Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete)
The Recompete Pilot Program will invest in economically distressed communities to create and connect people to good jobs. This program aims to create renewed economic opportunity in communities that have for too long been forgotten. The program targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment significantly trails the national average, with the goal to close this gap through large, flexible investments.
On August 5, 2024, the Department of Commerce announced awards for six communities that were Finalists in Recompete (Phase 1). The awards – totaling $184 million – will support implementing innovative strategies to create good-paying jobs and economic growth in some of the most economically distressed places in the country. Awardees will each receive between $20 and $40 million to fund 5-8 projects tailored to their unique community needs.
Authorized for up to $1 billion in the CHIPS and Science Act, the Recompete Program received $200 million in initial appropriations for the 2023-2024 competition.
Recompete Awardees & Finalists
The six awardees were selected from a highly competitive group of 22 Finalists. The two-phase program saw an unprecedented 565 (Phase 1) applications, requesting more than $6 billion in funding. The Finalists, announced in December 2023, represented urban, rural, and Tribal communities spanning 20 states and Territories. Finalists identified an integrated set of projects to improve their communities through workforce training, wraparound services, critical infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and small business supports and governance.
Also, in December 2023, EDA awarded 24 Strategy Development Grants to Recompete applicants to enable communities to significantly increase local coordination and planning activities. This funding represented an investment in readiness and local capacity-building.
Blog Posts
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How the Recompete Pilot Program Meets the Unique Needs of Rural American Communities (August 9, 2024)
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Recompete Finalists Submit Visions for Rebuilding Economic Opportunities (July 25, 2024)
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Recompete Pilot Program is Critical to U.S. Economic Policy (April 17, 2024)
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Summary of Recompete Request for Information (RFI) Responses (February 23, 2023)
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Summary of Tribal Consultation Responses (April 1, 2023)
Competition Resources
About the Recompete Pilot Program
The Recompete Program was enacted as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program). The statute authorized $1 billion for the program over 5 years. As part of the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress appropriated EDA $200 million to launch the program. This program provides grants to alleviate persistent economic distress, support long-term comprehensive economic development and job creation in eligible areas outlined in the statute.