By Eric Smith, Director, Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, US Economic Development Administration
The deadline to apply for EDA’s FY22 “Build to Scale” programme is June 13, 2022. This year’s record US$45 million funding opportunity is designed to build capacity in regional innovation economies so that innovative technology companies can start and grow.
We’ve compiled some tips and resources for a successful grant applicant.
1. Get Started Early
Read the entire Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), follow instructions carefully, and pay close attention to the requirements, scoring criteria and required documents.
As a reminder, all applicant organizations need an identifier for federal awards processes. On April 4, 2022, that identifier changed from the DUNS number to the Unique Entity ID (UEI), issued by SAM.gov. It can take 3-4 weeks to get an UEI, so be sure to set up and verify your account early. Learn more about the transition here.
2. Ask Questions
Applicants can send questions to OIE@eda.gov. Get your questions in early as response time may vary based on staff capacity. Questions submitted before May 20, will be answered in EDA’s second applicant webinar recording, which will be published in late May.
3. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate
Think creatively about which organizations might be good partners on your proposal project. Bring stakeholders to the table and map your ecosystem to ensure that you are building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive project. EDA encourages you to create unique collaborations that will enable your project to support entrepreneurs and startups, including the commercialization of new technologies, that are creating technology-driven businesses and high-skilled, well-paying jobs of the future. Looking for inspiration?
4. Think About Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Accessibility
Competitive project applications will address the unique needs and challenges of underserved populations and communities that are underrepresented in innovation economies and will measure those population’s participation. Ultimately, projects should help make innovation economies more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.
5. Utilize EDA Resources
EDA’s website has many helpful tools. Start on the Build to Scale webpage here, where you can find Frequently Asked Questions, a One-Pager, a webinar recording and other resources.
We look forward to receiving your application! If this funding opportunity is not something that matches your organization’s strategic goals, we hope that you share this information in your networks!
