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NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Federal Agency Name: Economic Development Administration (EDA or the Agency), 

U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

• Federal Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2023 Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program 

Phase 1 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO).

• Announcement Type and Date: Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO publishing EDA’s application submission 

requirements and application review procedures under the Regional Technology and Innovation 

Hub Program, as authorized by section 28 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 

1980, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 3722a). Effective date: May 12, 2023.

• Funding Opportunity Number: EDA-TECHHUBSPHASE1-2023

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.039, Regional Technology and 

Innovation Hub Program

• Dates: This is a two-phase competition. The deadline for Phase 1 applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Time on August 15, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or 

considered. Only those that are Designated as Technology Hubs in Phase 1 will be permitted to 

apply to Phase 2. It is anticipated that the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Phase 2 will be made 

available in fall 2023. 

EDA may amend, cancel, or withdraw the Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO at any time. All changes will be 

communicated via Grants.gov.

• Eligible Applicants: Pursuant to section 28(c) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 

1980 (15 U.S.C. § 3722a(c)), consortia are eligible applicants under this NOFO. An eligible consortium 

must include one or more of each of the following: (i) institutions of higher education, which may 

include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and MinorityServing Institutions; (ii) State, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions 

of a State, or a consortium thereof; (iii) industry groups or firms in relevant technology, innovation,

or manufacturing sectors; (iv) economic development organizations or similar entities focused 

primarily on improving science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or access to capital; and 

(v) labor organizations or workforce training organizations. See section A.1.b.iii. for additional 

requirements related to the consortia. See section C.1. of this NOFO for a list of other entities that 

may also be part of a consortium. 

Under this NOFO, EDA is not authorized to provide grants or cooperative agreements to individuals. 

Requests from individuals will not be considered for funding.

• Funding Opportunity Description: Subject to the availability of funds, awards made under this 

NOFO will seek to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments 

in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to become globally competitive Tech 

Hubs, within approximately ten years, in the technologies and industries of the future, and for those 

industries, companies, and the good jobs they create to start, grow, and remain in the United States. 
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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

FY 2023 EDA Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Phase 1

Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. Program Description............................................................................................................................... 4

1. Competition Structure and Program Information............................................................................... 4

2. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Tech Hubs Program......................................................................... 18

B. Federal Award Information .................................................................................................................. 18

1. What Funding Is Available Under this Announcement?.................................................................... 18

2. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards? How Long Will a Project’s Period 

of Performance Be? .......................................................................................................................... 19

C. Eligibility Information ........................................................................................................................... 19

1. Eligible Applicants.............................................................................................................................. 19

2. Cost Sharing or Matching .................................................................................................................. 21

D. Application and Submission Information ............................................................................................. 21

1. Obtaining an Application and Electronic Submission through EDGE ................................................ 22

2. Content and Form of Applications..................................................................................................... 22

3. Submission Dates and Times............................................................................................................. 26

4. Intergovernmental Review ................................................................................................................ 26

5. Funding Restrictions.......................................................................................................................... 27

6. Other Submission Requirements....................................................................................................... 27

7. EDGE Systems Issues ......................................................................................................................... 28

E. Application Review Information........................................................................................................... 28

1. Criteria, Review, and Selection Process............................................................................................. 28

2. Grants Officer’s Decision ................................................................................................................... 30

3. Review of Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov ...................................................... 31

F. Federal Award Administration Information ......................................................................................... 31

1. Federal Award Notice ........................................................................................................................ 31

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements............................................................................ 32

3. Reporting ........................................................................................................................................... 33
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G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact........................................................................................................ 33

H. Other Information ................................................................................................................................ 33

1. Right to Use Information ................................................................................................................... 34

2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure ............................................................................................ 34

3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction..................................................................... 34

4. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions....................................................... 35

5. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for Awards over $5 

Million............................................................................................................................................... 35

6. EDA’s Non-Relocation Policy ............................................................................................................. 35

7. NOFO Changes Communicated on Grants.gov.................................................................................. 36

8. Disclosure of Information .................................................................................................................. 36

9. Audit Requirements........................................................................................................................... 36

10. Fraud Awareness Training ................................................................................................................. 36

11. Office of Inspector General Rights and Responsibilities.................................................................... 36
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A. Program Description 

1. Competition Structure and Program Information

a. Competition Structure

Through the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program (Tech Hubs Program) and in line with 15 

U.S.C. § 3722a(b)(1), EDA seeks to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based 

investments in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to become globally 

competitive, within approximately ten years, in the technologies and industries of the future - and for 

those industries, companies, and the good jobs they create to start, grow, and remain in the United 

States. The Tech Hubs Program will support the modernization of United States manufacturing and 

improve commercialization and domestic production of innovative research. 

