to develop, update, or refine a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
• Capacity Building: Applicants may seek funding for additional capacity (including staffing capacity) to successfully develop and implement economic recovery and resilience strategies and projects. Increased capacity enables communities to strengthen organizational structures and build a solid foundation to implement future funding and projects. For example, an organization may benefit from hiring a disaster coordinator to lead future project development, community engagement, industry engagement, and/or implementation of future recovery projects.
• Predevelopment Costs: Applicants may submit requests for costs related to the development of future disaster recovery projects, including but not limited to applications under the Implementation and Industry Transformation Paths of this NOFO, if funding remains available. Such costs can include but are not limited to:
  • costs for site selection and assessment, including for projects focused on reshoring manufacturing;
  • architectural and engineering plans;
  • permit applications, including environmental compliance or permitting; and
  • market or industry research and analysis for larger economic development projects.

Applicants can propose activities in one or more categories.

Readiness Path applicants will be required to submit an impact and engagement narrative that clearly articulates how the proposed readiness project helps the applicant or the impacted communities become more competitive, more mature, and better prepared to receive or implement future economic and disaster recovery funding. For example, short-term readiness projects such as funding a disaster coordinator or funding pre-development engineering plans could better prepare an applicant to develop or finalize a potential project, including but not limited to projects proposed under the Implementation Path or Industry Transformation Path. In contrast, a long-term planning grant that establishes a region-wide disaster recovery strategy could make a region more competitive for future EDA recovery NOFOs or other funding sources.

b. Implementation Path

"Implementation" projects encompass a wide variety of construction and non-construction projects to not only help communities recover from natural disasters but also to improve communities' economic outcomes and ultimately put them on a path to exceed their previous pre-disaster economic conditions. These investments ensure communities can better withstand future natural disasters and generate new economic benefits for the region, which includes increasing future-focused opportunities for economic growth and industry investment.

Under this Path, EDA can support projects that will mitigate or prevent the impacts of future disaster events, and fund the replacement, repair, or upgrades to critical public infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed by natural disasters subject to a major disaster declaration and that are critical to the restoration of sustained economic activity. EDA will also fund projects that lead to the further diversification of the local economy through the development or acceleration of industries.

EDA expects to fund Implementation projects in the range of $2 million to $20 million for construction and $100,000 to $5 million for non-construction. The amount EDA will fund for an individual Implementation project will depend on the relative impacts the disaster had on the community as well as the private investment projected to be generated by the project or the jobs created/retained. These are not hard caps, but instead estimates of EDA's expectations. EDA may deviate from these estimates, including by funding projects greater than $20 million, in cases of exceptional need and/or exceptional potential impact.

Examples of implementation projects that EDA can support under this NOFO include, but are not limited to:

• Construction or upgrading of public infrastructure, including improvements to make these facilities more resilient to natural disasters, including (but not limited to):
  • Water systems and facilities (e.g., drinking water, wastewater treatment, and stormwater)
  • Revitalization or expansion of aviation, port, and harbor facilities
  • Bridges
  • Railway spurs and extensions
  • Business incubators and industrial parks
  • Communications systems, including broadband
• Construction or expansion of workforce training facilities at a local community college or trade/technical school
• Costs associated with establishment or expansion of workforce training programs including Registered Apprenticeship Programs, including the procurement of necessary equipment
• Capitalization or recapitalization of revolving loan funds (RLFs)
• Development or expansion of commercialization and proof of concept centers
• Activities intended to create or expand foreign direct investment, trade, or export initiatives
• Activities intended to spur or accelerate large-scale industry investment

Strong Implementation Path projects will result in tailored disaster recovery solutions that not only address the recovery needs of the impacted communities but generate additional private and public investment to propel the regional economy forward and generate new businesses and jobs. That said, recognizing the level of distress that communities may face in the wake of disasters, Implementation Path projects are not required to generate new jobs or private investment. Implementation Path projects can also be competitive by showing that their project will positively impact other measures for economic growth (including, for example, growing the tax base or increasing the labor force participation rate from pre-disaster rates).

Implementation Path applicants will be required to submit an Impact and Engagement Narrative with their application. Applicants must clearly articulate how the proposed implementation project not only helps communities recover but also improves the community's economic outcomes and ultimately puts the community on a trajectory to exceed their previous pre-disaster economic conditions.

Applicants are asked to clearly define in the Impact and Engagement Narrative their pre-disaster and post-disaster economic conditions and should consider (but are not limited to) including measures such as:

• Jobs created, retained, or lost
• Businesses created, retained, or lost
• Average wages by sector or position
• Labor Force Participation Rate
• County GDP
• Primary sectors, industries, businesses
• Unemployment rate
• Change in tax base

In addition to the required match, applicants are encouraged to secure investment and policy commitments to support and catalyze their proposed project(s) outcomes. Applicants are not limited to securing financial commitments but should think creatively about other types of public and private sector contributions (e.g., tax benefits). See Appendix II for more details.

c. Industry Transformation Path

"Industry Transformation portfolios" are 3 to 5 large-scale, coordinated construction and/or non-construction component projects, led by an overarching coalition, that together aim to transform the regional economy by developing or accelerating a key industry in communities impacted by major natural disasters.

EDA seeks to invest in disaster-impacted regions that are mature and ready to grow, will scale nascent or emerging industries, and will catalyze awarded funding and substantial private or public sector investments to achieve regional economic growth and fortify the region's economy against future disasters. EDA further expects these large-scale coordinated investments will:

• Accelerate post-disaster economic recovery through job creation, business development, and innovation
• Multiply federal dollar impact through leveraged private investment
• Enhance private sector engagement in regional economic growth and diversification
• Increase regional participation and competition in domestic and global markets
• Alleviate and disrupt local persistent poverty through training and employment opportunities, including through the Registered Apprenticeship Programs (www.apprenticeship.gov).
• Activities intended to spur or accelerate large-scale industry investment

Portfolio goals could include scaling nascent or emerging industries, reimagining the use of assets within existing industries, or creating a new sector or sectors based on regional assets.

Given the ambitious nature of these investments, EDA expects to fund portfolios in the range of $20 million to $50 million. Industry Transformation Path regions can propose any of the project types described under the Implementation Path, but EDA expects Industry Transformation portfolios to collaborate cohesively towards establishing or accelerating the growth of industry or industries that diversify and accelerate the region's economic trajectory.

Strong applicants will create effective, organized coalitions that include key regional stakeholders that are united around an overarching strategy and vision for the targeted key industry. EDA expects coalitions to have a strong management and governance plan to ensure effective implementation of the projects and to sustain their overarching strategy and vision beyond the grant period. These coalitions must include private sector partners and may include other entities such as institutions of higher education (including community colleges and technical schools); state, territorial, local, or Tribal governments; economic development organizations; workforce training organizations (including unions, state and local workforce development boards, etc.); or community-based organizations. Please note that while EDA strongly encourages and anticipates coalitions with a wide variety of engaged stakeholders, including from the private sector, only eligible applicants (see section C.1) may apply for and receive grant funds as recipients.

In addition to the required match, applicants are required to secure investment and policy commitments to support and catalyze their proposed project(s) outcomes. Applicants are not limited to securing financial commitments but should think creatively about other types of contributions (e.g., tax benefits). Applicants should carefully review Appendix II for more information about requirements related to investment and policy commitments. As described more in Appendix II, investment commitments involve cash or in-kind goods or services contributed by a third party to the project while policy commitments are new policies or programming designed to accelerate their target industry's growth and economic recovery (e.g., changes to local regulations, strategies to increase the number of high-skilled workers retained in the region, etc.).

Although EDA recommends 3 - 5 large-scale projects, EDA can consider on a case-by-case basis projects with fewer or more component projects, provided that the coalition structures are otherwise in place and the projects are vital to a compelling strategy for the region and deliver considerable impact.[2]

Finally, EDA will expect that the projects funded under this path will collectively lead to greater impacts in business attraction, jobs created, wage growth or private investment generated than is anticipated under the Implementation Path. EDA's goal is to attract competitive projects under the Industry Transformation Path that credibly show the ability to generate substantial private sector investments and commitments in a region as compared to initial EDA investment. Projects that approach that range will be viewed as more competitive.

EDA encourages applicants to propose the interventions that are most applicable to their regions. Below are a few illustrative examples of how component projects could work together under the Industry Transformation Path. These illustrative examples are intended only as a reference for applicants as they are developing ideas for their Industry Transformation Path applications.

• Scaling a semiconductor manufacturing corridor through funding: (1) expansion of a non-profit's existing advanced packaging facility, to scale production, (2) installation of new advanced packaging machinery and equipment in an existing local government-owned facility to boost efficiency, (3) development of real-time digital twin of advanced packaging facility and semiconductor production line, (4) scaling of workforce development training program across region to upskill talent for semiconductor manufacturing through industry intermediaries expanding access to Registered Apprenticeships, and (5) creation network of coalition participants and industry leaders to address industry needs collectively.
• Expand and accelerate maritime industry by funding: (1) expansion of key transportation corridors and roadways to increase trade and bolster regional supply chains, (2) upgrade of port infrastructure to increase capacity and facilitate additional local ship building and repair, (3) creation of marine technology and maritime workforce development training programs to meet industry need for additional highly skilled workers, (4) purchase and implementation of new barge service to increase efficiency and reduce costs for resource transportation regionally, and (5) collaboration with local community colleges system to expand degree programs on marine engineering, marine transportation, and maritime management to bolster regional talent pipeline.
• Create a regional food system within a multi-county region by investing in: (1) new construction of a publicly-owned regional advanced food processing facility; (2) acquisition of advanced food processing equipment and technology; (3) expansion of public transportation infrastructure (including rail, ports, and regional airport) to facilitate the transport of regionally-sourced raw materials to the processing plant and finished products from the processing plant to market; (4) acquisition and rehabilitation of regional food system workforce training center; and (5) acquisition of relevant technology and other equipment for workforce training courses.

The deadline for applications submitted under the Industry Transformation Path is 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

For more information on applying for the Industry Transformation Path, please see Appendix I.3.

