Economic Development Technical Assistance

The purpose of EDA’s University Center Economic Development Program (also referred to in this announcement as the University Center program) is to enable institutions of higher education and consortia of institutions of higher education to establish and operate University Centers specifically focused on using university assets to build regional economic ecosystems that support innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship and resiliency. University Centers collaborate with other EDA partners, such as Economic Development Districts (EDDs) by providing expertise and technical assistance to develop, implement, and support regional strategies that result in quality job creation , high-skilled regional talent pools, and business expansion in a region’s innovation clusters. Expertise and technical assistance may address, for example, workforce training programs, applied research centers, technology commercialization, feasibility studies, market research, economic impact analyses training, and other technical assistance to help communities foster vibrant economic ecosystems. The National Technical Assistance program funds projects that provide technical assistance with a national scope. These projects support best practices among communities trying to solve problems related to economic development goals. By working in conjunction with its National Technical Assistance partners, EDA helps states, local governments, and community-based organizations achieve their highest economic potential. The NTA program supports activities that are beneficial to the economic development community nationwide and includes, but is not limited to, outreach, training, and information dissemination. It can also aid with implementation of economic development, best practices, and proven techniques. The Local Technical Assistance program helps organizations analyze the feasibility of potential economic development projects, such as an industrial park or a high-technology business incubator. Feasibility studies are an effective tool for determining whether the market will support a particular activity or site. Local Technical Assistance can prevent costly mistakes and misguided investments, such as costly infrastructure improvements to support obsolete industries. Targeted market feasibility studies can help communities overcome these hurdles and identify tomorrow’s higher-wage employers. Because of these feasibility studies, many communities have subsequently received funding under EDA’s Public Works or Economic Development Assistance programs, or other federal and state programs, to implement those projects