Economic Development Support for Planning Organizations

Through the Planning program, EDA provides assistance to eligible recipients to create regional economic development plans in order to stimulate and guide the economic development efforts of a community or region. As part of this program, EDA supports Partnership Planning investments to facilitate the development, implementation, revision, or replacement of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS), which leverage the unique assets of their respective regions to help create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the Nation’s most economically distressed regions. To facilitate CEDS, EDA provides Partnership Planning grants to the designated planning organization (e.g., District Organization) serving EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDDs) throughout the Nation. These planning organizations are typically recognized by the State in which they reside as multi-jurisdictional councils of governments, regional commissions, or planning and development centers. Partnership Planning grants enable planning organizations to manage and coordinate the development and implementation of CEDS. In addition, EDA provides Partnership Planning grants to Indian Tribes to help organize and assist with the implementation of economic development activities within their areas. The majority of funding under the Planning program is for Partnership Planning grants for Indian Tribes and EDA-designated EDDs. The Planning program also helps support planning organizations and other eligible recipients, including District Organizations and Indian Tribes, with Short-Term and State Planning efforts in order to stimulate and guide the creation and/or retention of higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the Nation’s most economically distressed regions. For example, EDA might provide Short-Term Planning funding to a coalition of Tribal and regional organizations to plan a coordinated response to the sudden loss of a major employer in the affected area(s).