The Tech Hubs Program aims to identify regions where an EDA investment can catalyze self-sustaining, 

globally-competitive regions over the next 

decade, with each focused on a key technology 

focus area. To achieve this goal and fulfill 

statutory direction, EDA will run this competition 

with a focus on geographic diversity and equity in 

two phases through two separate Notices of 

Funding Opportunity (NOFO). 

In this Phase 1 NOFO, EDA will fund Strategy 

Development Grants and will Designate certain 

regions as Regional Technology and Innovation 

Hubs (Tech Hubs). Applicants to this Phase 1 

NOFO must choose whether they are pursuing a 

Strategy Development Grant, a Tech Hub

Designation, or both. Strategy Development 

Grants provide funding to awardees, and section 

A.1.c. discusses them in greater detail below.

Designation, on the other hand, is unfunded, but 

is a strong signal of a region’s potential and is a

prerequisite to applying to the Phase 2 NOFO, 

through which EDA will award Implementation 

funding. Section A.1.d. below discusses 

Designation in more detail.

In a future Phase 2 NOFO, Designated Tech Hubs 

will compete for funding for Implementation 

projects to help propel the region into a selfsustaining, globally competitive Tech Hub. Phase 2 Implementation funding is discussed in greater detail 

below in section A.1.e.

b. General Requirements

EDA expects applicants to address several general requirements in their Tech Hubs Competition

application materials (see section D.2. below).

How do I know what to apply for?

Designation 

Only

“Our region is ready to apply for 

Implementation funding and does 

not need a Strategy Development 

Grant to further organize.”

Both

Designation 

and a Strategy 

Development 

Grant

“Our region is close to ready to 

apply for Implementation funding, 

and additional resources would 

strengthen our coordination, 

planning, and Phase 2 application

development.”

A Strategy 

Development 

Grant Only

“Our region has relevant assets, 

resources, capacity, and/or 

potential, but we need to do 

significantly more coordination and 

planning to be ready for 

Implementation funding. We do not 

wish to apply for Implementation 

funding this year.”

Whether a region chooses to apply for a Strategy 

Development Grant won’t affect EDA’s Designation 

decisions—each will be evaluated separately. See 

sections D.2., E.1.a., and E.1.b.
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i. What constitutes a region for purposes of the Tech Hubs Competition?

EDA defines a Hub’s geography as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or a similar area (including 

Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs) or tightly interconnected combinations of MSAs and/or μSAs)1 with 

a concentration of assets, capital, R&D, labor market, and infrastructure strongly relevant to the Hub’s 

selected core technology area, the Hub’s identified market opportunity, and its potential to become 

globally competitive in that area within a decade. Applicants should identify their chosen geography as 

part of their application. Applicants should consider their chosen geography as the nexus of the Tech 

Hub but may include partnerships outside that geography as part of the hub. Consortia may include 

assets or members outside the chosen geography—e.g., in nonmetro rural areas or partnerships with 

geographically distant but tightly mission-aligned organizations—that support the consortia’s strategy 

and benefit the Hub.

ii. What technologies are considered key focus areas?

A consortium must select and its application must clearly identify a selected core technology area within 

or at the intersection of one or more of the key technology focus areas (KTFAs) listed below that the 

Tech Hub, if Designated, will focus on (see the diagram below for examples of potential relationships

between KFTAs and selected core technology areas). 

The key technology focus areas under this NOFO are:

(1) Artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, and related advances;

(2) High performance computing, semiconductors, and advanced computer hardware and 

software;

(3) Quantum information science and technology;

(4) Robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing;

(5) Natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or mitigation;

(6) Advanced communications technology and immersive technology;

(7) Biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, antd synthetic biology;

(8) Data storage, data management, distributed ledger technologies, and cybersecurity, including 

biometrics;

(9) Advanced energy and industrial efficiency technologies, such as batteries and advanced 

nuclear technologies, including but not limited to for the purposes of electric generation 

(consistent with 42 U.S.C. § 1874); and

(10) Advanced materials science, including composites 2D materials, other next-generation 

materials, and related manufacturing technologies.

