Economic Recovery Resources - Weekly Update
The Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Gulf Coast Economic Development District stand ready to assist the 13-county region in pursuing strategies to restore local economies. We will be issuing this Economic Recovery Resources - Weekly Update to help our local partners stay on top of new funding opportunities.  Subscribers to the monthly Regional Economic Development Digest will receive the weekly update automatically. We hope to make it easier for you to secure the resources you need to recover quickly.

Please e-mail Josh Owens or call 832-681-2613 to discuss economic recovery needs you may have.


Department of Defense Announces Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program Funding Opportunity 
The Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) released a notice of funding opportunity for the new Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. Funded projects must come from regional consortia, include connections to defense manufacturing institutes, and work to strengthen technological or manufacturing supply chains. Proposals are due July 12. The OEA will invite the consortia with the best applications to compete for up to $5 million in funding. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend a pre-proposal webinar on June 18.

EDA CARES Act Funding Webinar Hosted by H-GAC and GCEDD
Join the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Gulf Coast Economic Development District from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 18, for a webinar with the U.S. Economic Development Administration to learn how your community can access  Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant funding for economic development.
  • Jeffery Sjostrom of the Galveston Economic Development Partnership will demonstrate how the City of Galveston has leveraged Economic Development Administration funding to speed economic recovery.
  • Jason Wilson of the Economic Development Administration will discuss the CARES Act funding available and their criteria for making investments.
  • Joshua Owens of the Gulf Coast Economic Development District will present on the application process and the information you will need to submit a competitive application.
 Registration  is required. You will receive email confirmation.

Online Interactive Course to Focus on Broadband Deployment Essentials
EUCI is offering Broadband Deployment Essentials for Electric Cooperatives and Municipal Utilities, an interactive, online conference. The event will be June 22-23 using Microsoft Teams. The intent of this program is to educate rural electric cooperatives and municipalities on how to best implement broadband to serve their rural or underserved areas. This program will inform the audience on real-world strategies and best practices that these organizations are using today to bring high-speed Internet, TV, phone, cloud, and other services to their customers. The cost of the conference is $795. Register online or call 1-303-770-8800.

EDA Finalizing Details of Coronavirus Entrepreneurship and Innovation Challenge with CARES Act Funding
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) intends to release an entrepreneurship and innovation competition with approximately $25 million from the CARES Act. A June 9 webinar from State Science and Technology Institute outlines current EDA funding opportunities, announces the new competition, and includes a lengthy Q&A. Potential applicants must address the unique operating environment necessitated by the coronavirus to support one or more of the following areas of interest:
  • Biotech/health security/supply chain innovation
  • Regional, national, and government connectivity
  • Innovation & entrepreneurship
  • Access to Capital 
The EDA is also still accepting applications for CARES Act supplemental funds (EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance) intended to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Funds are available through the 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (FY20 PWEAA NOFO, see page 46). The Gulf Coast Economic Development District will provide technical assistance to applicants. E-mail Josh Owens with any questions.

Texas COVID Relief Fund Offering Grants up to $150,000
OneStar Foundation announced the availability of $500,000 in grant funding to support organizations across the state working to ensure the economic recovery of communities in Texas. Grants between $20,000 to $150,000 will support projects that address the unmet needs of vulnerable populations and underserved communities in the areas of community and economic development, healthcare, and education.  Government entities and 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Additional funding criteria for prioritization of applicants are outlined on the OneStar Foundation Texas COVID Relief Fund webpage. The deadline to apply is June 25.

Federal Funding For Rural Communities 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide organizing funding opportunities identified in the CARES Act and other federal resources that can help support rural America.

Current USDA Funding Opportunities:

Upcoming Economic Recovery Webinars 

June 17 | COVID-19 Demographic and Economic Resources Using Census Data | Council for Community and Economic Research
The Census Bureau has released an interactive data hub resource page designed to help federal agencies, businesses and communities make decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. No pre-registration is required, but click here to add the event to your calendar.

June 17 | Public-Private Financing for Infrastructure in Uncertain Times | Texas Economic Development Council in partnership with the Council of Development Finance Agencies
Presenters will share first-hand knowledge of their experience utilizing public-private partnership (P3) financing for successful infrastructure projects, and they will provide insight on how development finance agencies can engage with P3s during uncertain economic conditions.

In response to the pandemic, counties are exploring ways to maintain and sustain child care businesses upon reopening. The CARES Act provides federal relief supporting state and local efforts in securing child care during this critical time, especially for essential staff and first responders serving on the front line. Learn more about federal resources for child care during COVID-19 and what your county can do to ensure safe, healthy learning environments for young children.