3. Considerations when selecting a path

a. How does the Readiness Path interact with the Implementation and/or Industry Transformation Paths? Must I seek Readiness funding in order to compete under the other Paths?

No, applicants are not required to seek Readiness funding before applying for Implementation or Industry Transformation funding. The Readiness Path is designed to meet the community where it is and move the community towards its economic development goals. An eligible applicant may apply for Readiness funding standing alone if it needs assistance with planning, capacity, or pre-development costs.

Readiness funding can also help a region get ready to apply for the Implementation Path or Industry Transformation Path, or for other types of assistance, including state, local, private, or other federal sources of assistance. However, if a region or eligible entity already has projects that it feels are competitive under the Implementation or Industry Transformation Paths, it does not have to participate in the Readiness Path. In other words, the Readiness Path is not a prerequisite to any other Path.

In addition, some projects under the Paths may overlap. For example, if a community needs capacity to support an infrastructure project, the applicant may want to apply at the same time for both a Readiness project and an Implementation construction project, and EDA may award both grants concurrently.

b. Is there a disadvantage to participating in the Readiness Path? If I have to get a grant under the Readiness Path before I am ready to apply for the other Paths, how will I know if funding will still be available for those Paths?

While EDA may review projects and select them for funding on a rolling basis, EDA is aware that some regions or applicants may need Readiness Path funding to be competitive for the Implementation or Industry Transformation Paths. As such, subject to available funds, EDA will work to reserve some funding for later in the process to ensure that every region or applicant is fairly evaluated.

c. How do I decide whether to apply for an Implementation grant or an Industry Transformation grant? Will I lose the opportunity to apply for an Implementation project if my Industry Transformation application is not selected for award?

In the event that EDA does not fund an Industry Transformation application. EDA, at its sole discretion, may fund individual component projects of that application under the Implementation Path. Please do not apply concurrently for duplicate projects under any Path under this NOFO.

4. Which projects are ineligible under this Disaster NOFO?

Some projects are generally ineligible under this NOFO, including projects that are primarily residential in nature (e.g., housing), projects to create community amenities (e.g., swimming pools, zoos, recreational centers), projects that support casinos or gaming, projects that support general governmental functions (see 2 CFR ¤ 200.444), and requests for funding to supplement operating budgets or replace lost revenue (including lost tax revenue). Applicants who are unsure whether their proposed project is eligible under this NOFO should contact their state or territory's Economic Development Representative (EDR) for assistance. EDR contact information is available on EDA's website and organized according to regional office: www.eda.gov/about/contact.

5. EDA's investment priorities; economic recovery resilience investment priority

EDA has five investment priorities:

• Critical infrastructure
• Workforce
• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Economic recovery resilience
• Manufacturing

To be considered for funding under this NOFO, each project must be consistent with EDA's economic recovery resilience investment priority. EDA defines "economic recovery resilience" as:

• Economic development planning or implementation projects that enhance the ability of an area to withstand and recover from adverse short-term or long-term changes in economic conditions, including effects from industry contractions or economic impacts from natural disasters.

In section B.4 of the Form ED-900 (discussed below in section D.2), the applicant should explain how their project is consistent with the economic recovery resilience investment priority.

More information about EDA's investment priorities can be found at www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities. EDA's website will be updated to reflect any Congressionally approved revisions to the investment priorities, as applicable.

6. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Requirement

Except for a recovery strategy grant funded under the Readiness Path as described in section A.2.a of this NOFO, each project funded under this Disaster NOFO must be consistent with the region's current CEDS. If a CEDS does not exist for the region, the project must be consistent with an equivalent regional economic development strategy that EDA has determined meets the agency's CEDS or strategy requirements. In addition, if a project under the Industry Transformation Path intends to affect an area that encompasses multiple CEDS, the project should identify how the project is consistent with a broader multi-region strategy, which may include showing consistency with multiple CEDS.

Through section D.3 of Form ED-900, applicants must:

• Identify the regional CEDS.
• If there is no CEDS, attach the relevant alternative strategic planning document (often referred to as the CEDS-equivalent plan).

In addition to the instructions in the Form ED-900 itself, through section D.4 of the Form ED-900, applicants should:

• Clearly detail how the proposed project will align with and support the economic development needs and objectives outlined in the CEDS (or CEDS-equivalent plan).
• Describe how the EDA investment will complement, leverage, or otherwise align with other public and private investments to accomplish the planned deliverables and outcomes.

In addition, in the Budget Narrative, applicants should indicate if other federal funds have been secured for, or have been requested to support, any portion of the project for which an EDA investment is proposed. Where other federal funding may be involved in the project, the applicant should provide the federal program name and contact information with their application to facilitate interagency coordination and avoid duplication of resources.

7. Statutory Authorities

The statutory authority for the EAA program is section 209 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA) (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3149). The statutory authorization of supplemental appropriations for disaster economic recovery activities is section 703 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3233).

Applicant eligibility and program requirements are set forth in EDA's regulations (codified at 13 CFR Chapter III), and all applicants must address these requirements. EDA's regulations are accessible at the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) website, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-III.

B. Basic Federal Award Information

1. What funding is available under this funding opportunity?

Under the American Relief Act, 2025 (Division B, Title II of Pub. L. No. 118-158), Congress appropriated approximately $1,447,000,000 to EDA to support disaster economic recovery activities in areas that received a major disaster designation because of hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024.[3]

For all other EDA program and investment opportunities, please review https://www.grants.gov (Grants.gov) or visit https://eda.dgov/funding/funding-opportunities/all-opportunities.[4]

2. What funding instrument will be used? What are the anticipated award amounts and how long will the period of performance of a project last?

Funding instrument: EDA expects it will award most funds using grants but may award a cooperative agreement on a case-by-case basis if substantial agency involvement is required. For a cooperative agreement, the nature of EDA's "substantial involvement" (to be included in the terms and conditions of the award) will generally be collaboration between EDA and the recipient on the scope of work.

Anticipated award amounts: Under this NOFO EDA expects to award the following, but reserves the discretion to make awards outside of this range as circumstances allow:

Readiness Path:

• Non-construction awards that range between $250,000 to $500,000

Implementation Path:

• Non-construction awards that range between $100,000 and $5 million
• Construction awards that range between $2 million and $20 million
• EDA may deviate from these estimates, including funding projects greater than $20 million, in cases of exceptional need and/or exceptional impact

Industry Transformation Path:

• A cluster of 3 to 5 non-construction and/or construction awards with a total funding level between $20 million and $50 million

Period of performance: The project period of performance depends on the nature of the project. In general, the period of performance for:

• Non-construction awards may range from 12 to 18 months with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis. For the Readiness Path, EDA anticipates that a shorter period of performance may be appropriate.
• Construction awards may range from 12 to 48 months with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis.

EDA will work closely with the recipients to accommodate their projected timelines within reason, as well as consistent with applicable regulations and grant policy allowances. EDA expects that all projects will proceed efficiently and expeditiously and encourages applicants to clearly document how quickly they will be able to start and complete the proposed project scope of work specified in section B of the Form ED-900.

See Appendix I for information about performance goals, indicators, targets, data collection and measurement, and other guidance pertaining to the projects and activities eligible under this Disaster NOFO.

3. Who do I contact with questions?

For questions concerning this funding opportunity, including requests for technical assistance with application requirements, please contact the appropriate Economic Development Representative or other EDA representative listed on EDA's website at /node/10135.

Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as individuals who have speech or communication disabilities may use a relay service to call the telephone numbers listed on or through the EDA's website. To learn more about how to make an accessible telephone call to any of the numbers shown in this document, visit the webpage for the relay service of the Federal Communications Commission, https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs.

C. Eligibility and Other Program Requirements

1. What entities are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?

Eligible applicants for economic recovery assistance under this Disaster NOFO include a(n):

• District organization of an EDA-designated Economic Development District (EDD);
• Indian tribe or a consortium of Indian tribes;
• State,[5] county, city, or other political subdivision of a state, including a special purpose unit of a state or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;
• Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education;
• Public or private nonprofit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state;
• An economic development organization; or
• A public-private partnership for public infrastructure.

2. What locations are eligible for this funding opportunity?

A project must be located in, primarily serve, or demonstrably benefit one or more communities in areas that received a major disaster designation as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

Consistent with 13 CFR parts 301 and 307, EDA will determine area eligibility pursuant to the applicable federal disaster declaration under the Stafford Act and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designation of areas as eligible for public assistance or individual assistance due to the declared disasters listed on FEMA's website (www.fema.gov/disaster/).[6]

Using section C.1 of the Form ED-900, the applicant should clearly identify the location of the project and briefly detail how and why the proposed project benefits an eligible designated area (the applicant should provide further details about the project and how it will benefit the eligible designated area throughout the application, including using other sections of Form ED-900). EDA anticipates that most construction projects (including design and engineering) will be located in an eligible designated area. In exceptional circumstances under the Industry Transformation Path, EDA will consider funding construction component projects where the construction is located outside of an eligible designated area provided that substantial benefit accrues to, an eligible area or areas. For non-construction projects, the project's scope of work must primarily benefit an eligible designated area, and stakeholders representing those areas must be directly engaged in the project.[7]

Only applications from eligible applicants and are located in or serve an eligible designated area will be considered. EDA will evaluate and select applications according to the evaluation criteria set forth in section E.2 of this NOFO.

3. What are the cost sharing or matching requirements?

Once applicant and area eligibility are established, EDA generally expects to fund up to 80% of the eligible costs of such assistance. In accordance with EDA's statutory authority under section 703 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3233), EDA may increase the investment rate up to a maximum of 100%. In determining whether to increase the federal share above 80%, EDA's Grants Officers will consider on a case-by-case basis whether the circumstances of the proposed project warrant a federal share in excess of 80%, including whether the applicant has exhausted its effective taxing or borrowing capacity, can otherwise document that no local matching funds are reasonably obtainable, or meets other thresholds for elevated need based on the overall economic situation of the region.