This list is drawn from 42 U.S.C. § 19107, as directed by the Tech Hubs statute.

2 The Tech Hub may 

select a core technology area that falls within a single KTFA or crosses multiple KTFAs where the Hub has 

the potential to become within a reasonable time a self-sustaining, globally competitive leader in that

selected core technology area’s market. EDA encourages each consortium to identify a selected core 

technology area with a defined market opportunity and for which the consortium has a clearly 

articulable competitive advantage. EDA will seek to Designate regions that have chosen their most 

1 See https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-maps/2020/demo/state-maps.html for current maps of 

MSAs and μSAs. Note that these delineations are scheduled to be updated in the coming months. 2 The National Science Foundation is required to review and update this list annually. For the purposes of both 

Phases 1 and 2 of the Tech Hubs Competition, EDA is relying on the initial list enacted by Congress at 42 U.S.C. § 

19107(c).
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significant technological strength from the above list as opposed to more nascent or less resourced 

technology areas.

Illustrations of potential relationships among Key Technology Focus Areas (KFTAs) and a coalition’s 

selected core technology areas

Note that the Tech Hubs program is not intended to fund basic and fundamental research nor activities 

intended to increase capacity to conduct such research; the National Science Foundation and other 

agencies fund such activities. Instead, the Tech Hubs program is intended to advance the capacities of 

places to commercialize, deploy, and domestically manufacture and deliver these technologies. All 

projects funded under both phases of the Tech Hubs Program should increase the speed and 

effectiveness with which industry and other organizations transition technologies upward from 

Technology Readiness Levels six through nine.

3

iii. What entities are eligible to apply for Strategy Development Grants, Designation, and 

Implementation Grants?

Consortia are eligible to apply for Designation and for grants under both phases of the Tech Hubs 

Program. For purposes of this program, each consortium must include at least one of each of the 

following entity types (see section C.1. for statutory citations for some entity types):

(1) Institutions of higher education, which may include Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions;

(2) State, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions of a State, 

including State and local agencies, or a consortium thereof;

(3) Industry groups or firms in relevant technology, innovation, or manufacturing sectors;

3 Different objectives and technology domains require different TRL definitions, but most TRL scales have nine 

levels. See, e.g., U.S. Government Accountability Office, Technology Readiness Assessment Guide, GAO-20-48G, 

App. IV at 115-21 (Jan. 2020), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-48g.pdf. Because this program 

seeks to advance technologies across a broad array of domains, EDA is not selecting specific TRL definitions but is 

adopting the common nine-level structure.

KTFA #1 KTFA #2

KTFA 

#3
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(4) Economic development organizations or similar entities that are focused primarily on 

improving science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or access to capital; and

(5) Labor organizations or workforce training organizations, which may include State and local 

workforce development boards.

EDA encourages two or more firms directly relevant to the consortium’s selected core technology area 

to participate as members of the consortium. EDA will be evaluating the quality of the firms’ proposed 

participation in the consortium, rather than the quantity of firms participating in it. EDA also 

encourages the participation of labor organizations, including state labor federations, or other 

organizations representing workers as direct members of the consortium. EDA expects that all consortia 

members, including labor unions and federations, will be given equal opportunity to participate in 

consortia planning efforts. 

Consortia may also include one or more of:

(1) Economic development entities with relevant expertise, including a district organization;

(2) Organizations that contribute to increasing the participation of underserved populations in 

science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship;

(3) Venture development organizations;

(4) Organizations that promote local economic stability, high-wage domestic jobs, and broadbased economic opportunities, such as employee ownership membership associations and 

State or local employee ownerships and cooperative development centers, financial 

institutions and investment funds, including community development financial institutions 

and minority depository institutions;

(5) Elementary schools and secondary schools, including area career and technical education 

schools;

(6) National Laboratories;

(7) Federal laboratories;

(8) Manufacturing extension centers;

(9) Manufacturing USA Institutes;

(10) Transportation planning organizations;

(11) Cooperative extension services;

(12) Organizations that represent the perspectives of underserved communities in economic 

development initiatives; and

(13) Institutions receiving an award under the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional 

Innovation Engines program.

