Austin FY 2021 – FY 2023 EDA Planning and Local Technical Assistance
🏛 Department of Commerce
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for economic development planning and technical assistance in distressed U.S. regions. Eligible applicants include District Organizations, Indian Tribes, state/local governments, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations working with government officials. Activities include developing comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS), feasibility studies, impact analyses, and disaster resiliency plans. Cost-sharing is required; awards up to $300,000 are available for planning and technical assistance projects.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Program description
UPDATED NOTICE – PLEASE READ: April 6, 2023
EDA is excited to announce the launch of its new grants management platform: the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE). EDGE was developed to streamline the application and grants management process by implementing a single platform with increased transparency, improved user experience, higher data quality, and more efficiency throughout the entire grant lifecycle.
As of April 6th, 2023, applications can no longer be submitted on Grants.gov, and will ONLY be accepted through EDGE. To apply in EDGE, please go to: sfgrants.eda.gov. More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO.
PARTNERSHIP PLANNING program instructions: Please note that applicants will be invited to submit applications through EDGE for the Partnership Planning program. For more information, please reach out to your EDA point of contact.
Program Description:
EDA makes planning and local technical assistance investments to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States.
Under the Planning program, EDA makes Partnership Planning, Short-Term Planning, and State Planning awards to eligible recipients to create and implement regional economic development plans designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region. More specifically, EDA makes Partnership Planning investments to designated planning organizations (i.e., District Organizations) serving EDA-designated Economic Development Districts and to Indian Tribes to facilitate the development, implementation, revision, or replacement of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS), which articulate and prioritize the strategic economic goals of recipients’ respective regions. EDA also makes Short-Term and State Planning awards for economic development planning activities that guide the eventual creation and retention of high-quality jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the Nation’s most economically distressed regions.
Under the Local Technical Assistance program, EDA makes awards to strengthen the capacity of local or State organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities to undertake and promote effective economic development programs through projects such as feasibility studies, impact analyses, disaster resiliency plans, and project planning.
**Please note: While the published Notice of Funding Opportunity (available under “Related Documents”) states that the ED900A form and the SF424B form are both required for a complete application, these forms are no longer required and have therefore been removed from the package template.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Proposal
- Detailed Budget and Budget Narrative
- Evidence of Cost-Sharing/Match
- Regional Economic Development Plan or CEDS (if applicable)
- Letters of Support from Partners/Local Government
Program contact
- 👤 Bernadette Grafton Program Analyst
- 📞 202-482-2917
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 11.303 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$990,000
-
$824,956
-
$709,000
-
$708,000
-
$708,000
-
$668,000
-
$661,200
-
$652,388
-
$641,527
-
$585,000
Top States by Funding
- CA 5 awards $1.9M
- TX 6 awards $1.7M
- NM 4 awards $1.5M
- MN 2 awards $1.5M
- IN 3 awards $1.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 11.303). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $12,640,729 | |
| 2025 | $504,525 | |
| 2026 est. | $10,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
District Organizations, Indian Tribes, states, cities, counties, higher education institutions, and nonprofits partnering with government entities are eligible. Applicants must serve economically distressed areas.
How do I apply?
Applications are submitted through EDGE (sfgrants.eda.gov), not Grants.gov, as of April 2023. Check the full NOFO for detailed submission instructions.
What activities are funded?
Planning grants support regional economic development strategies and CEDS development. Technical assistance funds feasibility studies, impact analyses, disaster resiliency planning, and project planning.
What is the funding amount?
Awards go up to $300,000, though specific amounts vary. Cost-sharing is required as part of the match.
When is the deadline?
This is a rolling opportunity with no fixed deadline. Monitor EDA's website for periodic funding rounds.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate how your project supports job creation and economic resiliency in a distressed region. Clearly link activities to regional economic goals.
- Develop strong partnerships with local government and community stakeholders. Show coordinated support for your planning or technical assistance work.
- Use the required cost-sharing match strategically. Show in-kind contributions and committed partner funding to demonstrate local investment.
- Address how your project builds organizational capacity. Emphasize long-term economic development outcomes, not just short-term activities.
- Create a detailed project timeline and realistic budget narrative. EDA scrutinizes planning budgets closely for efficiency and appropriateness.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak regional context and failure to demonstrate distress in the target area. Vague or unfocused economic development strategies without measurable goals. Insufficient cost-sharing documentation or unclear partner commitments.
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