EDA may also establish a maximum investment rate of up to 100% for projects of Indian tribes.

Refer to Appendix III.1 for more information on cost sharing or matching requirements.

4. What are the prohibitions and restrictions for using award funds and match?

Some projects are generally ineligible under this funding opportunity, including projects that are primarily residential in nature (e.g., housing), projects to create community amenities (e.g., swimming pools, zoos, recreational centers), projects that support casinos or gaming, projects that support general governmental functions (see 2 CFR ¤ 200.444), and requests for funding to supplement operating budgets or replace lost revenue (including lost tax revenue).

It is DOC policy that funds may not be used to pay for profits or management fees in excess of costs, unless statutorily authorized. Funds may not be used, directly or indirectly, to replace existing funds. Additionally, the use of project funds to make equity or hybrid investments in businesses is not an allowable cost.

Applicants who are unsure whether their proposed project or cost is eligible under this funding opportunity should consult the appropriate EDA Economic Development Representative for the state where the project will be located as listed on EDA's website at https://www.eda.gov/about/contact (searchable by state).

See Appendix III.2 for more information about pre-award costs.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Where can I find and submit an application?

An applicant must obtain, complete, and submit a complete application electronically through the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE) at https://sfgrants.eda.gov/s/. For the Readiness and Infrastructure Paths, applications will be accepted on an ongoing (rolling) basis until the publication of a new Disaster Supplemental NOFO, cancellation of this Disaster Supplemental NOFO, or all available funds have been expended.

Before submitting an application under this funding opportunity, each applicant must register its organization with EDGE. Applicants should note that this process can be lengthy, requires interaction with multiple organizations (e.g., SAM.gov), and requires confirmation at each step. Applicant organizations that have not previously completed any of these steps may require three to four weeks to accomplish these tasks. EDA strongly encourages prospective applicants to begin the pre-submission process as early as possible in the application period.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

Applicants are required to: (i) be registered in SAM; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in the application; (iii) make certain certifications (see also Appendix III.14 of this NOFO); and (iv) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award, or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. EDA may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time EDA is ready to make an award, EDA may determine that the applicant is not qualified. Recipients will be subject to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR parts 25 and 170. All subrecipients must have a UEI before any subawards are made.

Refer to Appendix III.9 for important information on the form of application submission. Please also refer to Appendix III.9 for important information on the pre-submission process.

2. What is required for an application?

To successfully apply for funding, each applicant must determine which Path(s) they are seeking funding for and the type of project(s) they propose to fund (construction, non-construction, design and engineering, or RLF). To submit a complete application, all applicants should submit or complete the requirements in Table A (as applicable) and then find their proposed project type in Table B, and submit the relevant application forms and documents.

Table A below provides an overview of the documents necessary for an application under each Path. Depending on the path chosen, applicants will submit one or more project-specific packages. The contents of project-specific packages will depend on the type of project (e.g., construction or non-construction).

Table B below provides an overview of required documents for project-specific packages, broken out by whether the project is construction, non-construction, design and engineering, or RLF. An explanation of each required document is directly under Table B.

Due to the single-project nature of applications under the Readiness or Implementation Paths, applicants under those paths will only submit one project-specific package. In contrast, because Industry Transformation Path applications will typically propose a portfolio of construction and/or non-construction projects, applicants under that path will need to submit a complete project-specific package using the documents specified in Table B for each component project they propose. For example, if the proposed coalition is proposing three component projects, EDA would expect three project packages, each appropriate to the given component project.

Additionally, Appendix I contains crucial details about required information that must be submitted in the required narratives under each Path. Applicants must review that Appendix before submitting their application.

Table C summarizes application requirements for each project type and may be used as a checklist for applicants; it does not impose any new requirements.

The Economic Development Representative for the state or territory where the proposed project is located can provide technical assistance regarding application requirements. Additionally, EDA may contact the applicant to clarify application materials received. Finally, EDA may request that a given project be rescoped to fit within budget and timing constraints and, for Industry Transformation Path applications, request that a particular component project not be included in the application. Note that all component projects are expected to be completed within five years.

Organizational Documentation

Nonprofit organizations must submit documentation that demonstrates their status as nonprofit organizations. This must include articles of incorporation, bylaws, and certificate of good standing, or equivalent. It may also include proof of tax-exempt status.

In addition, depending on the type of organization, an economic development organization may need to submit organizational documentation. EDA will work with such applicants to determine what is required.

Public-private partnerships for public infrastructure must submit documentation defining the partnership, which contains details of the agreement, including roles and responsibilities, and is signed by all parties. EDA does not require that the consortium have a formal legal structure (i.e., a contractual arrangement or public-private partnership).

Nonprofit or for-profit tribal entities may need to submit similar documentation that demonstrate the entity is wholly owned by and established for the benefit of the tribe. Other entities, including institutions of higher education that are not 100% publicly controlled, must provide documentation that demonstrates their organization type. States, federally-recognized Indian tribes, cities or other political subdivisions of states, and institutions of higher education that are 100% publicly controlled are not required to submit organizational documentation. Regardless of entity type, EDA reserves the right to request documentation or additional proof of organizational status.

Investment/Policy Commitments

EDA is focused on investing in activities that leverage existing community assets and private sector support to revitalize a regional economy severely impacted by natural disasters. See Appendix II for more information about the types of investment and policy commitments that an applicant may secure in support of their proposed project. Each commitment must be supported by appropriate documentation. As noted above in Table A, applicants may use the template commitment letter in Appendix II to document the commitments, or applicants may use Form ED-900B.

Note: Under the Industry Transformation Path, applicants are required to secure investment and/or policy commitments. Industry Transformation Path applicants should review Appendix I.3 carefully for critical submission requirements necessary for their applications.

Note: Under the Implementation Path, investment and/or policy commitments are encouraged but not required. Implementation Path applicants should review Appendix I.2 carefully for critical submission requirements necessary for their applications. See Appendix III.9 for submission instructions.

Budget Narrative

The budget narrative total should match the total project costs listed in both the Form SF-424 question 18, line g, and Form SF-424A or SF-424C, as applicable.

The non-federal share, whether in cash or in-kind, is expected to be paid out at the same general rate as the federal share; however, if the applicant's budget narrative proposes otherwise, applicants must also include information that clearly indicates what project elements the matching share funds will support and explain why deviation from paying out at the same general rate is required for the project to be implemented. For construction projects, the budget narrative may be included in the preliminary engineering report.

If a project requires or anticipates the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, vendors, and/or service providers), it is the applicant's responsibility to determine whether a third party should be characterized as a subrecipient or a contractor. The characterization must be reflected in the terms of each agreement made with each third party. (See 2 CFR ¤ 200.1 for definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient; see also 2 CFR ¤ 200.331, Subrecipient and contractor determinations.)

All subawards must receive EDA prior approval. If selected for award, and before initial disbursement of any funds by EDA for any costs incurred by a subrecipient, EDA may request documentation demonstrating that the subrecipient is an entity eligible to receive EDA assistance. See Appendix III.28 for information about third party subawards vs. contractors.

Environmental and Historic Preservation Requirements

All applicants for EDA construction assistance (including design and engineering assistance) are required to provide adequate environmental information. Each application will be reviewed by EDA for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. During the NEPA review process, applicants may be instructed to contact the designated State and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO/THPO), provide approvals from other governmental agencies, or provide more detailed environmental information. EDA, after compliance with requirements for consultation with Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, may require applicants to participate in Tribal consultation, as necessary. NEPA requires EDA to provide public notice of the availability of project-specific environmental documents, such as environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, findings of no significant impact, and records of decision, to the affected public.

For further guidance and information, applicants are encouraged to contact their state or territory's Economic Development Representative (EDR) for assistance. EDR contact information is available on EDA's website and organized according to regional office: https://www.eda.gov/about/contact (searchable by state).

Copy of Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

As noted in EDA's Standard Terms and Conditions for Construction Projects (Construction ST&Cs), indirect costs are not applicable to construction awards.

If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include documentation to support the indirect cost rate they are using (unless claiming the 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, discussed below). The applicant must submit a copy of its current, approved, and negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). The maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect costs for which EDA will reimburse a recipient will be the lesser of the (i) line-item amount for the federal share of indirect costs contained in the EDA-approved budget for the award, or (ii) federal share of the total allocable indirect costs of the award based on either (i) the indirect cost rate approved by EDA (or applicable cognizant federal agency), provided that the cost rate is current at the time the costs were incurred and provided that the rate is approved on or before the award end date, or (ii) other acceptable documentation as indicated below.

If the applicant does not have a current or pending NICRA, it may propose indirect costs in its budget; however, the applicant must prepare and submit an allocation plan and rate proposal for approval within ninety calendar days from the award start date (unless claiming the 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, discussed below). See 2 CFR part 200 Apps. III, IV, V, VI, VII for guidance. The allocation plan and the rate proposal shall be submitted to EDA's Office of Regional Affairs (or the applicable cognizant federal agency). The applicant should include a statement in its Strategy Development Budget Narrative that it does not have a current or pending NICRA and will submit an allocation plan and rate proposal to EDA or the applicant's cognizant federal agency for approval.

In accordance with 2 CFR ¤ 200.414(f), an applicant that does not have a current negotiated or provisional NICRA, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of up to 15 percent of modified total direct costs (subject to the exceptions of ¤ 200.414(f)). No documentation is required to justify the de minimis indirect cost rate; however, an applicant electing to charge a de minimis rate must include a statement in its Budget Narrative that it does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate and is electing to charge the de minimis rate.

If the applicant is a state or local unit of government that receives less than $35 million in direct federal funding per year it may submit any of the following:

• a NICRA;
• a Certificate of Indirect Costs from the Department of the Interior (DOI) or EDA (See: https://www.eda.gov/sites/default/files/filebase/archives/2021/files/tools/grantee-forms/Certificate-of-Indirect-Costs-template.pdf);
• an acknowledgment received from EDA and a Certificate of Indirect Costs in the form prescribed at 2 CFR part 200, app. VII; or
• a Cost Allocation Plan approved by a federal agency (note that cost allocation plans or indirect cost rates approved by state agencies are not acceptable).

