OpportunityTitle: The Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, A Coordinated Initiative to Advance Regional Competitiveness
CategoryExplanation: The Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (Jobs Accelerator) is an inter-agency funding opportunity designed by the Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters (TARIC), in partnership with other Federal agencies and bureaus.  TARIC recognizes that regions can benefit from coordinated, flexible, regionally customized investments with stronger goals and metrics that link economic development, workforce development, small business development, and the inclusion of historically underrepresented and excluded communities.  Through the coordination of Federal resources, the Jobs Accelerator supports the development of self-identified clusters that demonstrate high-growth potential.  The participating agencies and bureaus in the Jobs Accelerator intend to offer a combination of funding and technical assistance to approximately 20 clusters in a variety of industries across the United States.  In addition, multiple Federal agencies and bureaus are committing technical assistance to provide streamlined support to selected clusters for qualifying projects under current appropriation authority.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Detailed information regarding eligibility is discussed at section IV of the Jobs Accelerator Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO), a link to which is provided below.  For convenience, a non-controlling synopsis of eligible applicants is provided below.    Economic Development Administration (EDA).    Pursuant to section 3 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3122) and EDA&apos;s regulation at 13 C.F.R. 300.3, the following entities are eligible to receive funding assistance from EDA:     a) District Organizations;   b) Indian Tribes or a consortium of Indian Tribes;   c) States, cities, or other political subdivisions of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;   d) Institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or   e) Public or private non-profit organizations or associations acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State.    EDA cannot provide assistance directly or indirectly to individuals or to for-profit entities.      Employment Training Administration (ETA).    For the purposes of the Jobs Accelerator FFO, entities eligible to be the grantee organization for H-1B training funds are:    a) Business-related nonprofit organizations;   b) Education and training providers;   c) Entities involved in administering the workforce investment system established under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act; and   d) Economic development agencies.     Additionally, if the grantee organization is not itself an entity involved in administering the workforce investment system, the grantee organization is required to partner with such an entity.  Also, regardless of which organization is the grantee, the grantee must partner with at least one employer or a consortium of employers.      Small Business Administration (SBA).    Under 7(j) SBA may provide financial assistance to public or private organizations to pay all or part of the cost of projects designed to provide technical or management assistance to 7(j) eligible small businesses.  Because of the 7(j) eligibility criteria, each 7(j) Technical Assistance provider will be required to determine, document, and report on the eligibility of each recipient of services provided under this grant.    In order to be eligible for SBA assistance under the Jobs Accelerator FFO, an applicant must:  a) Be a public, private, non-profit, or for-profit entity;  b) Have been in existence continually for at least the past three years;  c) Have experience dealing with issues relating to 7(j) eligible small business; and  d) Demonstrate that it has the capacity to provide assistance to 7(j) eligible small business.
Description: This posting announces the availability of funding for the Jobs Accelerator. Regions across the nation can compete for complementary Federal resources that will be targeted to address the gaps and opportunities specific to their self-identified, high-potential industry clusters. The Jobs Accelerator leverages existing financial and technical resources from 16 Federal agencies and bureaus to support the development of approximately 20 high-growth industry clusters selected through a competitive inter-agency grant process. Funds awarded to the winning applicants can be used to achieve measurable outcomes such as commercialization, business formation, expansion of existing businesses, job creation, and exports. Total proposed funding for the Jobs Accelerator is approximately $33 million in direct Federal support from funding agencies, subject to the availability of appropriations. The funding agencies are the Department of Commerce&apos;s Economic Development Administration, the Department of Labor&apos;s Employment and Training Administration, and, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Small Business Administration. This collaboration is designed to allow applicants to submit one application to access three complementary Federal sources to comprehensively support cluster development, and applicants must apply for all three funding sources available under the Jobs Accelerator FFO. Awards are expected to range from approximately $1.5 million to $2.2 million per cluster through the three funding agencies, and matching funds are required for a portion of the funding.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: JobsandInnovationChallenge@eda.doc.gov
GrantorContactText: Rebecca Moudry