Two JTF Partners Selected as Finalists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA)’s Recompete Pilot Program!
We’re excited to announce that two fantastic projects supported by the JTF’s Federal Access Center have been selected as finalists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA)’s Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program. Congratulations to Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation on the Crow Reservation in Montana, and to Shaping our Appalachian Region (SOAR) in southeastern Kentucky!
The Recompete Pilot Program is designed to alleviate persistent economic distress and to support long-term, comprehensive economic development and job creation in places with a high prime-age (25 to 54 years) employment gap. The Recompete program represents significant federal investment in community-driven economic and workforce development solutions in the most economically distressed regions of the country. The 22 finalists were chosen from over 200 applications in Phase 1 of the competition, and the selected projects are now eligible to apply for Phase 2. The EDA will select 4-8 projects to receive implementation awards between $20 million and $50 million each.
We are proud to have supported the following two finalists in their Phase 1 applications:
- Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation, for its Closing the Gap Recompete Plan. This project is designed to upskill the tribal workforce and grow tribal businesses on the Crow Reservation in Montana, which is experiencing job loss and economic distress following the closure of the Absaloka coal mine.
- Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), for its Eastern Kentucky Runway Recompete Plan. This project is designed to reduce barriers to employment and address skills mismatches in the healthcare and tech sectors in southeastern Kentucky.
We wish our partners success in Phase 2 and extend our congratulations to all of the finalists! We also want to offer our appreciation for the many worthwhile projects that were not selected. The tremendous response to Recompete highlights the need for ongoing federal investment in programs that support comprehensive economic development solutions in the most economically distressed communities.
Our Federal Access Center is designed to ensure that coal communities are able to overcome barriers to accessing federal funds – e.g., high matching requirements, time-intensive application processes – and are able to leverage historic amounts of available funding to strengthen local economies. If you are working in a transitioning coal community and need assistance applying for federal funds, please contact us by filling out this brief inquiry form.
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