SPOC Compliance

This is required if a project's primary service area is located within one or more states that participate in the intergovernmental review process established by Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." See Appendix III.27 "SPOC Compliance" of this NOFO.

The current list of participating states and their single points of contact (SPOC) can be found at https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf. EDA strongly encourages applicants to contact SPOCs early in the application period to determine the relevant state's or states' processes.

Based on the applicant's state, EDA requires the following documentation:

3. Are there any submission deadlines?

For applications submitted under the Readiness and Implementation Paths, there are no submission deadlines. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing (rolling) basis until the replacement of this FY2025 Disaster NOFO, cancellation of this NOFO, or all available funds have been expended. EDA intends to review applications expeditiously upon receipt of a complete application.

The deadline for applications submitted under the Industry Transformation Path is 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Industry Transformation applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

E. Application Review and Selection Processes

Grant application submissions are subject to an initial technical review by EDA to ensure completeness of the application and compliance with all requirements.

Subsequently, EDA will establish an Investment Review Committees (IRC) to conduct an evaluation of complete applications and determine which projects to forward to the Selecting Official for final selection and funding.

1. Technical Review

Each application will receive an initial technical review to confirm eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness. An application may not be evaluated by the Investment Review Committee if:

1. The application package does not contain mandatory items (see section D.2).
2. The applicant is not an eligible entity (see section C.1).
3. The project fails to address program objectives and priorities (see section A.1).

EDA, in its sole discretion, may continue review of applications with minor defects that may be easily rectified or cured.

2. Investment Review Committee (IRC)

All complete applications will be evaluated by periodic Investment Review Committee (IRC) panels consisting of at least three federal employees. The IRC will deliberate the merits of each application based on the extent to which the application meets the evaluation criteria below. EDA may, in its discretion and including at the IRC's request, consult experts outside of EDA on the technical aspects of an application to assist the IRC in its evaluation. EDA may in some cases negotiate the scope and nature of certain projects to more closely align with the purpose of this NOFO or fit within funding limitations. The IRC will present the Selection Official with a recommended portfolio of applications in addition to recommendations on how to apply the selection factors discussed in section E.3 below.

For Industry Transformation applicants, while EDA will evaluate the portfolio of component projects within an application holistically, individual component projects within a proposed application may not get funded, and EDA expects in some cases to negotiate the scope and nature of certain component projects or the overall mix of projects, in order to more closely align with the purpose of the NOFO, ensure consistency and utility of each component project within the portfolio, or to fit within funding limitations. Individual component projects not funded may be funded under another EDA NOFO.

The IRC will evaluate complete applications, with specific evaluation criteria required for each (below).

a. Readiness Path projects

For Readiness Path projects, EDA will apply the evaluation criteria with each category weighted equally:

1. Disaster Recovery and Community Need - How well do you understand the community's disaster recovery needs?
   1. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the damage and economic impacts in the region due to the eligible natural disaster and pre-disaster economic conditions in the area.
   2. The extent to which the applicant has a preliminary idea of the post-disaster assets and interventions that could address disaster recovery in the region.
   3. The degree of economic distress experienced in the project area.
2. Project Strategy - How well does your project address your capacity needs to better prepare you to meet the community's needs in the future?
   1. The extent to which the proposal clearly identifies how the proposed activities prepare and increase capacity in the applicant organization or the region to identify, implement, and secure future funding for disaster recovery.
   2. The extent to which the project demonstrates strong community engagement including the responsiveness to public feedback and subsequent support from regional stakeholders (private, public, and nonprofit entities, etc.) so that the needs of all affected communities are considered in strategy development.
   3. The project's alignment with the regional CEDS or other CEDS equivalent EDA-accepted economic development strategy, including the extent to which the project is aligned with and integrated into other public or private investments currently ongoing or planned for the community and region. Note: this criterion is not applicable to Readiness projects for Strategy Development that propose foundational planning in regions that do not currently have a CEDS or CEDS equivalents.
   4. The project's demonstrated alignment with EDA's current Investment Priorities as outlined at https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities.
3. Feasibility - How likely is your project to succeed?
   1. The eligible entity's organizational and leadership capacity, including its capacity to engage necessary local partners and secure private-sector, public-sector, and philanthropic commitments.
   2. The extent to which the project budget and scope of work are efficient, realistic, and appropriate to the activities to be undertaken.
   3. The project's feasibility or likelihood that it will achieve its projected outcomes on the proposed schedule.
   4. The availability and committed nature of proposed matching funds necessary to complete the project.
4. Performance Goals and Measures of Success - How impactful will your project be and how will we measure your success?
   1. The project's milestones and indicators of success are ambitious, achievable, clear and measurable.
   2. The likelihood that the project can start quickly and the immediacy of its outcomes.
   3. The project is designed for long-term impact beyond the grant period.
   4. [For pre-development costs only]: The significance of the projected economic impact of the proposed future recovery project that the pre-development costs would support.

b. Implementation Path projects (construction and non-construction)

For Implementation Path projects, EDA will use the following evaluation criteria, with each of the categories weighted equally.

1. Disaster Recovery and Community Needs - How well do you understand the community's disaster recovery needs?
   1. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the damage and economic impacts in the region due to the eligible natural disaster and pre-disaster economic conditions in the area.
   2. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the assets and potential interventions that could address disaster recovery in the region.
   3. The degree of economic distress experienced in the project area.
2. Project Strategy - How well does your project address the community's disaster needs and this program's objectives?
   1. The extent to which the project strategy is clearly informed by regional assets, regional economic conditions pre and post disaster, and considers other investments, commitments, and regional activities.
   2. The proposed activities' potential to improve economic conditions for the region above and beyond pre-disaster levels.
   3. The extent to which the project demonstrates strong community engagement including the responsiveness to public feedback and subsequent support from regional stakeholders (private, public, and nonprofit entities, etc.) so that the needs of all affected communities are considered in strategy development.
   4. The project's alignment with the regional CEDS or other CEDS equivalent EDA-accepted economic development strategy, including the extent to which the project is aligned with and integrated into other public or private investments currently ongoing or planned for the community and region.
   5. The extent to which EDA's investment is necessary.
3. Feasibility - How likely is your project to succeed?
   1. The eligible entity's organizational and leadership capacity, including its capacity to engage necessary local partners and secure private-sector, public-sector, and philanthropic commitments.
   2. The extent to which the project budget and scope of work are efficient, realistic, and appropriate to the activities to be undertaken.
   3. The project's feasibility or likelihood that it will achieve its projected outcomes on the proposed schedule.
   4. The availability and committed nature of proposed matching funds necessary to complete the project.
4. Performance Goals and Measures of Success - How impactful will your project be and how will we measure your success?
   1. The significance of the project's impact on the region's recovery and future economic opportunities. This could be measured by the project's ability to: (1) to create or retain jobs, (2) generate private sector investment, and/or (3) positively impact other measures for economic growth (including, for example, growing the tax base or increasing the job market participation rate). For this criterion, jobs and private investment can be measured in the aggregate or in proportion to the area's relative population, and both are competitive.
      1. Note: For this evaluation criteria, projects that include letters of commitment from private sector entities or other regional stakeholders will be viewed as more competitive. See Appendix II for more information about commitment letters.
   2. The extent to which the project is responsive to the needs of communities impacted by the relevant disasters regarding disaster relief, long-term economic recovery, resilience to future disasters, and restoration and enhancement of infrastructure.
   3. The project's milestones and indicators of success are ambitious, achievable, clear, and measurable.
   4. The project is designed for long-term impact beyond the grant period.

c. Industry Transformation Path portfolios (construction and non-construction)

For Industry Transformation Path portfolios, EDA will use the following evaluation criteria. The category "Performance Goals and Measures of Success" will encompass one-third of the total weight, and the other categories will receive equal weight within the remaining two-thirds.

1. Disaster Recovery and Community Need - How well do you understand the region's needs and opportunities?
   1. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the damage and economic impacts in the region due to the eligible natural disaster and pre-disaster economic conditions in the region.
   2. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an understanding of the assets and potential interventions that could address disaster recovery in the region.
   3. The degree of economic distress experienced in the project region.
2. Project Strategy - How well does your project address the community's disaster needs and this program's objectives?
   1. The extent to which the project strategy is clearly informed by regional assets, regional economic conditions pre and post disaster, and considers other investments, commitments, and regional activities.
   2. The proposed activities' potential to fundamentally alter the economic trajectory for the region above and beyond pre-disaster levels.
   3. The extent to which the component projects are interrelated, complementary, and cohesive, creating a tightknit, logical, and impactful portfolio.
   4. The extent to which the project demonstrates strong engagement including the responsiveness to public feedback and subsequent support from regional stakeholders (both private and public entities).
   5. The extent to which the project demonstrates strong community engagement including the responsiveness to public feedback and subsequent support from regional stakeholders (both private and public entities) so that the needs of all affected communities are considered in strategy development.
   6. The project's alignment with the regional CEDS or other CEDS equivalent EDA -accepted economic development strategy, including the extent to which the project is aligned with and integrated into other public or private investments currently ongoing or planned for the community and region.
   7. The extent to which EDA's investment is necessary and could not be made by another private or public sector entity.
3. Feasibility - How likely is your project to succeed?
   1. The eligible entity's organizational and leadership capacity, including its capacity to engage necessary local partners and secure private sector, public sector, and philanthropic commitments.
   2. The extent to which the project budget and scope of work are efficient, realistic, and appropriate to the activities to be undertaken.
   3. The project's feasibility or likelihood that it will achieve its projected outcomes on the proposed schedule.
   4. The availability and committed nature of proposed matching funds necessary to complete the project.
4. Coalition Strength - How well prepared is your coalition?
   1. The leadership team and partnership have an effective leadership, decision-making, and accountability structure, and this is reflected in the plan for overall management and governance.
   2. The coalition includes key regional stakeholders (both private and public entities) and demonstrates a strong cohesive and sustainable team with solid organization, feedback, and communication mechanisms.
5. Performance Goals and Measures of Success - How impactful will your project be and how will we measure your success?
   1. The applicant clearly defines what transformation looks like for the region and how the project will accelerate industry and grow the regional economy. The project includes clear, measurable, ambitious, and achievable milestones and indicators of success. The most important measures of success are: (1) the dollar value of the secured private sector investment commitments and policy commitments, and/or (2) the number of jobs to be created or retained by the project and/or the relative impact of that number to the impacted area.
   2. The project is designed for long-term impact beyond the grant period.

