U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Pandemic Economic Recovery Planning Efforts in Underserved Communities Across the Southeast

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding an $800,000 grant to the International Economic Development Council, Inc., (IEDC) Washington, D.C., to support pandemic economic recovering planning effort in communities throughout the southeast. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

The investment will allow IEDC to provide customized, capacity-building technical assistance services for up to twelve communities severely impacted by COVID-19 across multi-county regions in four states, specifically the State of North Carolina (100 counties), north-central Florida (19 counties), southern Georgia (31 counties), southern and southwestern Mississippi (25 counties), and south-central, southern, and southwestern Alabama (20 counties). This project is funded through EDA's American Rescue Plan Act allocation. The EDA investment will be matched with $200,000 in local funds.

“The Economic Development Administration and the International Economic Development Counsel have a strong partnership and have frequently collaborated to ensure that disaster-impacted communities have the resources they need to recover and build a better

America,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “IEDC will prioritize communities with the most severe ongoing COVID-19 impacts with demonstrated inequality and lack of access to resources, ensuring alignment with EDA’s equity and recovery and resilience funding priorities.”

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.