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Notice of Funding Opportunity

The previous FY23 NOFO covered the Austin and Denver regions and can be referenced here. The next NOFO will be published in FY26 and will cover the Chicago and Philadelphia regions.  Interested applicants should watch EDA’s website and social media for announcements about this opportunity. This page will be updated to reflect the details of the current NOFO. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement publishes EDA’s application submission requirements and review procedures for applications received under The University Center Economic Development Program, authorized in section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3147).

Funding Schedule

FY 2026 Chicago Regional Office Serves: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Muscatine and Scott counties in Iowa
  Philadelphia Regional Office Serves: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia
FY 2027 Atlanta Regional Office Serves: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
  Seattle Regional Office Serves: Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Republic of Palau, and Washington
FY 2028 Austin Regional Office Serves: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
  Denver Regional Office Serves: Colorado, Iowa (excluding Muscatine and Scott counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

Funding Amount

For FY 2023, EDA allocated approximately $8.4 million to the University Center program ($2.4 million for the first year of awards under this competition) under funding appropriated through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328). Annual awards for the University Centers selected in past years generally have been in the range of $80,000 to $200,000 each, and each participating region has generally made 8 to 10 awards. Regional Offices may choose to fund awards under this competition outside of these ranges. Subject to the availability of funding at the time of award, the funds allocated to the University Center program are anticipated to be available until expended.

Eligibility

An accredited institution of higher education, including a community college, junior college, tribal college, Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), or other Minority Serving Institution (MSI) that meets EDA’s eligibility requirements as an accredited institution of higher education, or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education is eligible to apply for and to receive funding under the University Center Economic Development Program.

Period of Performance

The awards will have a five-year period of performance, with an initial funding period of one year.

Matching Funds

Generally, the amount of an EDA award may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the project. Projects may receive an additional amount that may not exceed up to 30 percent of the total project cost, based on the relative needs of the Region in which the project will be located, as determined by EDA.

Reach out to Regional contact for more information!

Guiding Questions

Will my proposed project be competitive for University Center Program funding? Consider these questions while developing an application:

  • Do I have a clearly defined geographic service region?
  • Who are the key economic development stakeholders within my service region? What are their needs?
  • What regional strategies are currently being implemented in my service region?
  • What measurable activities can our institution carry out to address my service region’s defined needs?
  • What is my program focus? It’s okay to have more than one! Make sure you have a clear framework for achieving the goals of each program focus.
    • Regional commercialization efforts
    • Advancing high-growth entrepreneurship
    • Cultivating innovation
    • Encouraging business expansion in a region’s innovation cluster(s)
    • Developing a high-skilled regional workforce
    • Increasing the resiliency of a region
  • What kind of existing or potential partnerships does our institution have that could support and/or complement our work?
  • What are the anticipated economic impacts, benefits, and outcomes of my activities?
  • How do I communicate my institution’s capacity and experience to effectively operate a University Center?
  • How do I ensure my proposed project is sustainable beyond the defined period of performance?

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