3. Selecting Official's Decision

Applications recommended by the IRC and deemed fully compliant with applicable rules and regulations will be forwarded to the Selecting Official. The Selecting Official will make a final funding decision in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, or his/her delegee. The Selecting Official may select a project for funding that differs from the IRC's recommendations based on any of the following selection factors:

1. Responsiveness to the NOFO goals and/or priorities;
2. The extent to which the application meets the overall objectives of section 2 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3121);
3. The applicant's performance under previous federal financial assistance awards, including whether the grantee submitted required performance reports and data;
4. The availability of program funding;
5. The extent to which the project supports EDA's goals of geographic balance in distribution of program funds, organizational type (to include smaller and rural organizations), and the overall portfolio;
6. The relative rate of return of the project, including but not limited to consideration of private investment commitments and other economic impact data; and
7. The relative economic distress of the area and scale of disaster impact.

The final decision must be consistent with EDA's and DOC's published policies. Any time a Selecting Official makes a selection that differs from the IRC's recommendation, the Selecting Official will document the rationale for the decision in writing.

F. EDGE SYSTEMS ISSUES

Please review Appendix III.10, which covers EGDE system issues and alternatives to submission through EDGE.

G. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Please review the Appendices to this NOFO, which cover the following topics in detail:

1. Required Application Narratives
2. Investment/Policy Commitments Requirements [if applicable]
3. Additional Information on Application, Policy, and Legal Requirements

H. Appendices

APPENDIX I - Required Application Narratives

1. READINESS PATH - Impact and Engagement Narrative Requirements

The Impact and Engagement Narrative for the Readiness Path serves to answer specific questions about the impact of the proposed project. Each applicant under the Readiness Path should submit a narrative in accordance with the structure and prompts below, depending on the type of funding requested in your application. The narrative should not exceed 3 pages (11 point font, single spaced, 1-inch margins).

Section 1: Executive Summary (no more than 500 words)

Briefly summarize the proposed project and activities:

• Project Title
• Summary of overarching plan
• Proposed goals
• The proposed geographic region

Section 2: For all Readiness applications, applicants should clearly explain:

• How the proposed activities in their application will prepare the applicant organization and/or the community to apply for and/or implement future disaster recovery funding.
• What future disaster recovery funding the applicant or the community anticipates planning for or applying for.
  • Note: For long-term strategy planning proposals, it may be more appropriate to provide general plans for how a cohesive regional disaster recovery strategy will make the applicant or community more competitive for future categories of disaster recovery funding. In contrast, for short-term proposals intended to build capacity to apply for specific funding streams, applicants should identify their plans with an appropriate degree of specificity that reflects the state of their planning and strategy.
  • Note: If applicants intend to use Readiness funding to prepare to apply for or implement future funding under this Disaster NOFO, applicants should specifically reference any concurrent or follow-on funding requests under this NOFO.
• How the applicant incorporated community and stakeholder engagement into the applicant's proposal.
  • Describe in detail the community and stakeholder engagement that the applicant undertook. This includes but is not limited to who was engaged and how they were engaged.
  • Synthesize the feedback received.
  • Explain clearly how the applicant incorporated that feedback into the project plan.

In addition, depending on the type of Readiness funding requested (Strategy, Capacity, or Pre-Development Costs), applicants should answer the following questions as applicable.

Section 3: Strategy Development [if applicable]

For Strategy Development grants, applicants should answer the following question:

• What questions will the project seek to address?
• How will the completed plan or plans prepare the applicant organization and/or the community to apply for and/or implement future disaster recovery funding?

Section 3: Capacity Building [if applicable]

For Capacity Building grants, applicants should answer the following questions:

• How many full-time economic development, economic recovery, and/or disaster recovery staff are currently employed by the applicant?
• How will any new hire(s) funded by an EDA grant enhance the applicant's capacity to plan for, implement, and manage economic recovery projects in the future?
  • How does the applicant intend to deploy this additional staffing capacity? What roles, responsibilities, and deliverables will they be assigned to lead / manage?

Section 3: Pre-development Costs [if applicable]

For Pre-development Cost grants, applicants should answer the following questions:

• What economic recovery needs is the future recovery project intended to address?
• What is the status of the proposed future recovery project, and how will EDA-funded pre-development costs make the applicant more likely to successfully compete for or implement the future recovery project?
• What economic recovery needs is the future recovery project intended to address?
• What is the projected economic impact of the proposed future funding application? In other words, how would the proposed future project improve economic conditions above pre-disaster levels?
• How does (or will) the future recovery project align with the local or regional recovery strategy?

2. IMPLEMENTATION PATH - Impact and Engagement Narrative Requirements

The Impact and Engagement Narrative for the Implementation Path serves to answer specific questions about the impact of the proposed project. Each applicant under the Implementation Path should submit a narrative in accordance with the structure and prompts below. The narrative should not exceed 7 pages (11 point font, single spaced, 1-inch margins).

In their Impact and Engagement Narrative, each applicant under the Implementation Path should focus on developing a long-term impact and engagement plan for the execution of the proposed project and its outcomes. The plan, to be captured in the Impact and Engagement Narrative, should demonstrate how EDA funding for the proposed project, alongside other capital commitments and support, will not only help the target communities recover but also improve their economic outcomes and ultimately put them on a trajectory to exceed their previous pre-disaster baseline.

The plan should include both near-term actions that can be accomplished in the first year and a longer-term strategy to maintain, grow, and evolve capacity to translate into regional economic growth, engage key partners, and strengthen the region.

Specifically, the Impact and Engagement Narrative must include the following sections:

Section 1: Executive Summary (no more than 500 words)

Briefly summarize the coalition's overall vision for the proposed projects and activities and intended outcomes:

• Project Title
• Summary of overarching plan and approach for the coalition
• Proposed goals
• The proposed geographic region

Section 2: Disaster Impact

• Describe the economic conditions of the region prior to the disaster(s), which may include metrics such as:
  • Primary sectors, industries, businesses
  • Unemployment rate
  • Labor force participation rate
  • Average wages/salaries according to sector/position
  • County GDP
• Outline the disaster(s) that have affected the area and how they have created disruptions in the local or regional economy, including metrics such as:
  • Businesses damaged or destroyed
  • Resulting loss of employment, total jobs/positions
  • Resulting loss of wages and local/regional spending power, resulting impact on overall local/regional economy (actual and projected)
  • Post-disaster unemployment rate
  • Projected loss of productivity/profit by sector/industry

Section 3: Project Impact

• Provide a detailed explanation of how the completed project will both restore some aspect of pre-disaster economic conditions while also facilitating some amount of economic growth in excess of the economy's pre-disaster trajectory, e.g.,
  • What impacted economic sector or sectors is this project intended to support?
  • What specific aspects of disaster-related damage and/or destruction is this project intended to address? How does the project harden infrastructure and/or make the community better prepared to withstand future disasters or economic shocks?
  • How does proposed implementation project not only help the communities recover but also improves the community's economic outcomes and ultimately puts the community on a trajectory to exceed their previous pre--disaster economic conditions?
    • What outcome metrics does the applicant propose to evaluate the success of this intended outcome?

Section 4: Engagement

• Clearly describe how the applicant incorporated community and stakeholder engagement into the applicant's proposal.
  • Describe in detail the community and stakeholder engagement that the applicant undertook. This includes but is not limited to: who was engaged and how they were engaged.
  • Synthesize the feedback received.
  • Explain clearly how the applicant incorporated that feedback into the project plan.

Section 5: Commitments (if applicable)

• If the applicant proposes investment or policy commitments, see Appendix II for required information to show the top 8 commitments and the necessary documentation to document each commitment. Note: commitment letters and other documentation (such as Form ED-900B) do not count against the 7-page maximum for this narrative.

3. INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION PATH - Overarching Narrative Requirements

Each applicant under the Industry Transformation Path should submit an Overarching Narrative in accordance with the structure and prompts below.

For Industry Transformation applications, each eligible coalition should focus on developing a long-term, transformational strategy and execution plan that represents the collective vision of the coalition for the proposed component projects. The plan, to be captured in the Overarching Narrative, should demonstrate how EDA funding for component projects, alongside other capital commitments and support, will fundamentally accelerate the economic trajectory of a region adversely impacted by a disaster by establishing or accelerating the growth of an industry.

The plan should include both near-term actions that can be accomplished in the first year and a longer-term strategy to maintain, grow, and evolve capacity to translate into regional economic growth, engage key partners, and strengthen the region. Applicants should outline their coalition's plan for overall management and governance, including effective cross-institutional leadership and ensuring clear and effective decision-making and governance for the coalition.

The Lead Coalition Member should submit the Overarching Narrative, and the document should not exceed 10 pages (11-point font, single spaced, 1-inch margins).

