Opportunity Information: Apply for EDA ATL TA ATRO 2022 2007229
The FY 2022 EDA University Center Competition - ATRO is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), under CFDA 11.303. It is designed to fund the establishment and operation of EDA-supported University Centers that deliver economic development technical assistance using the assets of accredited institutions of higher education. The core idea is to translate university-based expertise, research capacity, convening power, and workforce development capabilities into practical, regionally grounded support that helps communities build stronger economic ecosystems centered on innovation, entrepreneurship, resilience, and inclusive growth.
This competition supports projects that focus on one or more specific economic development priorities: advancing regional commercialization efforts (moving research and innovations into the marketplace), advancing high-growth entrepreneurship (helping startups scale), cultivating innovation (strengthening the conditions that generate new ideas and technologies), encouraging business expansion within a region's innovation clusters, developing a high-skilled regional workforce, and increasing regional resiliency (improving a region's capacity to withstand and adapt to economic shocks and long-term disruptions). EDA is looking for University Center activities that are not just academic, but clearly tied to real-world outcomes like quality job creation, stronger talent pipelines, and measurable business growth in targeted clusters.
Eligibility is limited to accredited public, state-controlled, or private institutions of higher education, as well as consortia of accredited institutions. A key constraint is geography: applicants must be located in, and propose programs that target only, the areas served by EDA's Atlanta Regional Office or EDA's Seattle Regional Office. The Atlanta Regional Office coverage includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Seattle Regional Office covers a large footprint including Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nevada, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, the Republic of Palau, and Washington. The notice indicates that the Seattle Regional Office has a separate posting and application package for applicants from that region, which matters for institutions ensuring they are using the correct application materials.
The program emphasizes collaboration and service to regional economic development strategies rather than isolated campus initiatives. University Centers are expected to work alongside other EDA partners, including Economic Development Districts (EDDs), and to provide expertise that helps communities develop, implement, and support regional plans that lead to tangible economic outcomes. Examples of supported technical assistance include workforce training program design or support, applied research center activities aligned to regional needs, technology commercialization assistance, feasibility studies, market research, economic impact analyses, training, and other analytical or capacity-building services that help communities and businesses strengthen local and regional innovation ecosystems.
EDA also highlights an equity and access lens. While not a formal requirement in the summary provided, EDA encourages applicants to design efforts that reach historically underserved populations and places, including communities of color and women, as well as groups facing labor market barriers. The notice explicitly names individuals with disabilities, disconnected youth, individuals in recovery, people with past criminal records (including justice-impacted and reentry participants), and participants in programs such as SNAP, TANF, and WIC, along with veterans and military spouses. In practice, this means a competitive University Center proposal would often describe how its technical assistance, entrepreneurship support, training pathways, and cluster development work will be accessible and beneficial to these groups, and how outcomes will be tracked.
The NOFO provides definitions that signal what EDA cares about in outcomes. A "quality job" is described as one that exceeds the local prevailing wage for the industry in the region, includes basic benefits like paid leave, health insurance, and retirement or savings options, and/or is unionized, and supports advancement along a career pathway. "Prevailing wage" is aligned with the Department of Labor definition as the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a specific occupation in the intended area of employment. The notice also defines "clusters" as geographic concentrations of firms, workers, and industries that interact through shared talent needs, technology, infrastructure, and business relationships. Importantly, clusters can cross municipal and county boundaries, reinforcing EDA's regional approach rather than a strict city- or county-limited model.
From the funding details provided, the opportunity number is EDA ATL TA ATRO 2022 2007229, the award instrument is a grant, the posted (creation) date is March 1, 2022, and the original closing date is April 29, 2022. The award ceiling is listed as $200,000, and EDA anticipated making around 10 awards. Taken together, this points to relatively modest, targeted awards intended to fund high-leverage technical assistance and coordination rather than large capital projects. The overall purpose is to help universities function as active economic development partners, deploying their expertise to strengthen innovation-driven regional growth, expand and modernize the workforce pipeline, support resilient regional planning, and improve access to opportunity across a broader set of communities.Apply for EDA ATL TA ATRO 2022 2007229
- The Department of Commerce in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2022 EDA University Center Competition - ATRO" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.303.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 01, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 29, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY 2022 EDA University Center Competition - ATRO?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), under CFDA 11.303. The opportunity is designed to fund the establishment and operation of EDA-supported University Centers that provide economic development technical assistance by using the assets of accredited institutions of higher education.
What is the main purpose of an EDA-supported University Center under this competition?
The purpose is to translate university-based expertise, research capacity, convening power, and workforce development capabilities into practical, regionally grounded technical assistance. The intent is to help communities build stronger economic ecosystems centered on innovation, entrepreneurship, resiliency, and inclusive growth.
What types of outcomes is EDA looking for from University Center activities?
EDA is looking for activities tied to real-world outcomes such as quality job creation, stronger regional talent pipelines, measurable business growth, and tangible progress in targeted regional clusters and innovation ecosystems.
Which economic development priorities can projects focus on?
