December 7, 2020
Do you have infrastructure projects that will create jobs? Our Economic Development team can assist!
The Economic Development Administration
(EDA) is the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development. They have invested billions of dollars in regional efforts to spur economic growth through infrastructure development, cheaper financing for small businesses, and projects to help guide regions towards growth.
One of their primary funding avenues is the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (PWEAA). These programs provide economically distressed communities and regions with comprehensive and flexible resources to address a wide variety of economic needs. Projects funded by these programs will support work in Opportunity Zones. They will support the EDA mission, among other things, leading to the creation and retention of jobs and increased private investment, advancing innovation, enhancing the manufacturing capacities of regions, providing workforce development opportunities, and growing ecosystems that attract foreign direct investment.
The EDA will consider applications for the PWEAA Program if it is a project the will have some guaranteed job creation or private investment. The EDA prides itself in keeping their investment dollars per job created low, and their ratio of private investment to EDA investment high. What does that mean? The EDA averages $13,000 per job created, and $15 of private investment for every $1 of EDA investment.
If you have any infrastructure projects that will create jobs, our Economic Development team
can assist you by developing a project summary for our local EDA representative, Jason Wilson, to review. He provides valuable assistance and insight into if the project is of interest to the EDA and how to make the project more competitive. Moving forward, our team can assist members with walking you through applying with the EDA, so you know what information you need to gather and that it is presented most compellingly on your application.
Please contact us if you have an idea for a project. The EDA application for funding is one of the most straightforward applications for federal assistance that you will ever find. The worst that can happen is they say, “no thanks.” The best? You could receive up to $1.5 Million as a 50% match towards your infrastructure project.
Let us know what you are working on, and we will see where there may be a funding source that we can help you secure!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development launched a new Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool, which has been integrated into Rural Development’s Eligibility site. This site now directs users to an eligibility mapping tool for the following programs: Community Facilities Electric OneRD Guarantee Rural Business and Cooperative Services Water and Environmental Programs The Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool enables user flexibility in determining programmatic eligibility based on their location across multiple programs simultaneously. USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site: https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do USDA Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool (direct link): https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3c2f6c9581bb4f06a4ab68df8f34b0be This consolidated view of eligibility represents a significant modernization in how Rural Development assesses and communicates program eligibility. By centralizing eligibility checks, utilizing current geospatial technology and adhering to modern data governance standards, the tool significantly reduces staff workload and improves engagement with rural communities. This initiative supports Rural Development’s mission to provide efficient, transparent and accessible services while ensuring compliance with federal requirements and maintaining consistency with existing eligibility data sources.
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on March 12th to hold a TxCDBG Regional Outreach Meeting. Join us to hear a TxCDBG grant program overview of requirements, allocation formula, upcoming funding opportunities, and TDA's one-year action plan. Eligible applicants in our region are all non-entitlement communities, which include all of our cities with the exception of Tyler, Marshall, and Longview. When Thursday, March 12, 2026 10:00 AM Where ETCOG Headquarters 3800 Stone Road Kilgore, TX 75662 Please RSVP your attendance !
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on November 30th to hold a TxCDBG Kickoff Meeting. Join us to hear about grant allocations planned for our region and an overview of proposed changes to the application process.