Specifically, the Overarching Narrative must include the following sections:

Section 1: Executive Summary (no more than 500 words)

Briefly summarize the coalition's overall vision for the proposed projects and activities and intended outcomes:

• Project Title
• Summary of overarching plan and approach for the coalition
• Proposed goals
• The coalition's geography
• The coalition's members, and a short description of the role these members play in the coalition

Section 2: Disaster Impact

• Describe the economic conditions of the region prior to the disaster(s), which may include metrics such as:
  • Primary sectors, industries, businesses
  • Unemployment rate
  • Labor force participation rate
  • Average wages/salaries according to sector/position
  • County GDP
• Outline the disaster(s) that have affected the area and how they have created disruptions in the local or regional economy, including metrics such as:
  • Businesses damaged or destroyed
  • Resulting loss of employment, total jobs/positions
  • Resulting loss of wages and local/regional spending power, resulting impact on overall local/regional economy (actual and projected)
  • Post-disaster unemployment rate
  • Projected loss of productivity/profit by sector/industry

Section 3: Coalition and Stakeholders

• Identify the central leader of the project and why they are the appropriate fit to manage this project
• Identify core stakeholders in the implementation of the project and their role in the project
• Describe the steps that the coalition will take to organize and manage these component projects centrally and across projects
• Describe the steps that the coalition has taken to meaningfully engage regional stakeholders (both private and public entities) in the development and refinement of this project. Summarize the feedback and explain how the feedback has been incorporated in the plan
• Describe how the match, commitments, and the engagement on this proposal validate the need and effectiveness of this proposed EDA investment
• Describe the coalition's plan for overall management and governance, including cross-institutional leadership and ensuring clear and effective decision-making, accountability, and governance for the coalition

Section 4: Proposed Projects

• Identify the impacted economic sector or sectors the component projects are intended to support
• For each proposed component project, provide the following information:
  • Component project name
  • Identify the project in one of the following categories: construction or non-construction
  • The Component Project Lead organization and other key implementing entities
  • Description of the project
  • The timeline for implementation
  • The contribution to the overall success of the project and transforms the economy of the region post-disaster
  • Description of how it complements and reinforces other component projects
  • In detail, explain how the completed completion of the proposed component projects will both restore some pre-disaster economic conditions while also facilitating economic growth beyond the economy's pre-disaster trajectory
    • What outcome metrics does the applicant propose to evaluate the success of this intended outcome?

Section 5: Industry Transformation Project Impacts

• Each coalition should establish a clearly structured evaluation framework demonstrating how component projects will collectively lead to transforming the region's economy in the stated industry within an applicant-defined time horizon (e.g., X years)
• This information should be provided in the following table:

Section 6: Investment and Policy Commitments

• Applicants should detail the investment and/or policy commitments that support their project. Applicants must follow the format and requirements set forth in Appendix II (Investment and Policy Commitments), including the table. The applicant should include a total value of all commitments gathered through the Project (including those not listed in the required table of the top 8 commitments - see Appendix II).

• The applicant should compare the amount of EDA funding requested with the total value of all commitments to generate an approximate "rate of return" from EDA's investment. Applicants should express the rate of return as a percentage calculated as follows:

  Investment Commitments divided by EDA funding = Rate of Return

  Note: do not include matching funds in the calculation of investment commitment

  For example, if the applicant sought $20M in Industry Transformation funding and secured $100M in investment commitments, the return on investment would be 5.0 (i.e.: $100M / $20M = 5.0).

Note: all investment commitments should be supported by appropriate documentation, including but not limited to the investment commitment template letter in Appendix II. Applicants could choose to use Form ED-900B in lieu of the investment commitment template. Note: commitment letters and other documentation (such as Form ED-900B) do not count against the 10-page maximum for this narrative.

Section 7: Local or Regional Strategic Vision

At a high level, explain how the overall Industry Transformation Project reflect and align with the economic recovery priorities and objectives identified under applicable economic development planning, including (if appliable) a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) or CEDS-equivalent plan. Note: in Form ED-900 for each component project, the applicant will explain each component project's alignment to CEDS or CEDS-equivalent plan. If the geographic area of a project spans an area that encompasses multiple CEDS or CEDS-equivalent plans, note how the project is consistent with a broader multi-region strategy, which may include showing consistency with multiple CEDS.

Section 8: Feasibility

Explain how the portfolio of component projects will be able to succeed. This includes but is not limited to describing the following (with accompanying documentation, as applicable):

• Organizational capacity (e.g., relevant staff such as grants management SME(s), project managers, construction engineers, finance and accounting, etc.)
• Private Sector Participation (e.g., additional leveraged investment, other commitments of project support)
• Applicant's previous experience managing similar grant resources, implementing similar projects, and the results.
• Realistic project completion timeline that includes relevant, measurable milestones

APPENDIX II - Investment/Policy Commitments Requirements [if applicable]

Applicants for the Industry Transformation Path are required to demonstrate investment and/or policy commitments.[8] While not required for Implementation Path applicants, investment and/or policy commitments could make an application more competitive (see applicable evaluation criteria for more information). If submitting commitments, applicants should include a table listing the most meaningful commitments as instructed below and are encouraged to submit a letter for all commitments.

Note: these commitments are separate and apart from the required matching funds that the coalition is required to secure under section C.3 and Appendix III.1 of this NOFO.

1. Table-Top Commitments. The applicant's most meaningful commitments (as determined by the applicant team itself) from private sector entities; state, local, or other government sources; and nonprofit entities, including philanthropic organizations. Applicants may include up to 8 commitments in this table.

1. The "Source" column should identify the sector that the committing organization belongs to: Federal Government, state government, local government, nonprofit, private for-profit, philanthropy, or institution of higher education.
2. The "Type" column should indicate what type of commitment is being provided: Investment (cash), Investment (in-kind), or Policy.
3. The "Implementation" column should include an overview of how the commitment will be implemented, including start and end dates and responsible parties.
4. The "Outcome" column should include a brief description of the benefit or intended impact of the commitment.

2. Investment / Policy Commitment Template

All investment commitments (including those not listed in the table above) should be supported by appropriate supporting documentation, including but not limited to the commitment template letter below. Applicants could choose to use Form ED-900B form in lieu of the investment commitment template.

Note: supporting documentation for commitments is not included in the page limits for an applicant's required narrative (Impact and Engagement Narrative for the Implementation Path; Overarching Narrative for the Industry Transformation Path).

3. Investment Commitment Examples

• Investment commitments may be direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind). As feasible, investment commitments should include an accurate and quantifiable value. Investment commitments should also not only describe how and when funds are delivered but the benefit or result achieved from the investment.
  • Investment (cash) commitments may include, but are not limited to, direct contributions to a component project (not already counted as match), new upgrades to existing facilities, or a newly established fund for small businesses.
  • Investment (in-kind) commitments examples may include employee staff-time, consulting services, use of lab space, or software.

4. Policy Commitment Examples

EDA recognizes applicants may need to undertake new policies and programming to accelerate their target industry's growth and economic recovery. EDA will fund implementation strategies under this Disaster NOFO that are paired with commitments to institute creative and impactful economic policy changes that may not require EDA funding to implement. This Disaster NOFO offers maximum flexibility to fund or otherwise support new public and regional policies, and coalitions are encouraged to describe in applications the types of policy change they are considering, such as:

• commitments to streamline permitting, environmental, and other approvals at the state and local levels
• strategies to build local talent pipelines to increase the number of high-skilled workers and students retained in the region as workers and entrepreneurs
• commitments by industry to place workers trained
• commitments to develop new apprenticeship programs or hire a number of trained apprentices
• commitments to adopt hiring practices that identify and seek out the existing skills and talents of workers and remove barriers to quality jobs in the region, regardless of credentials or degrees, including, where appropriate, by considering eliminating four-year degree requirements
• commitments of endowments and other sources of regional capital to invest in regional companies focused on the target industry
• commitments to funding and implementing programs that expand the labor supply in the target industry by providing enabling services
• commitments, such as plans to remove regulatory barriers to better ensure housing availability, especially as the coalition accelerates its growth
• public and private institutions that create new leadership positions meant to accelerate regional economic competitiveness, particularly in the target industry
• anchor institutions such as firms, hospitals, and other local entities to work together to develop standardized hiring requirements for certain occupations
• private-sector commitments to recruitment in neighborhoods or geographies that have been severely impacted or damaged
• data sharing agreements between state and local agencies, as well as local service providers, to improve service delivery and support

EDA aims to provide maximum flexibility both in terms of what this Disaster NOFO can fund (but see ineligible projects in section A.4 above) as well as what constitutes a meaningful policy commitment. The above examples are not meant to be an exhaustive list. EDA encourages other creative ideas to shift the region's economic recovery strategies to promote faster, more aggressive economic growth and regional competitiveness in the target industry.

APPENDIX III - Additional Information on Application, Policy, and Legal Requirements

1. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirements

Funds for this funding opportunity must be used to carry out paragraph (c)(2) of section 209 of PWEDA, which provides, in relevant part, that EAA assistance may be provided for activities identified by communities, the economies of which are injured by "disasters or emergencies, in areas with respect to which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. ¤ 5121 et seq.), for post-disaster economic recovery." 42 U.S.C. ¤ 3149.

Once applicant and area eligibility are established, EDA generally expects to fund up to 80% of the eligible costs of such assistance. However, EDA's consideration of factors such as scale of the project, the extent of the impact of the relevant disaster on the region, total project cost, relative distress of the community, or geographic distribution of disaster funds, may cause EDA to fund projects at a grant rate that is lower than 80%. The remaining portion of the costs for the EDA scope of work must be borne by the recipient or provided to the recipient by a third party as a contribution for the purposes of and subject to the terms of the award.

In accordance with the agency's statutory authority under section 703 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3233), EDA may increase the investment rate up to a maximum of 100%. In determining whether to increase the federal share above 80%, EDA's Grants Officers will consider on a case-by-case basis whether the circumstances of the proposed project warrant a federal share in excess of 80%, including whether the applicant has exhausted its effective taxing or borrowing capacity, can otherwise document that no local matching funds are reasonably obtainable, or meets other thresholds for elevated need based on the overall economic situation of the region. The applicant is responsible for demonstrating to EDA that an enhanced grant rate is justified by providing statistics and other appropriate information on the nature and level of economic distress in the region, including information regarding other disaster-related needs facing the region and the level of resources available to address those needs.

EDA may also establish a maximum investment rate of up to 100% for projects of Indian Tribes.

Note: for applications under the Industry Transformation Path, the coalition must meet the overall matching share requirement, but the coalition may apportion the matching share as it deems appropriate across the cluster of projects. If individual component projects are subsequently not funded by EDA, the coalition may need to reapportion or find new sources of match.

