U.S. Economic Development Administration

Funds EDA, the United States agency focused exclusively on economic development and regional resilience.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration, or EDA, is a bureau of the Department of Commerce and the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development. It works through six regional offices and backs locally driven strategies across all 50 states, the territories, and the freely associated states.

Its core tools are grants and cooperative agreements for regional planning, technical assistance, infrastructure, entrepreneurship ecosystems, workforce training, and technology hubs. Current programs include Tech Hubs, Build to Scale, Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance, the Recompete Pilot, the AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot, University Centers, and the FY2025 Disaster Supplemental. The public opportunities now visible include awards such as $8 million for AI Upskill, $20 million for the disaster supplemental, $40 million for Recompete, and approximately $1.45 billion in disaster recovery funding overall; applications move through Grants.gov or EDA's EDGE system.

EDA is best for coalitions, universities, regional nonprofits, and public-sector partners that can show a place-based strategy and measurable economic outcomes. It does not fund individuals directly, and its strongest proposals tie regional assets to jobs, innovation capacity, and long-term industrial resilience.