FY 2023 Recompete Pilot Program - Phase 1

Program Overview       

     The Economic Development Administration has begun accepting applications for Phase 1 of the FY 2023 Recompete Pilot Program. Established through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the program supports long-term comprehensive economic development that aims to reduce employment gaps in prime-age workers and increase wages. The prime-age employment gap (PAEG) is used by the EDA as an indicator of economic distress to account for prime-age (25 to 54 years of age) workers who have stopped looking for jobs and left the labor force, as well as those currently looking for jobs and are unemployed.

     The program will have two phases of competition. In Phase 1, EDA will fund Strategy Development Grants and will approve Recompete Plans for certain regions. EDA anticipates awarding up to $12 million in grants ranging from $250,000 to $750,000 and approving at least 20 Recompete Plans. Recompete Plan approval is unfunded but is required to apply for Phase 2 implementation funding that ranges from $20–50 million each. Applicants can apply for funding through Strategy Development Grants, get Recompete Plan approval, or both funding and approval. For approved Recomplete Plans, the Agency expects to make Phase 2 funding available in winter of 2023.

Award Types & Objectives

Strategy Development Grants are intended to facilitate a region in becoming more competitive for future approval of a Recompete Plan and eventually for Implementation Grants. Strategy Development Grants may fund the following types of activities:

Strategy Development grants support the following types of activities:

• Coordination and execution of an inclusive, locally-defined planning process, across jurisdictions and agencies, to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to address high prime-age employment gaps in the regions (i.e., a PAEG strategy);

• Identification and fostering of regional partnerships for developing and implementing a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy;

• Implementation or updating of assessments to determine regional needs and capabilities;

• Development or updating of goals and strategies to implement an existing comprehensive regional PAEG strategy;

• Identification or implementation of planning, local zoning, and other changes to code, law, or policy necessary to implement a comprehensive regional PAEG strategy;

• Development of plans for promoting broad-based economic growth in a region;

• Hiring of the coalition’s RPC to lead the overall effort and other necessary staff;

• Formation of a workforce development strategy, according to the needs for a skilled and diverse technical workforce aligned with the region’s strengths;

• Activities necessary to prepare for strategy implementation, which may include workforce development strategies, environmental, and engineering documentation, if applicable; and

• (For Tribal entities and Pacific Ocean Territories) Collection of data on the population of individuals ages 25 through 54 to determine PAEG.

Recompete Plan Approval is given to multi-year plans for reducing the PAEG with a strong probability of success and future implementation. 

Recompete Plan should address the following in their plans:

• Understanding of regional conditions and needs – Plans reflect a deep understanding of the region and its needs, including the conditions that led to a high prime-age employment gap (PAEG) among the region’s prime-age residents.

• Strength of strategy and quality of potential investments – Plans clearly articulate a strategy to address causes of the local high prime-age employment gap

• Equity, inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity - Plans articulate how they will actively engage underserved communities in planning and ensure benefits are shared equitably across all affected populations, including through efforts to reach historically underserved populations and areas

• Regional assets – Recompete Plans should inventory existing community or regional assets that are specific to their geography and critical to reducing the PAEG. This may include industries, natural assets, educational institutions, or other organizations that have the potential to change the regional economic dynamics.

• Targeted geographic approach – Plans identify their service area and how the proposed interventions will create long-term benefits to improve and increase opportunities in persistently distressed communities.

• Partnerships and potential commitments – Plans show how key local, regional, and state partners, including underleveraged or underrepresented organizations and residents, are engaged or will be engaged, and that they are committed to reducing the PAEG.

Eligibility    

Eligible applicants are as follows: 

• Economic development districts

• Independent school districts

• Political subdivisions of a State or other entity, including a special-purpose entity engaged in economic development activities

• Private institutions of higher education

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• Public entity or nonprofit organization, acting in cooperation with the officials of a political subdivision of a State or other entity

• Territories of the United States and the District of Columbia 

• Units of local government and Tribal governments

• A coalition of any of the above entities

Key Dates 

Application Deadline: October 5, 2023, 11:59 p.m. E.T.

Register for the Webinars: 

July 7th at 12:00 pm EDT

July 11th at 4:30 pm EDT

Resources 

View the Opportunity here.

Visit the Recompete webpage here.