2. Pre-award costs

Applicants who seek pre-award project cost reimbursement should work closely with the EDA representative for their state. For contracted pre-award costs to be eligible for reimbursement, the applicant must competitively procure services pursuant to the Federal government's procurement procedures. All pre-award costs will be considered for reimbursement only if an applicant receives an award and such costs are approved by EDA in writing. Under no circumstances will EDA or DOC be held responsible for application preparation expenditures, which are distinguished from pre-award project costs.

3. EDA's non-relocation policy

Applicants are advised that, should an application be selected for award, the recipient will be required to adhere to a specific award condition relating to EDA's non-relocation policy as follows:

In signing this award of financial assistance, Recipient(s) attests that EDA funding is not intended by the Recipient to assist its efforts to induce the relocation of existing jobs within the U.S. that are located outside of its jurisdiction to within its jurisdiction in competition with other U.S. jurisdictions for those same jobs. In the event that EDA determines that its assistance was used for those purposes, EDA retains the right to pursue appropriate enforcement action in accord with 2 CFR ¤¤ 200.339 through 200.343 and the Department of Commerce General Terms and Conditions of the Award, including suspension of disbursements and termination of the award, which may include the establishment of a debt requiring the Recipient to reimburse EDA.

For purposes of ensuring that EDA assistance will not be used merely to transfer jobs from one location in the United States to another, each applicant must inform EDA of all employers that constitute primary beneficiaries of the project assisted by EDA. EDA will consider an employer to be a "primary beneficiary" if:

(i) the employer is specifically named in the application as benefitting from the project, and the applicant estimates that the employer will create or save 100 or more permanent jobs as a result of the investment assistance (if the jobs in question were originally located in a smaller community, EDA may extend this policy to the relocation of 50 or more jobs); or

(ii) the employer is or will be located in an EDA-assisted building, port, facility, or industrial, commercial, or business park constructed or improved in whole or in part with investment assistance prior to EDA's final disbursement of funds.

4. Past performance and non-compliance with award provisions

Unsatisfactory performance under prior federal awards may result in an application not being considered for funding, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.206(b)(2)(iii). Failure to comply with any or all of the provisions of an award may have a negative impact on future funding by DOC (or any of its operating units) and may be considered grounds for any or all of the following actions:

• establishing an account receivable,
• withholding payments to the recipient under any DOC award(s),
• changing the method of payment from advance to reimbursement only,
• imposing other specific award conditions,
• suspending any active DOC award(s), and
• terminating any active DOC award(s).

5. Notice of government-wide procurement restriction

The general rule for federal financial assistance is that contractors that develop draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids, or requests for proposals are prohibited from competing for the final procurement. In accordance with 2 CFR ¤¤ 200.317 and 200.319, only states and Indian tribe recipients are expressly exempt from this prohibition; states and Indian tribes must follow the same policies and procedures they use for procurements from their non-federal funds.

Local governments may also take advantage of the exemption in two narrow circumstances if they are required to follow

• the state's procurement rules in full and without exception, or
• a specific state procurement rule that creates an explicit conflict with the prohibition in 2 CFR ¤ 200.319(b) (i.e., there is a statute that requires or permits the local government to award the final procurement to the same contractor that developed the draft specifications).

Absent one of these two scenarios, the local government must comply with the prohibition. Applicants are encouraged to contact the applicable EDA representative listed on EDA's website at https://www.eda.gov/about/contact (searchable by state) with any questions regarding application of this regulation.

6. Requirements for recipients with more than $10 million in federal-wide funding

As required by appendix XII to 2 CFR part 200, a recipient with more than $10 million in federal-wide funding must maintain the currency of information reported to SAM that is made available in the designated integrity and performance system (formerly FAPIIS) about civil criminal, or administrative proceedings.

7. Financial, performance, and outcomes reports

All recipients are required to submit progress reports and financial status reports generally no less than semi-annually, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant award. In addition, all recipients will be required to track and submit performance data on EDA-sponsored outputs and resulting outcomes, semi-annually and annually, respectively. All reports must be submitted in electronic format as specified in the terms of the award. Note: costs related to data and evaluation are allowable. EDA may also, for research purposes linked to improving economic outcomes, choose to share data with other federal partners, including but not limited to statistical agencies.

8. Funding opportunity changes communicated on Grants.gov

EDA may make changes or additions to this funding opportunity. All changes will be communicated on Grants.gov. It is recommended that applicants set up a Grants.gov account and subscribe to this funding opportunity ("EDA-DISASTER-2025") to be notified of any updates or changes. DOC or EDA may cancel, modify, or withdraw this funding opportunity at any time. EDA is not obligated to make any federal award or commitment because of this announcement.

9. Application package and submission

To obtain and submit an application through EDGE, an applicant must register for an EDGE account at sfgrants.eda.gov. As part of the registration process, you will register one Authorized Representative for your organization, however, multiple points of contact may be registered or added by the lead applicant to the application workspace to view or work on completing the application. The Authorized Representative will be the only official with the authority to submit applications.

The required electronic file format for attachments is text-searchable Portable Document Format (PDF) and, where appropriate, Microsoft Excel.

EDA intends to review each application promptly after receiving the complete application. EDA may request additional documentation or information from the applicant to make an eligibility or completeness determinations. EDA will reject any documentation that the agency determines is inaccurate or incomplete, which may cause the application to be rejected.

The Authorized Representative submitting the application and materials will receive a time and date-stamped email from EDGE confirming the submission and receipt of the application and other required documents. Applicants should save and print both the confirmation screen provided on EDGE after the applicant has submitted an application and the confirmation email sent when the application has been successfully submitted.

It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that your submission was submitted successfully through EDGE and to ensure that the submission was complete as to form and content.

10. EDGE system issues

If you experience a systems issue with EDGE (i.e., a technical problem or glitch with the webpage) that you believe threatens your ability to complete a submission, please:

• print any error message receive, and
• email the help desk at [email protected].

Please be sure to track your issue using a case number given to you by the help desk regarding their communications with EDGE. Please note that problems with an applicant's computer system or equipment are not considered systems issues. Similarly, an applicant's failure to do the following are not considered systems issues:

• complete the required registration,
• ensure that a registered authorized representative submits the application, or
• receive a notice receipt of an email message from EDGE.

An EDGE issue is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of the website itself, such as the temporary loss of service due to unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information technology systems, both of which are highly unlikely. In the event of a confirmed systems issue, EDA reserves the right to accept an application in an alternate format.

Applicants should go to sfgrants.eda.gov and click on the "Resources" page for assistance in navigating EDGE and for a list of useful resources.

11. Alternatives to Submission through EDGE

EDA will not accept paper, facsimile, or email transmissions of applications. An exception will be made to accommodate applicants who have accessibility requirements, and a paper version of the application may be obtained by contacting the appropriate Economic Development Representative for the state where the project will be located, under "Find Local Contacts" at https://www.eda.gov/contact/.

12. Audit requirements

Single or program-specific audits shall be performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the OMB Uniform Guidance (see 2 CFR part 200, Subpart F, "Audit Requirements"). The OMB Uniform Guidance requires any non-federal entity (e.g., nonprofit organizations, including nonprofit institutions of higher education and hospitals; states; local governments; and Indian tribes) that expends federal awards of $1,000,000 or more in the recipient's fiscal year to conduct a single or program-specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the OMB Uniform Guidance. Applicants are reminded that EDA or the DOC's Office of Inspector General (OIG) also may conduct an award audit at any time.

13. Build America, Buy America requirements

Projects funded under this funding opportunity are not subject to the Build America, Buy America Act because they are post-disaster expenditures pursuant to a major disaster or emergency declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistant Act. Per 2 CFR part 184, the Buy America Preference does not apply to expenditures for assistance authorized under section 402, 403, 404, 406, 408, or 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170a, 5170b, 16 5170c, 5172,5174, or 5192) relating to a major disaster or emergency declared by the President under section 401 or 501, respectively, of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191); or pre and post disaster or emergency response expenditures, which consist of expenditures for financial assistance that are authorized by statutes other than the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq., and made in anticipation of or response to an event or events that qualify as an "emergency" or "major disaster" within the meaning of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(1), (2).

14. Certifications required by annual appropriations acts for corporations and for awards over $5 million

As discussed in section D.1, all applicants are required to be registered in SAM before applying under this funding opportunity. SAM requires registering entities to certify compliance with all limitations imposed by annual appropriation acts.

For corporations, this certification includes that the corporation:

• was not convicted of a felony criminal violation under a federal law within the preceding 24 months, unless a federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the government, and/or
• does not have any unpaid federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless a federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the government.

For financial assistance awards in excess of $5 million, this certification includes that the entity:

• has filed all Federal tax returns required during the three years preceding the certification to the best of its knowledge and belief,
• has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and/or
• has not been notified, more than 90 days prior to certification, of any unpaid federal tax assessment for which the liability remains unsatisfied, unless the assessment is the subject of an installment agreement or offer in compromise that has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service and is not in default, or the assessment is the subject of a non-frivolous administrative or judicial proceeding.

15. Disclosures of information

For the purposes of achieving rigorous program evaluations, all applications (including those that are not selected for funding) may be shared with EDA staff, outside parties contracted by EDA for the purposes of evaluation, and other federal agencies. See Appendix III.21, Freedom of Information Act, for further information on disclosures of information.

16. Disclosures of violations

Recipients of financial assistance originating from the U.S. Department of Commerce, including EDA, shall timely disclose, in writing, to the OIG and awarding agency, whenever, in connection with the award, performance, or closeout of this grant or sub-award thereunder, the recipient has credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or sub-recipient has committed a violation of:

• federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code, or
• the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. ¤¤ 3729-3733).