June 18 | Leadership (Virtual) Luncheon: Economic Update | Urban Land Institute Houston
Patrick Jankowski, Senior Vice President of Research at the Greater Houston Partnership, will speak about the current status and potential future of our economy in the context of COVID-19.

June 18 | How COVID-19 Can Inform Resiliency | Security and Sustainability Forum
This webinar will analyze lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to preparedness planning and business continuity. The webinar will share approaches to maximize the time between potential waves to enhance capacity and capability needed to achieve comprehensive business resilience across the public and private sectors.

June 18 | Best Practices in Rural Marketing & Attraction | International Economic Development Council
Presenters will discuss marketing challenges in the context of budget constraints and increasingly technical platforms and mediums.

June 18 | Automation, Training, and the Middle Class | Brookings Institution
The Future of the Middle Class Initiative at Brookings will host a webinar on automation, training, and the middle class. The event will feature expert paper presentations and moderated discussions on issues related to the role of community colleges and employers in retraining workers and what to do about retraining after COVID-19.

June 19 | Recovery Resources from the USDA | Council of Development Finance Agencies
Experts from multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture offices will explore how the department has tailored its financing programs to assist with recovery while noting what we can learn from the pandemic to better prepare rural America for tomorrow.

June 22 | Saving Retail on Mainstreet and Beyond | International Economic Development Council
Mainstreet retail is at risk due to the Coronavirus. Innovative strategies can provide a lifeline to these businesses - from loan programs to easing restrictions on doing business in the street. Join our experts to hear from communities large and small on how they are saving Mainstreet.

June 23 | COVID-19 Business Forum - Economic Update | Greater Houston Partnership
Patrick Jankowski, the Greater Houston Partnership's Senior Vice President of Research, will provide an economic update on the state of Houston's economy during the COVID-19 outbreak.

June 24 | Post-COVID-19: How Global Supply Chain Strategies Are Changing | Texas Economic Development Council
Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, will speak on how companies must become responsive and resilient to the next pandemic, the next trade war, and global climate changes. Learn how to understand the changes to global supply chain flows and how these will affect business locations. Learn how supply chains can turn crises into opportunities through fast response, rapid retooling, and tracking demand.

June 24 | How COVID-19 is Changing the Business Continuity Landscape | Disaster Recovery Journal
This webinar will cover business continuity lessons learned from COVID-19; adapting to the changing landscape of business continuity; the importance of accessible business continuity plans and efficient communication; and implementing plan testing to uncover gaps ahead of an incident.

June 24 | Business Beyond Borders: Global Supply Chain | Greater Houston Partnership
Business Beyond Borders will explore the impact of COVID-19 and the downturn in Oil & Gas on global supply chains and the related effects on Houston's economy. This event is exclusive to partnership members.

June 30 | Tapping Into Hidden Capital for COVID-19 Recovery | Texas Economic Development Council
Governments and institutions are starving for capital to keep revenue growing. Economic developers must provide adaptive financial sourcing in response to the massive disruption of COVID-19. During this webinar, learn how you can tap into "hidden capital" to fund struggling local governments, universities, and health care facilities and safeguard the fiscal well-being of your communities.


Partner Resources 

Visit our website for information and links to local, regional, and partner organizations that have additional resources and information on economic recovery. A select list is presented below.

The Greater Houston Partnership has established the Greater Houston Business Recovery Center, which will provide guidance on policy and financing related to recovery programs.

RestoreYourEconomy is your resource for up-to-date information related to COVID-19 and its economic impacts.

The Texas Economic Development Council COVID-19 webpage catalogs COVID-19 resources, updated, and links. It includes webinars, small business program examples, research white papers, resources for businesses, Texas Workforce Commission resources, and advice for retailers.

The National Association of Development Organizations COVID-19 resource center provides advocacy resources, upcoming virtual events and training, federal agency COVID-19 resources, member response resources, national partner organizations response resources, Office of Management and Budget guidance, state-by-state workforce guidelines, philanthropic resources for communities, and economic resilience resources.

The International Economic Development Council Corona Virus Response webpage provides information on the Council's COVID-19 webinar series, COVID-19 resources, and frequently updated situational reports.

Main Street Forward provides a wide range of free resources for Main Street leaders, including recovery planning tools, research, advocacy efforts, and best practices and examples from around the Main Street Network.
 
The Economic Recovery Resources - Weekly Update is published by the