June 21, 2021
ETEDD News and Upcoming Grant Opportunities

This blog highlights some ETEDD developments, upcoming grants, and funding opportunities that ETEDD staff can help you tap into.

Broadband Planning Initiative
The ETEDD team is proud to share that we are well on our way to developing 42-70 broadband projects in East Texas. With the help of our counties, EDCs, cities, and broadband providers, we have completed the mapping work in 12 of our 14 counties. We are already working on engineering and budgets for five identified projects in Wood County, have identified up to five projects in each of six more counties, and have completed all of our initial project identification meetings in all but one county. This work is a critical component of broadband development in East Texas as broadband grant opportunities are already available. We will need engineered and budgeted projects to be eligible for those grant dollars.

The ETEDD would like to recognize Wood County and the Wood County EDC for their efforts to bring five potential areas needing broadband development. They are well on their way to having grant applications in by the end of the summer.

New Board Members
The ETEDD is proud to announce that it has three new board members. Rush Harris of the Marshall EDC, James Hubbard of the Jacksonville EDC, and Jana Russell of the Kilgore EDC have all joined the board of the Economic Development District. With an entirely new staff and some new board members joining the fray, we are excited for the future of the Economic Development District and the value that we can bring to East Texas Cities, EDCs, and rural areas.

Our Team

Chuck Vanderbilt

Community & Economic Development Manager

Lynda David

Economic Development Specialist

Daniel Seguin

Regional Disaster Economic Recovery Coordinator

We would like to hear from you about projects that you are working on in your area or ideas about how the ETEDD can better serve the region; please do not hesitate to reach out to Lynda – 903.218.6457 or Lynda.David@ETCOG.org.


As highlighted in the past, the ETEDD can help you find funding opportunities for City, EDC, or County initiatives, small businesses moving to the region, and non-profit industries. Below are some funding opportunities that are currently open or will be opening soon. Please take a look and reach out to us if you have a project and are looking for grant or loan funding sources.

More News

  • SBA 504 Low Fixed-Interest Loans

    If you haven’t worked with this loan program before, you may be pleasantly surprised at the terms. SBA 504 loans come in at historic low fixed rates for up to 25 years. This is a fantastic tool to help existing small businesses in your area refinance or consolidate debt, reduce debt service, and increase cash flow on fixed assets. In addition, it is excellent for assisting startups in getting a building and major equipment for their new business. Lastly, it is a helpful tool for companies looking to expand your city and finance that expansion.


    Other organizations in the region also offer these loans, but we have the smallest application fees and servicing fees (we charge the minimum SBA allows). For more information, please call or email Chuck – 903.218.6411 or Chuck.Vanderbilt@ETCOG.org.

  • NTIA Broadband Grants

    There are three funding opportunities from the Department of Commerce under NTIA:

    1. Broadband Infrastructure Program: A $288 million broadband deployment program directed to partnerships between a state, or one or more political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service to support broadband infrastructure deployment to areas lacking broadband, especially rural areas.
    2. Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program: A $980 million program directed to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
    3. Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program: A $268 million grant program directed to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) for the purchase of broadband internet access service and eligible equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel.

    Note; Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants has a deadline of August 17, 2021. For the next steps, it’s critical and highly recommended to attend a webinar to gain technical information on pursuing these funding opportunities: https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/events/latest-events. 

  • TEA Connect Texas (TEACT) Initiative

    The Texas Education Agency has partnered with Connected Nation to map broadband access and availability across the state. They will identify disadvantaged students who do not have access, bulk purchase technology for deployment across the state, and partner with school districts and local providers to fund and deliver service to those disadvantaged students. For more information about this program and learn about how your school can get involved, reach out to customersupport@TEAConnectTexas.com.