17. Projects with EDA's substantial involvement

Possible examples of EDA's "substantial involvement" may include, but are not limited to:

• authority to halt immediately an activity if detailed performance specifications are not met;
• stipulation that the recipient must meet or adhere to specific procedural requirements before subsequent stages of a project may continue; and
• operational involvement and monitoring during the project to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

18. Federal award notices

Under this funding opportunity, EDA expects to notify applicants of its decision via email. If an application is selected for funding, the EDA grants officer will issue a signed grant award (Notice of Award), which is the authorizing financial assistance award document and includes the DOC Financial Assistance General Terms and Conditions (DOC GT&Cs at https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy) and specific award conditions. See also Appendix III.23.

By accepting the Notice of Award, the applicant agrees to comply with all award provisions. EDA will provide the Notice of Award to the applicant's Authorized Representative through EDGE. The applicant's Authorized Representative must review and accept the Notice of Award without modification by selecting "accept" in EDGE and EDA expects such acceptance will occur expeditiously, preferably within 30 calendar days of the date of receipt. Failure to accept the notice of award may be considered grounds for appropriate enforcement action pursuant to 2 CFR ¤ 200.339 ("Remedies for noncompliance"), including award termination.

If an applicant is awarded funding, neither DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with that award or to make any future awards. Amendment or renewal of an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is at the discretion of DOC and EDA.

EDA will provide written notice to all applicants informing them whether their application was selected for funding. EDA will retain unsuccessful applications in accordance with EDA's record retention schedule.

19. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a requirement for awardees of applicable federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or later. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all sub-awards over $30,000. Please see the OMB guidance published at 2 CFR part 170.

20. Fraud awareness training

Consistent with 2 CFR part 200, in signing a financial assistance award, recipient personnel responsible for managing the recipient's finances and overseeing any contractors, sub-contractors or sub-grantees, will be required to complete a training PowerPoint entitled "Compliance with EDA Program Requirements" and return the signed certificate of training completion to EDA as instructed by the agency. EDA staff will provide the PowerPoint after the decision to make an award is made. Further, recipient will be required to monitor award activities for common fraud schemes and report suspicious activity to EDA and the Office of Inspector General.

21. Freedom of Information Act

EDA may publish any applications it receives, including any supporting documentation, on its website or through other means.

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. ¤ 552), may be found at 15 CFR part 4, Public Information. These regulations set forth rules for the department regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity may be subject to requests for release under FOIA. If an application contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, Commercial, or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR ¤ 4.9, the Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business information contained in financial assistance applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.

22. Right to use information

The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the DOC in conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs.

For this purpose, applicant information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other federal employees, and also by federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-federal personnel, all of whom enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information.

As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2 CFR ¤ 200.303(e), applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.

23. General terms and conditions

Recipients of all non-construction EDA awards will be bound by the DOC GT&Cs applicable on the date of the award. The DOC GT&Cs may be accessed at the following website: https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.

Recipients of an RLF award will be bound by the DOC GT&Cs and the EDA RLF GT&Cs. The RLF GT&Cs may be accessed at under the header "RLF Award Conditions."

Recipients of an EDA construction award will be bound by EDA's Construction GT&Cs. The Construction GT&Cs may be accessed under the header "Key Rules and Laws."

Recipients of DOC financial assistance are obligated to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, in federally assisted programs or activities.

24. Government Performance and Results Act

EDA will require additional data on activities, outputs, and actual impact of the funded investment, in part to fulfill the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). EDA anticipates that recipients will be expected to track their engagement activities within the scope of work, with project beneficiaries, and other project stakeholders. EDA further anticipates recipients will be expected to collect data, using surveys of beneficiaries or clients if necessary, on the outputs, outcomes, and impacts of project activities, such as jobs created/retained, private investment attracted, the number of strategic plans or economic development tools developed, the number of new business partnerships formed, or the range of new capabilities acquired. EDA plans to collect this information using Forms ED-915 (Public Works, Economic Adjustment Infrastructure and Revolving Loan Fund Investments), ED-916 (Semi-annual Program Outputs Questionnaire for EDA grantees), ED-917 (Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees serving clients), and ED-918 (Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees). For more information, please refer to https://www.eda.gov/performance/gpra. EDA may also engage with leading research institutions to perform third-party program evaluations, which will require cooperation between the grantee, organizations within their service area, and the evaluating institution.

25. Incubators and accelerators requirements

In addition to the required forms listed above in section D.2, applications for a business technology, or other type of incubator or accelerator, must also include the following:

26. Office of Inspector General (OIG) rights and responsibilities

The DOC OIG seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the department's programs, including deterring and detecting fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. The OIG accomplishes this mission primarily through investigations, audits, and inspections of department activities, including grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and contracts.

a. Disclosures

Recipients of financial assistance originating from the U.S. Department of Commerce, including EDA, shall timely disclose, in writing, to the OIG and awarding agency, whenever, in connection with the award, performance, or closeout of this grant or sub-award thereunder, the recipient has credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or sub-recipient has committed:

(i) A violation of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code; or

(ii) A violation of the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. ¤¤ 3729-3733).

b. Reporting

The OIG maintains a hotline to receive allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse. To report such allegations, please visit https://www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Hotline.aspx. Upon request, the OIG will take appropriate measures to protect the identity of any individual who reports misconduct, as authorized by the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. Reports to the OIG may also be made anonymously.

c. Whistleblower Protection

Recipients, sub-recipients, and employees working on this grant award will be subject to the whistleblower rights and remedies established under 41 U.S.C. ¤ 4712.

An employee of a recipient or sub-recipient may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of: gross mismanagement of a federal contract or award; a gross waste of federal funds; an abuse of authority (i.e., an arbitrary and capricious exercise of authority that is inconsistent with the mission of NTIA or the U.S. Department of Commerce or the successful performance of a contract or grant awarded by NTIA or the Department) relating to a federal contract or award; a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or a violation of a law, rule, or regulation related to a federal contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant.

The recipient or sub-recipient shall inform its employees and contractors, in writing, in the predominant language of the workforce or organization, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. ¤ 4712, as described above and at https://www.oig.doc.gov/whistleblower/protection-program/.

27. SPOC Compliance

Applications submitted under this funding opportunity are subject to the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," if a state has adopted a process under EO 12372 to review and coordinate proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development (commonly referred to as the "single point of contact review process"). All applicants must give states and local governments a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the proposed project, including review and comment from area-wide planning organizations in metropolitan areas. To find out more about a state's process under EO 12372, applicants may contact their state's single point of contact (SPOC). Names and addresses of some States' SPOCs can be found at https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf. Question 19 of Form SF-424 allows applicants to demonstrate compliance with EO 12372.

An applicant seeking funding for a construction or RLF grant that is not a state, Indian tribe, or general purpose local governmental authority must afford the appropriate general purpose local governmental authority in the project region a minimum of 15 days to review and comment on the proposed project and provide with its application a statement of its efforts to seek comments and either (i) a copy of the comments received and a statement of any actions to address those comments or (ii) a statement that no comments were received.

See section D.2 of this funding opportunity for instructions on how to comply with this requirement.

28. Third party subrecipient vs. contractors

If a project requires or anticipates the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, vendors, and/or service providers), it is the applicant's responsibility to determine whether a third party should be characterized as a subrecipient or a contractor. The characterization must be reflected in the terms of each agreement made with each third party. (See 2 CFR ¤ 200.1 for definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient; see also 2 CFR ¤ 200.331, Subrecipient and contractor determinations.)

All subawards must receive EDA prior approval. If selected for award, and before initial disbursement of any funds by EDA for any costs incurred by a subrecipient, EDA may request documentation demonstrating that the subrecipient is an entity eligible to receive EDA assistance.

29. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements

Recipients of an EDA award will be bound by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) as set forth in 2 CFR part 200.

30. DOC pre-award notification requirements

DOC will apply the pre-award notification requirements for grants and cooperative agreements effective December 26, 2014, 79 Fed. Reg. 78,390. The pre-award notice may be accessed at the Government Printing Office (GPO) website.

31. Termination

In accordance with 2 CFR ¤ 200.340(a), this Federal award may be terminated in part or in its entirety as follows:

1. By DOC or the pass-through entity if the recipient or subrecipient fails to comply with the terms and conditions of this Federal award;
2. By DOC or the pass-through entity with the consent of the recipient or subrecipient, in which case the two parties must agree upon the termination conditions. These conditions include the effective date and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated;
3. By the recipient or subrecipient upon sending DOC or the pass-through entity a written notification of the reasons for termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. If DOC or the pass-through entity determines that the remaining portion of this Federal award will not accomplish the purposes for which this Federal award was made, DOC or the pass-through entity may terminate this Federal award in its entirety.
4. By DOC or the pass-through entity to the extent authorized by law, if the award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.

[1] See 42 U.S.C. ¤¤ 3149(c)(2), 3233. The regulations implementing the EAA program may be found at 13 CFR part 307. Please note that section 307.3 of EDA's regulations describes the differences between an EAA implementation grant and an EAA strategy grant. See also 42 U.S.C. ¤ 3149(b)(2) (EAA planning projects are not required to be carried out in an area with a CEDS or be consistent with an existing CEDS).

[2] EDA reserves right to move a component project proposed under the Industry Transformation Path to the Implementation Path in the event that the Industry Transformation portfolio is not going to be funded holistically.

[3] Congress appropriated $1,510,000,000 in total with up to 3% to cover EDA's administrative and oversight expenses, $10,000,000 going to the Delta Regional Authority, and $7,000,000 going to the Department of Commerce's Office of Inspector General.

[4] If EDA determines that an application is eligible for funding under another EDA NOFO (e.g., the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance NOFO), EDA may at its sole discretion transfer the application for processing from the original NOFO to another. EDA will document that the applicant is in compliance with the application requirements of the NOFO to which the application is transferred.

[5] Under section 3(10) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. ¤ 3122), the term "State" includes any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

[6] "Designated area" means any jurisdiction (State, Local, Tribal, or Territorial) that is included under a major (i.e., Stafford Act) disaster declaration.

[7] See also 13 CFR ¤ 301.3(a).

[8] Please note that while EDA strongly encourages and anticipates coalitions with a wide variety of engaged stakeholders, including from the private sector, only eligible applicants (see section C.1) may apply for and receive grant funds as recipients.