Project Grant AL54106

The Economic Development Administration awarded a $2.17 million Project Grant to Vilcap, Inc. to develop lasting investment infrastructure for technology startups led by founders of color in the Southeast region of the United States. Under the Resource Invests initiative funded through the agency's BUILD TO SCALE program (CFDA #11.024), Vilcap will work with the Black Innovation Alliance from November 2022 to April 2024 to launch infrastructure and a replicable model to improve...

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded a $642,910 Project Grant under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002) to Opportunity Alabama Inc., a non-profit organization focused on community revitalization, historic preservation, and economic development initiatives in Alabama. The funding supports Opportunity Alabama's efforts to drive impactful development by connecting projects, investors, and communities, with a particular emphasis on revitalizing historic areas and...

The Alabama State Association of Cooperatives (ASAC) was awarded a $750,000 Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Office of Advocacy and Outreach. The funding will support ASAC's provision of education and technical assistance to African American farmers and rural residents in a 20-county area of Alabama's Black Belt region from September 2022 through September 2025. The award is being made through the USDA's Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and...

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration awarded a $450,000 project grant to the Birmingham Business Alliance Foundation on May 20, 2021 under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program. The grant will fund market intelligence studies in Birmingham, AL to support the city's economic development efforts. The EAA program provides technical and planning assistance to regions facing adverse economic changes, and this award will help Birmingham assess business and industry...

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $1.5 million Project Grant to Innovate Mississippi under the BUILD TO SCALE federal grant program (CFDA 11.024) to develop the statewide ecosystem through the COBuilders Accelerator Project. The grant will fund a coordinated virtual accelerator unlocking resources like mentors, service providers, and investment capital across underrepresented regions in Mississippi. Over a 24-month period starting November 1, 2022,...

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded The West Alabama Chamber Foundation, Inc. a $2.0 million Project Grant on July 1, 2025, under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002) to support community facility development in Alabama through June 30, 2028. While the specific products and services to be delivered are not detailed in the award documentation, the funding aligns with ARC's strategic priorities, which typically include entrepreneurial and business development...

The New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) will receive $800,000 through September 2024 under a Project Grant from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration's BUILD TO SCALE federal grant program. NOLABA will establish the OurNOLA Fund, a $10 million equity-based investment fund to democratize investment access for millennials, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The Fund will appeal nationally to non-accredited investors to invest minimum amounts of $500 each,...

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $625,000 Project Grant to The Idea Village, Inc. under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program to develop a pipeline of startup activity across the New Orleans region. Funded activities will position New Orleans, particularly Opportunity Zones in downtown, as an innovation hub by empowering founders from diverse backgrounds to build technology-based businesses. This aims to help the local economy recover more...

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $1,054,468 Project Grant to Innovate Mississippi under the BUILD TO SCALE federal grant program (CFDA #11.024) to establish two regional angel funds in rural Mississippi. Specifically, the grant will fund the Mississippi Rural Angel Funds project to create the North Delta/Oxford Angel Fund and the Mississippi River Region Angel Fund. These two angel funds will invest in 20 early-stage Mississippi startups over three...

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham received an $840,000 project grant award from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration under the Economic Development Support for Planning Organizations federal grant program (CFDA 11.302). The funding will support the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for a six-county region in central Alabama through December 2025. As part of this EDA Planning program award, the Commission...