Projects can focus on one or more of the following priorities: advancing regional commercialization efforts, advancing high-growth entrepreneurship, cultivating innovation, encouraging business expansion within regional innovation clusters, developing a high-skilled regional workforce, and increasing regional resiliency to shocks and long-term disruptions.
What does "advancing regional commercialization efforts" mean in this context?
It refers to moving research and innovations into the marketplace, helping translate university and regional innovation into commercial products, services, and business growth.
What does "advancing high-growth entrepreneurship" mean in this NOFO?
It means helping startups and new ventures scale, with support that is connected to regional economic development goals and measurable business outcomes.
What does EDA mean by "cultivating innovation"?
It means strengthening the conditions that generate new ideas and technologies, and supporting the broader regional environment that enables innovation-driven growth.
What kinds of activities are considered eligible technical assistance?
Examples listed include workforce training program design or support, applied research center activities aligned to regional needs, technology commercialization assistance, feasibility studies, market research, economic impact analyses, training, and other analytical or capacity-building services that help communities and businesses strengthen local and regional innovation ecosystems.
Is this grant intended to fund academic projects that stay on campus?
The emphasis is on collaboration and service to regional economic development strategies rather than isolated campus initiatives. University Center activities are expected to be clearly tied to community and regional needs and to practical outcomes.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to accredited public, state-controlled, or private institutions of higher education, as well as consortia of accredited institutions.
Are consortia of institutions allowed to apply?
Yes. Consortia of accredited institutions of higher education are eligible under the eligibility description provided.
Are there geographic restrictions on who can apply?
Yes. Applicants must be located in, and propose programs that target only, the areas served by EDA's Atlanta Regional Office or EDA's Seattle Regional Office.
Which states are covered by the EDA Atlanta Regional Office (ATRO) for this opportunity?
The Atlanta Regional Office coverage includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Which areas are covered by the EDA Seattle Regional Office?
The Seattle Regional Office covers Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nevada, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, the Republic of Palau, and Washington.
Does the Seattle Regional Office use different application materials?
Yes. The notice indicates the Seattle Regional Office has a separate posting and application package for applicants from that region, so institutions should ensure they use the correct application materials for their region.
What does it mean that projects must "target only" the areas served by the relevant EDA regional office?
Based on the summary, the proposed University Center program must focus its activities on communities within the geographic footprint of the Atlanta Regional Office or the Seattle Regional Office (depending on where the applicant is located), rather than serving areas outside the covered region.
What partners are University Centers expected to work with?
University Centers are expected to work alongside other EDA partners, including Economic Development Districts (EDDs), and support the development and implementation of regional plans that lead to tangible economic outcomes.
What role do Economic Development Districts (EDDs) play in this program?
The summary indicates University Centers are expected to collaborate with EDDs as part of EDA's broader network of partners and align assistance with regional strategies and plans.
How does the NOFO describe a "quality job"?
A "quality job" is described as one that exceeds the local prevailing wage for the industry in the region, includes basic benefits such as paid leave, health insurance, and retirement or savings options, and/or is unionized, and supports advancement along a career pathway.
How does the NOFO define "prevailing wage"?
"Prevailing wage" is aligned with the U.S. Department of Labor definition: the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a specific occupation in the intended area of employment.
How does EDA define "clusters" in this opportunity?
Clusters are defined as geographic concentrations of firms, workers, and industries that interact through shared talent needs, technology, infrastructure, and business relationships. The NOFO also notes that clusters can cross municipal and county boundaries, reinforcing a regional approach.
Is there an equity and access focus in this competition?
Yes. While not described as a formal requirement in the summary provided, EDA encourages applicants to design efforts that reach historically underserved populations and places, including communities of color and women, and groups facing labor market barriers.
Which groups are explicitly named as facing labor market barriers in the summary?
The summary explicitly names individuals with disabilities, disconnected youth, individuals in recovery, people with past criminal records (including justice-impacted and reentry participants), participants in programs such as SNAP, TANF, and WIC, along with veterans and military spouses.
What does EDA appear to expect regarding tracking outcomes for equity-focused activities?
The summary suggests that a competitive proposal would often describe how technical assistance, entrepreneurship support, training pathways, and cluster development work will be accessible and beneficial to historically underserved groups, and how outcomes will be tracked.
What is the award instrument for this opportunity?
The award instrument is a grant.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is EDA ATL TA ATRO 2022 2007229.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 11.303.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posted (creation) date is March 1, 2022.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date is April 29, 2022.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $200,000.
How many awards did EDA anticipate making?
EDA anticipated making around 10 awards.
Is this funding intended for large capital construction projects?
Based on the summary, the relatively modest award ceiling and the stated focus indicate targeted awards meant to support high-leverage technical assistance and coordination rather than large capital projects.
What is the overall goal of the program in practical terms?
The overall goal is for universities to function as active economic development partners by deploying expertise to strengthen innovation-driven regional growth, expand and modernize workforce pipelines, support resilient regional planning, and improve access to opportunity across a broader set of communities.
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