Economic Development Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce
Financing
Services: Incentive and Financial Resource Programs
Contact: Darin Fleener, Economic Development Representative for Michigan- Minnesota & Wisconsin
Address: 230 S Dearborn St 3280, Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 517.447.4253
Email: dfleener@eda.gov
Description:The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was established under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 3121), as amended, to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the Nation experiencing high unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress.
In fulfilling its mission, EDA is guided by the basic principle that distressed communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies. Based on these locally- and regionally-developed priorities, EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes.
EDA helps distressed communities address problems associated with long-term economic distress, as well as sudden and severe economic dislocations including recovering from the economic impacts of natural disasters, the closure of military installations and other Federal facilities, changing trade patterns, and the depletion of natural resources.
EDA Investment Programs:
PublicWorks and Economic Development Program
Public Works and Economic Development investments help support the construction or rehabilitation of essential public infrastructure and facilities necessary to generate or retain private sector jobs and investments, attract private sector capital, and promote regional competitiveness, including investments that expand and upgrade infrastructure to attract new industry, support technology-led development, redevelop brownfield sites and provide eco-industrial development.
EconomicAdjustment Assistance Program
The Economic Adjustment Assistance Program provides a wide range of technical, planning and infrastructure assistance in regions experiencing adverse economic changes that may occur suddenly or over time. This program is designed to respond flexibly to pressing economic recovery issues and is well suited to help address challenges faced by U.S. regions and communities.
Research and NationalTechnical Assistance
The Research and National Technical Assistance Program supports research of leading, world class economic development practices, and funds information dissemination efforts.
Local Technical Assistance
The Local Technical Assistance Program helps fill the knowledge and information gaps that may prevent leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors in economically distressed regions from making optimal decisions on local economic development issues.
Planning Program
The Planning Program helps support planning organizations, including District Organizations and Indian Tribes, in the development, implementation, revision or replacement of comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS), and for related short-term planning investments and State plans designed to create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the nation’s most economically distressed regions.
University Center Economic Development Program The University Center Economic Development Program is a partnership between the Federal government and academia that helps to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to economic development communities.
TradeAdjustment Assistance for Firms Program
EDA administers the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program through a national network of eleven Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers to help manufacturing and production firms, which have lost domestic sales and employment due to increased imports of similar or competitive goods, become more competitive in the global economy.
Economic Development Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce serves the Northland, Arrowhead, Duluth MN Superior WI MSA, Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Douglas, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis county areas.
