Feb 23 -- The Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, is seeking information to inform the planning and design of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot (Recompete Pilot) Program. Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will inform planning for the implementation of the Recompete Pilot Program. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on March 27, 2023.
Section 10621 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act directs the Department of Commerce to establish a pilot program to award strategy development grants and strategy implementation grants to eligible recipients representing eligible local labor markets, tribes, or local communities to “alleviate persistent economic distress and support long-term comprehensive economic development and job creation in eligible areas.” (15 U.S.C. 3722b; Pub. L. 117-167, Division B, Title VI, Subtitle C, Sec. 10621(a)(2), 136 Stat. 1642). Of the $1 billion authorized for the Recompete Pilot Program from fiscal year 2022 through 2026, $200 million has been made available for the program as of the publication of this RFI.
The Recompete Pilot Program will invest in distressed communities across the country to create, and connect workers to, good jobs and support long-term comprehensive economic development. The Recompete Pilot Program specifically targets areas with lower than the U.S. average labor participation by prime-age (25 to 54 years of age) workers (i.e., high prime-age employment gap) and strives to make targeted interventions to spark economic activity in such areas.
The program focuses on eligible geographic areas—Tribal lands, local labor markets, and local communities—that are experiencing low labor force participation. Part of the goal of this RFI is to identify the different interventions and approaches capable of making a discernible impact on prime-age employment and related indicators of economic distress, such as low household or per capita income.
EDA intends to run a rigorous, fair, and evidence-driven competition informed by the experiences of all stakeholders, economic development practitioners, and relevant policy research to guide program design, structure, and evaluation, and to ensure program impacts are distributed inclusively and equitably. This RFI is meant to encourage the field of workforce and economic development to provide evidence-based guidance that will be used to plan the implementation of the $200 million Recompete Pilot Program.
Specific Request for Information: . . .
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-03732