Grant

August 16 - 20, 2021

EDA announced 10 investments from August 16-20, 2021, totaling $5,092,515, which is matched by $1,272,311 in local investments.  These investments include the following: (1) $3,213,515 in five Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes three projects for $2,269,470 that will help create 594 jobs, save 190 jobs, and leverage $10,600,000 in private investments; (2) $1,726,000 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to help communities design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change to their economy in response to structural damage to their underlying economic base, which includes one project for $1,332,000 that will help create 143 jobs, save 184 jobs, and leverage $10,700,000 in private investments; and (3) $153,000 in one Partnership Planning project to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

  • $3,213,515 in five Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $798,311 in local investments, as follows:
    • $915,120, matched by $228,780 in local investment, to the Nevada System of Higher Education/University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas/Clark County, Nevada, to support the Nevada System of Higher Education, University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) with enhancing the UNLV Hospitality and Entertainment COVID-19 Labs to serve as an innovation center for key regional businesses in Clark County, Nevada.  Located in a designated Opportunity Zone, the project will support resiliency and revitalization of key Las Vegas sectors through supplying innovation labs with technical software, providing businesses with an assistance program that includes expert counseling, and opening the labs to small and medium-size businesses in need.  Once implemented, the project will provide businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic with feedback, testing, and coordination necessary to be resilient in future disruptions, which will help promote long-term prosperity and growth throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 13 jobs and save 120 jobs.
    • $762,350, matched by $260,520 in local investment, to Generation West Virginia, Charleston/Kanawha County, West Virginia, to support Generation West Virginia with the expansion of the New Force on-line learning program for the training and placement into high-tech software development positions with an emphasis on remote workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Charleston, West Virginia.  The program will train 96 participants in the first three years, placing at least 81 of these in high paying living wage positions to assist West Virginia with COVID-19 recovery and resiliency efforts.  Once implemented, the project will benefit a nearby Opportunity Zone, create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy in an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 81 jobs and leverage $600,000 in private investment.
    • $644,045, matched by $161,011 in local investment, to the University of South Alabama, Mobile/Mobile County, Alabama, to support the consolidation of the Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing (LAM) through the renovation of facilities and equipment purchase to create an additive manufacturing laboratory and research hub on the University of South Alabama's campus.  The LAM will provide prototyping services to industries in the region, and nationally, collaborating on research into new uses of additive manufacturing including prototyping of low-cost parts for repairs in a timely manner and exploring the new area of cyber-protection in additive manufacturing processes.  LAM will also provide training services on the equipment and provide workforce development through a certificate program including undergraduate and graduate education.  Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic and provide training in the engineering of 3D printing for PPE and other emergency supplies, which will help strengthen the regional economy and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $592,000, matched by $148,000 in local investment, to the Future of Nursing West Virginia, Charleston/Kanawha County, West Virginia, to support the Future of Nursing West Virginia with expanding the successful West Virginia Nursing Entrepreneur Program, to serve the entire state of West Virginia.  The state-wide expansion of this entrepreneur assistance program will enable nurse practitioners to open businesses to assist with COVID-19 recovery efforts within a designated Opportunity Zone.  Once completed, the project will help diversify the regional economy and support workforce development in the healthcare industry, which will bolster job creation and advance economic resiliency throughout an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 500 jobs, save 70 jobs, and leverage $10,000 in private investment.
    • $300,000, with no local match, to the Navajo Nation, Window Rock/Apache County, Arizona, to support the Navajo Nation with developing and implementing a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to include economic recovery planning because of economic dislocations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Window Rock, Arizona.  The project will provide the resources needed to focus on both short-term and long-term strategies for a more resilient and sustainable region as well as enable the region to have a strategic approach based on regional visioning, goals, measurable objectives and prioritized action.  Once implemented, the CEDS will assist the region with recovery efforts from the pandemic and help build resiliency from future economic disruptions.
  • $1,726,000 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $474,000 in local investments, as follows:
    • $1,332,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $348,000 in local investment, to Advantage Valley, Inc./Putnam County Economic Development Administration/Capital Area Development Corporation, and Our Jobs, Our Future, dba Huntington Area Development, Charleston/Kanawha County, West Virginia, to support Advantage Valley, Inc. with addressing the economic and social impact of coal community diversification through an Emerging Markets Initiative that will connect manufacturing, engineering, legal and accounting businesses with new external markets in Charleston, West Virginia.  The project will provide local businesses with a more diversified set of customers and revenue base to mitigate the economic shock that they have experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the decline of the coal industry.  This will lead to new jobs, services, and supply chain connections.  The new initiative is designed to facilitate increased revenue, job creation, and private investment for businesses in the region, at least 10% of which will be in Opportunity Zones, to help address operational and workforce issues that companies may be experiencing.  Once implemented, the project will create jobs, advance economic resiliency, and attract private investment.  The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 143 jobs, save 184 jobs, and leverage $10,700,000 in private investment.
    • $200,000, matched by $75,000 in local investment, to Valley Vision, Inc./Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento/Sacramento County, California, to support the development of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to promote capacity-building across the six-county region in Sacramento, California, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The project will integrate critically needed COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery strategies and actions to help build resiliency from future economic disruptions, which will help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
    • $128,000, matched by $32,000 in local investment, to the Great Basin Institute, Reno/Washoe County (Project: Ely/White Pine County), Nevada, to support the Great Basin Institute with creating the Toiyabe Trails Institute in response to the significant economic, educational, and workforce impacts resulting from the COVID19 pandemic.  The project will assess the feasibility and develop the implementation plan for the Institute and a trail building training program that prepares students for private sector jobs and careers in trail building planning, design, and management, outdoor recreation infrastructure construction, and other trail and outdoor recreation-oriented career paths.  Once completed, the project will help increase the regional workforce, attract new businesses, and advance economic resilience throughout the region.
    • $76,000, matched by $19,000 in local investment, to the Bel-O-Mar Regional Council, Wheeling/Ohio County, West Virginia, to support the Bel-O-Mar Regional Council with conducting a feasibility study of remote workers and employers required to help prioritize development efforts to create jobs and private investment in Wheeling, West Virginia.  The study will provide a plan to create jobs for West Virginians in remote work fields, especially in the technology sectors related to advanced manufacturing, agriculture, medicine, law, logistics, creative industries, marketing communications, and other areas of entrepreneurship.  Once implemented, the project will create and retain high paying jobs, attract private investment, and increase economic resiliency to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
  • $153,000 in one Partnership Planning project, with no local match, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS).  The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.