Arkansas Economic Development Commission

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division Of Science And Technology Division, a U.S. state government entity headquartered in Little Rock, operates as a federal grant recipient (100% prime awards, no subcontract presence) delivering affordable housing, homelessness prevention, community development, manufacturing extension, broadband planning, and digital equity services across Arkansas. The vendor does not hold federal contracts and does not compete under set-aside categories; instead, it receives formula and project grants directly from federal agencies as an eligible state-level Participating Jurisdiction and pass-through entity.

The commission's federal grant portfolio centers entirely on HUD's Community Planning and Development mission, which accounts for 38 of 47 total awards. The top grantor agencies are the Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development (38 awards, $1.29 billion combined obligation), the Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (5 awards), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (3 awards), and the Economic Development Administration (1 award). The HUD concentration reflects recurring formula-grant allocations across multiple programs: the Home Investment Partnerships Program (CFDA 14.239), Community Development Block Grants State Program (CFDA 14.201), Housing Trust Fund (CFDA 14.275), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (CFDA 14.241), Emergency Solutions Grant (CFDA 14.231), and Emergency Shelter Grants. Representative recent HUD work includes a $9.05 million HOME award effective March 2, 2026, running through September 30, 2034, for acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing and homebuyer assistance; a $3 million Housing Trust Fund formula grant (March 2, 2026, through March 2, 2033) for production and preservation of rental housing targeting extremely low-income households; a $2.27 million Emergency Solutions Grant (March 2, 2026, through March 1, 2028) funding street outreach, emergency shelter operations, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing; and a $1.48 million Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS formula award (March 2, 2026, through March 1, 2029) for tenant-based and facility-based rental assistance and supportive services for individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Outside HUD, the commission is a recipient under the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (CFDA 25.050), with a $400,000 cooperative agreement (June 1, 2023, through May 31, 2025) for supply chain optimization services and intelligence networking to assist Arkansas manufacturers in addressing supply chain gaps and diversifying supplier bases. The commission also holds three National Telecommunications and Information Administration grants: a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program award (December 1, 2022, through June 30, 2032) for broadband planning and pre-deployment activities to close unserved and underserved location gaps statewide; a State Digital Equity Planning grant (November 15, 2022, through March 13, 2024) to develop a statewide digital equity plan with sub-awards to Heartland Forward; and a Digital Equity Competitive grant (January 1, 2025, through May 9, 2025) for digital skills programs, device distribution, and community Wi-Fi access. The Economic Development Administration granted $1 million (January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024) under the American Rescue Plan Statewide Planning Program for economic development and climate resilience planning.

Activity has trended downward, declining from seven awards in 2022 to three in 2025, though four awards have arrived in 2026. Twelve awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, including the recent Housing Trust Fund, HOME, Emergency Solutions Grant, and HOPWA allocations due between December 2024 and March 2027, representing renewal and recompete cycles typical of HUD formula grant entitlements. The commission operates as a state pass-through entity for most awards, sub-awarding portions of HUD and NTIA grants to local service providers, nonprofit organizations, and regional partners to implement housing, homelessness services, broadband, and digital equity activities across Arkansas.