The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s investment policy is designed to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and the building of durable regional economies throughout the United States. This foundation builds upon two key economic drivers – innovation and regional collaboration. Innovation is key to global competitiveness, new and better jobs, a resilient economy, and the attainment of national economic goals. (EDA mission)
EDA American Rescue Plan programs have closed, due to the tremendous response.
Find information on previous EDA programs on the EDA website.
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Northwest Indiana EDA Economic Development District (EDD)
NIRPC is the administrator of the EDA Economic Development District for Northwest Indiana. Communities and organizations in Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties interested in seeking funding from the EDA are encouraged to contact:
Denarie Kane, Economic Development District Coordinator
dkane@nirpc.org / (219) 985-3368
Darrin J. Fleener, Economic Development Representative
dfleener@eda.gov / (312) 405-8521
EDA Funding Programs
Empowers distressed communities to revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local economies, and generate or retain long-term, private sector jobs and investment.
Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
Assists state and local interests in designing and implementing strategies to adjust or bring about change to an economy. The program focuses on areas that have experienced or are under threat of serious structural damage to the underlying economic base.
Supports local organizations with short and long-term planning efforts.
Local Technical Assistance Program
Helps fill the knowledge and information gaps that may prevent leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors in distressed areas from making optimal decisions on local economic development issues.
Research and Evaluation Program
The RNTA program funds research, evaluation, and national technical assistance projects that promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories.
EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates funding to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector.
Investment Priorities
EDA’s investment priorities provide an overarching framework to ensure its grant investment portfolio – ranging from planning to infrastructure construction – contributes to local efforts to build, improve, or better leverage economic assets that allow businesses to succeed and regional economies to prosper and become more resilient. Competitive grant applications will be responsive to the evaluation criteria listed under each individual funding announcement, including at least one of the investment priorities.
EDA Investment Priorities Definitions
- Equity
- Recovery & Resilience
- Workforce Development
- Manufacturing
- Technology-based Economic Development
- Exports & Foreign Direct Investment