EDA Chicago FY 2016–FY 2019 Planning Program and Local Technical Assistance Program

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) in Chicago announced plans for their Planning Program and Local Technical Assistance Program for the fiscal years 2016 to 2019. Under these programs, the EDA provides grant-based financial support to eligible organizations to help with economic development planning and technical assistance.

The Planning Program focuses on helping eligible recipients, such as District Organizations and Indian Tribes, create regional economic development plans. The goal of these plans is to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of a regional area. The EDA particularly helps to facilitate the development, implementation, revision, or replacement of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS).

Through CEDS, recipients can articulate and prioritize their strategic economic goals. EDA primarily provides these Partnership Planning grants to designated planning organizations like District Organizations and Indian Tribes serving EDA-designated Economic Development Districts. This funding assists these organizations in developing and implementing their respective CEDS.

Additionally, the Planning Program includes Short Term and State Planning investments. The aim of these investments is to guide the creation and retention of high-quality jobs, particularly for those who are unemployed or underemployed in the nation's most economically distressed regions.

Meanwhile, the Local Technical Assistance Program helps strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations, higher education institutions, and other eligible recipients. By sponsoring feasibility analyses, impact studies, and other such projects, it boosts these organizations’ ability to initiate and promote effective economic development programs.