Chicago FY 2021 – FY 2023 EDA Planning and Local Technical Assistance

The Chicago FY 2021 – FY 2023 EDA Planning and Local Technical Assistance grant program is extending its application process through a new platform called the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE), as of April 6, 2023. The introduction of EDGE is aimed at enhancing the application process and management of grants by offering a more efficient, transparent system with higher quality data and a superior user experience.

From this date, applications must be submitted exclusively via EDGE, as submissions through Grants.gov will no longer be accepted. Interested applicants can submit their entries through the website sfgrants.eda.gov as advised in the full NOFO.

The grant will continue to be available for applicants applying for the Partnership Planning program via EDGE. For further details, applicants are advised to consult with their EDA point of contact.

EDA funds planning and local technical assistance initiatives to support economic development, promote job generation, and encourage private investment in economically troubled regions across the United States. Under the Planning program, EDA provides Partnership Planning, Short-Term Planning, and State Planning awards to eligible recipients. These funds help them develop and execute regional economic development plans to boost capacity and guide the economic stability and growth of an area or region.

Specifically, the EDA's Partnership Planning investments are intended to assist planning organizations in creating, implementing, or modifying comprehensive economic development strategies that define and prioritize the strategic economic objectives of the region.

EDA also offers Short-Term and State Planning awards to guide the eventual creation and preservation of quality jobs, targeting primarily the unemployed and underemployed in the most economically disadvantaged regions. Furthermore, under the Local Technical Assistance program, the EDA gives awards to bolster the capability of local or State organizations, higher education institutions, and other eligible entities to deliver and promote effective economic development programs through feasibility studies, impact analyses, disaster resiliency plans, and project planning.

It is important to note that, despite previous notifications stating the ED900A form and the SF424B form as a requirement for a complete application, these forms are no longer necessary and have been eliminated from the package template.