EDA grants available under the CARES Act

The U.S. Travel Association has brought to our attention the Economic Development Administration’s notice of funding opportunity for $1.5 billion in grants accessible under the CARES Act.

Eligible entities include state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations. Grants are permitted to be used for a number of purposes including travel and tourism related marketing efforts.

From their Newsletter:

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has released a notice of funding opportunity Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), along with a host of other resources, for the $1.5 billion in grants provided under the CARES Act, allowing eligible entities to begin applying for funding. Eligible entities include state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and tribes, and most importantly, the EDA specifically includes “travel and tourism-related marketing campaigns” among the eligible uses for these grants.

Now that the NOFO has been released, eligible grantees should submit grant applications to one of the six regional EDA offices, which will then determine which grant applications to fund. Grantees will be asked to explain clearly in their application how their project would “prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus” or respond to “economic injury as a result of coronavirus”—we expect that most applications from our industry will fall into the latter category.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their nearest regional EDA office before submitting an application.

Please see our updated fact sheet for more information, as well as the EDA’s FAQ page and other resources, and do not hesitate to reach out with questions.