American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included $350 billion in pandemic-related aid for state and local governments. Vermont will receive more than $1.25 billion of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funding from ARPA. While the legislature and the governor will determine how more than $1 billion of that funding will be spent, Congress directed nearly $200 million of that funding directly to Vermont’s cities, towns, and villages. City councils and selectboards will have discretion over how to spend their allocations. The State of Vermont will not be allowed to add any additional rules to the roughly $200 million distributed directly to municipalities.
MARC will be working with municipalities and VLCT to help implement projects with these funds. The funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and expended by December 31, 2026. This opportunity is a way to support communities who have been negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many opportunities still developing to support the funds which went directly to towns, more information to come into early 2022.
Contact: Tom Kennedy (tkennedy@marcvt.org) or Alex Taft (ataft@marcvt.org) with questions.
Economic Development Administration: Fiscal Year 2021 American Rescue Plan Act
Under the American Rescue Plan, 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.
American Rescue Plan funding enables EDA to provide larger, more transformational investments across the nation while utilizing its greatest strengths, including flexible funding to support community-led economic development.
With an emphasis on equity, EDA investments made under the American Rescue Plan will directly benefit previously underserved communities impacted by COVID-19.
EDA is making a Coal Communities Commitment, allocating $300 million of its $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to ensure support for these communities as they recover from the pandemic and create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. This commitment will be fulfilled through $100 million in Build Back Better Regional Challenge grants and $200 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants.
EDA has published the following funding opportunities:
- Economic Adjustment Assistance
- Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
- Indigenous Communities
- Build Back Better Regional Challenge
- Statewide Planning, Research and Networks
- Good Jobs Challenge
- Economic Adjustment Assistance: Rolling. EDA strongly encourages all applicants to start early and contact their EDA representative for assistance.
Deadline: March 31, 2022
While EDA encourages eligible applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible, EDA strongly advises eligible applicants to submit complete applications no later than March 31, 2022 so that EDA can review and process the application in time to get a potential award in place prior to deadlines imposed by Congress. Submission by March 31, 2022 is not a guarantee of funding. Any award is subject to the availability of funds. See Section E of this ARPA EAA NOFO regarding EDA’s review process.
- Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation: Rolling (Competitive Tourism Grants). EDA encourages eligible applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.
Deadline: January 31, 2022
For EDA Competitive Tourism Grants, there are no application submission deadlines. While EDA encourages eligible applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible, EDA strongly advises eligible applicants to submit complete applications no later than January 31, 2022 so that EDA can review and process the application in time to get a potential award in place prior to deadlines imposed by Congress. Submission by January 31, 2022 is not a guarantee of funding. Any award is subject to the availability of funds. See Section E of this ARPA Tourism NOFO regarding EDA’s review process.
- Statewide Planning, Research and Networks: Rolling (Research and Network Grants). EDA encourages eligible applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.
- Good Jobs Challenge: January 26, 2022
Contact: Tom Kennedy (tkennedy@marcvt.org), Allison Hopkins (ahopkins@marcvt.org) and Alex Taft (ataft@marcvt.org) with questions.