Under the American Rescue Plan Act, EDA was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. This historic appropriation will support bottom-up, middle-out economic development projects and activities that are focused on advancing equity, creating good-paying jobs, helping workers to develop in-demand skills, building economic resilience, and accelerating the economic recovery for the industries and communities hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, July 23, EDA published six (6) separate Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) soliciting applications for its ARPA funds (view program summary chart). In order to help facilitate participation in these programs, EDA will host a series of webinars for EDA grantees and partners beginning on August 2. Below are links to each individual program web page and registration information for each webinar.

EDA will also host an EDA 101 and American Rescue Plan webinar on Wednesday, August 4 at 2pm Eastern (register).

• Build Back Better Regional Challenge: Monday, August 2 at 2pm Eastern (register)
• Good Jobs Challenge: Thursday, August 12 at 2pm Eastern (register)
• Indigenous Communities: Tuesday, August 10 at 2pm Eastern (register)
• Travel/Tourism/Outdoor Recreation: Tuesday, August 3 at 2pm Eastern (register)
• Economic Adjustment Assistance: Monday, August 9 at 2pm Eastern (register)
• Statewide Planning, Research and Networks: Friday, August 6 at 2pm Eastern (register)

The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) was established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and will provide $7.17 billion to support the reasonable costs of the purchase of connected devices (i.e., laptop and tablet computers), Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity for off-campus use to serve the unmet needs of students, school staff, and library patrons during the COVID-19 emergency period.

This webinar will highlight frequently asked questions about the ECF Program and application process as well as answer program questions from potential ECF participants.  Participants will have an opportunity to submit questions about the program and its requirements during or in advance of the event to ECFwebinar@fcc.gov. The webinar will be recorded and be available for viewing after the event.

For additional information about the webinar, please contact ECFwebinar@fcc.gov or Molly O’Conor at Molly.OConor@fcc.gov.

In response to the surge in Delta variant cases, FEMA continues to support state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in the fight against COVID-19 by reimbursing eligible expenses related to the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Funding under FEMA Public Assistance program^[1] includes community engagement and information dissemination to promote vaccination availability, scheduling, and accessibility, as well as reimbursement for activities to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. This funding is eligible under current FEMA policies and is available to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and eligible private and nonprofit medical facilities carrying out vaccination administration activities.

FEMA will hold a webinar for tribal governments and tribal representatives to explain available assistance on Tuesday, August 3 from  2-3pm ET  You must register for the webinar: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/983302461322653707

Expense Eligibility

1. Communications and outreach

Communications and outreach on availability, safety, and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations include:

• Advertising campaigns to include Public Service Announcements, advertising costs, flyers, signs or other items needed to communicate.
• In-person community engagement activities, including personnel costs (consistent with FEMA Public Assistance eligibility criteria for labor costs); and
• Outreach to private sector companies and community organizations to support efforts to vaccinate employees and members (consistent with FEMA Public Assistance eligibility criteria).

2. Vaccination Information Sharing

Call Centers or websites for the purpose of sharing vaccination information with the public on how, where, and why to get vaccinated:

Call Centers

• Scheduling and filling open appointments at vaccination centers;
• Follow-up communications on second dose appointments;
• Facility support costs including leasing space, utilities, maintenance, and security;
• Staffing consistent with FEMA Public Assistance labor policies[2]; and
• Mobilization and demobilization costs.

Websites

• Labor or contract costs necessary for the design and development of the website; and
• Staffing and other costs necessary to operate and maintain the website and consistent with FEMA Public Assistance labor policies.

3. Accessible Communications

Costs associated with ensuring communications are accessible and effective for the whole community including individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs:

• Translation and interpretation services;
• The provision of auxiliary aids; and
• Services such as qualified sign language interpreters, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), braille, or large print materials.

4. Transportation

Eligible transportation expenses include those associated with travel to ensure outreach to remote areas and underserved populations.  Transportation to and from sites for the administration of vaccinations is also eligible.

FEMA encourages applicants for Public Assistance funding to work with other community partners in communicating with and engaging the public to support full implementation of COVID-19 vaccinations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also launched a COVID-19 public education campaign at COVID-19 Community Corps | WECANDOTHIS.HHS.GOV. The public education campaign is a national initiative to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention measures such as mask wearing and social distancing.

 

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[1] Chapter 2:VI.B. Emergency Protective Measures of Version 3.1 of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) www.fema.gov/assistance/public/policy-guidance-fact-sheets and Section C.3.h of Version 2 of the Public Assistance COVID-19 Medical Care Policy www.fema.gov/media-collection/public-assistance-disaster-specific-guidance-covid-19-declarations .

2 See Chapter 2:V.A. Applicant (Force Account) Labor of PAPPG V3.1

Join the White House COVID-19 Response Team post July 4^th update on Tuesday July 6^th at 6pm ET!

Webinar Registration: WH COVID-19 Team: State/Local Health Officials

Registration Link