U.S. Department of Commerce program will help reduce unemployment and establish long-term economic growth
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced $184 million in implementation grants for six Recompete Finalists. These awards will create renewed opportunity in economically distressed communities through good-paying, high-quality jobs and improve access to the workforce for Americans. The program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which is helping revitalize communities historically overlooked by federal investment and driving economic comebacks across the country.
“For decades, too many communities all over America have been overlooked or left behind without the resources and investments needed to compete. But under the Biden-Harris Administration, we’re reversing that trend. With the Recompete program, we are investing and empowering people across the country by helping them get trained for and placed into quality jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Recompete program isn’t just an investment in American jobs or American workers, it’s an investment in communities that will allow local economies to grow and Americans to pursue quality careers in the places they call home.”
“With the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are turning the page on a legacy of underinvestment and building an economy that gives every community a chance to get ahead,” said White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard. “With funding from the Recompete program, communities around the country will be able to invest in child care and transportation to enable more working families to connect to good job opportunities in manufacturing and healthcare.”
The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete) is a key part of the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda. The program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average, with the goal of closing this gap through flexible, locally-driven investments. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, “left-behind counties in the United States…experienced their strongest three-year period of job creation and business growth since the turn of the 21st century,” according to the Economic Innovation Group.
EDA has selected six implementation awardees for funding from the 22 Recompete Finalists, with award amounts to be finalized in the coming months.
Recompete implementation awardees are:
- City of Allentown Recompete Plan (Pennsylvania)
Lead Agency: City of Allentown
Estimated Award Amount: $20 million - North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Plan (Washington)
Lead Agency: Clallam County
Estimated Award Amount: $35 million - Oasis Expansion Recompete Plan (Puerto Rico)
Lead Agency: Platform for Social Impact
Estimated Award Amount: $30 million - Reinvest Birmingham Recompete Plan (Alabama)
Lead Agency: City of Birmingham
Estimated Award Amount: $20 million - The Eastern Kentucky Runway Recompete Plan (Kentucky)
Lead Agency: Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
Estimated Award Amount: $40 million - Wind River Indigenous-based Economic Recompete Plan (Wyoming)
Lead Agency: Wind River Development Fund
Estimated Award Amount: $36 million
“Thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Commerce is making substantial and historic investments in equity centered initiatives across America,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “These six Recompete awardees represent the meaningful commitment we have made to leaving no communities behind as we work to create an economy that works for all Americans.”
In December 2023, EDA announced 22 Recompete Finalists, selected out of 565 applications—the highest number of applications to any national EDA program. The Finalists represent urban, rural, and Tribal communities spanning 20 states and territories. The Finalists identified an integrated set of projects to improve their communities through workforce training, wraparound services, critical infrastructure, entrepreneurship, small business supports, and governance – each informed by, and tailored to, local needs. Collectively, the Finalists secured over 1,000 commitments from community-based organizations, labor, higher education, Tribal governments, the private sector, and industry groups.
“Through partnership with local communities, the Recompete program will make targeted, community-led investments to reduce unemployment,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “The Recompete awardees are bringing together a wide range of partners to develop integrated approaches to support Americans in accessing good jobs.”
The CHIPS and Science Act authorized $1 billion for the Recompete program. To date, EDA has been appropriated $200 million for the program.
Read more about the Recompete Pilot Program at eda.gov/recompete.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.