  • EDA ARP allocation of $3 Billion

    Under the American Rescue Plan, the $3 Billion was allocated to the Economic Development Administration. These funds can be used for infrastructure projects that can be directly tied to job creation or retention. They can be infrastructure upgrades in a business park, water or sewer upgrades, broadband infrastructure, and more. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be published by the end of the month on Grants.gov and EDA.gov. If you have any upcoming projects in mind, especially if you have new business prospects looking at properties with needed infrastructure upgrades, please reach out to our team here at ETCOG. We can assist you in determining if your project is eligible, gathering the necessary documentation for your application, applying for the grant, and administering the grant. These grants do require local matching funds. Call 903.218.6457 or email Lynda.David@ETCOG.org for more info.

  • Solid Waste Grant Program through ETCOG – Application Opening in August or September

    The Annual Solid Waste Grant Program will begin accepting grant applications for solid-waste-related projects starting in August or September. Last year, the program had over $100,000 allocated to East Texas, which funded 19 projects in the 14-county region of ETCOG. These projects can include Community Collections Events, Natural Disaster Cleanup, Recycling Initiatives, Technical Studies, Educational Programs, Illegal Dumping Prevention, Trash Collection Stations, etc. Now is the time to start thinking about projects in your city or county that may be eligible for a Solid Waste Grant. Solid Waste Grants do not require any local matching funds. For more information, contact Lisa at Lisa.Smith@etcog.org or 903.218.6467.

  • USDA Announces $15.3M for Local, Regional Food Economies Affected by Pandemic

    USDA will award $15.3 million to Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) to fund public-private partnerships that build and strengthen the viability and resilience of local or regional food economies. Projects focus on increasing the availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products and alleviating unnecessary administrative and technical barriers. Projects can cover the planning and design of a local and regional food economy and implement or expand an existing one. Applications for this program are due 7/6/21.


    Applications undergo external expert peer review, and the process is highly competitive. In addition, all grants require matching funds from community partners or stakeholders. The amounts and match amounts vary by program and are specified in the RFAs.


    For more information, visit the FMPP webpage, LFPP webpage, or RFSP webpage.

Grant Writing Workshop Coming to Tyler Texas

July 21, 2026
ETCOG/ETEDD and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Tyler, TX, August 27-28, 2026. This training is for grant seekers from all disciplines. Attend this class to learn how to write winning government grant proposals and find the available grant funding. Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county, state agencies, K-12, colleges & universities and nonprofits are encouraged to attend. Registration is $525 and includes everything you need: Grant Writing USA Workbook Two days of expert instruction Lifetime access to Grant Writing USA Alumni Resource Center Grant Writing USA is offering ETCOG members a $50 discount. Please use the discount code "less50" at the time of registration. When: August 27 - 28 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Where: 1421 S Beckham Ave, Tyler, TX 75701 For event details visit: https://grantstraining.com/ty0826

ETCOG to Hold Public Hearing on TxCDBG Regional Project Priority Types August 6

July 21, 2026
ETCOG will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. during its Executive Committee meeting at 3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, Texas.  The purpose of the hearing is to gather public input on the Texas Community Development Block Grant ( TxCDBG ) Program Regional Project Priority Types for the East Texas region. As part of the standard TxCDBG process, each Council of Governments region in Texas is encouraged to identify the project types that best reflect regional needs and priorities. During the hearing, ETCOG’s Executive Committee will receive comments from local officials, stakeholders, and members of the public regarding which eligible project categories should be prioritized for East Texas. These priorities may include needs such as water and sewer infrastructure, street improvements, housing, and other eligible community development activities. Regional project priority types play an important role in the TxCDBG application process. The priorities adopted by ETCOG will be submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), which administers the TxCDBG program, for use in the upcoming funding cycle. Regional priorities account for a portion of the scoring used to evaluate grant applications. ETCOG encourages anyone with an interest in community development needs across East Texas to attend the hearing and provide input during the public comment period.

USDA Rural Development Launches a New Program Eligibility Lookup Tool

By USDA Rural Development • June 2, 2026
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.