EDA will evaluate the consortium based on the quality of the partnerships and the relevance of the 

members to the consortium’s strategy, rather than on the quantity of participating members. See 

section E.1. of this NOFO for guidance on how EDA will evaluate the quality of the assembled consortia. 

A more complete description of the above entities may be found in section C.1. of this NOFO.
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iv. Are there any special considerations on how we organize the consortia?

EDA does not require that the consortium have a formal 

legal structure (i.e., a contractual arrangement or publicprivate partnership). EDA, however, does expect that 

consortium members are actively collaborating and 

aligned behind the content of their Phase 1 application. 

EDA requires that each consortium identify a lead 

consortium member, which commits to:

• be the principal applicant for the Phase 1 Strategy 

Development Grant and/or Phase 1 Designation;

• serve as EDA’s main point of contact during the 

competition and implementation;

• be the employer of the Regional Innovation 

Officer (RIO) or have an established relationship 

with that employer (see below for a description 

of the purpose of the RIO);

• serve as the central coordinator of the consortium by leading or otherwise having a significant 

role in the consortium’s governance;

• convene public, private, academic, labor, and civic leaders to facilitate regional cohesiveness in 

maximizing the region’s competitiveness;

• establish and maintain communication between the consortium and EDA to enable and 

accelerate collaboration and support; and

• ensure funding and other assistance provided by EDA and any other partners are absorbed 

effectively within communities.

In the event the consortium is Designated in Phase 1 and wins a Phase 2 Implementation award, the 

lead member will have additional duties related to the ongoing governance structure of the collection of 

implementation projects funded to ensure they remain cohesive and coordinated. Governance in this 

context means ensuring that the consortium is communicating and coordinating activities and 

outcomes. The lead member may also receive funding for specific implementation project(s) in Phase 2.

These details will be further addressed in the forthcoming Phase 2 NOFO.

As well as identifying a lead, EDA expects letters of commitment from all the other members of the 

consortium (or one letter with signatures from all members) evidencing that each consortium member 

has read the application and is committed to executing its roles, responsibilities, or commitments 

related to the Tech Hub. Such commitments might expand and become more specific in Phase 2, 

including applying for and executing an individual component project or making hiring, match funding, 

or policy change commitments for the overall benefit of the competitiveness of the Tech Hub.

EDA also expects that the exact membership of the consortium may change over time and views it as a 

success if more members join or the membership is refined to reflect the exact parameters of the Phase 

1 Strategy Development grant or, if Designated as a Tech Hub, the strategy that emerges in the 

consortium’s application for a Phase 2 Implementation Grant.

v. What is the purpose of the Regional Innovation Officer?

A common problem within regional innovation ecosystems is the lack of cross-institutional leadership. 

While chambers of commerce and other civic institutions represent the regional economy, the rules, 

Are EDA Build Back Better Regional 

Challenge (BBBRC) Finalists and Winners 

eligible to participate in the Tech Hubs 

Competition?

Yes, provided that they meet the other 

eligibility criteria for the Tech Hubs 

competition and, if they are applying for 

funding, are only seeking funding for a 

scope of work separate from what was 

funded under BBBRC. They may apply to 

this NOFO, in some cases with different 

geographic boundaries (see section 

A.1.b.i.) and/or different consortium 

members.
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processes, and programs that drive innovation can be locked within firms and research institutions. This 

fragmentation of practices can hurt a region’s ability to increase its scale and make it difficult for 

external firms, investors, entrepreneurs, and workers to collaborate and succeed in the region. The 

purpose of the RIO is to encourage each region to identify a strong individual to lead its overall 

innovation agenda. While some coalitions will not have their RIOs identified in Phase 1, EDA expects 

each applicant at a minimum to have articulated a clear plan for identifying the individual and to have 

described clearly the profile of the future RIO. For those with an identified RIO, EDA requires applicants 

to provide their resume. Among their responsibilities, the RIO will be accountable for ensuring clear and 

effective governance and leadership of the consortium.

vi. How should applicants consider climate and environmental responsibility?

The Department understands that industries can both reduce their environmental impact and further 

their competitive advantage by pursuing net-zero goals and accounting for current and future weatherand climate-related risks. Applicants are expected to design their projects to minimize the potential for 

adverse impacts on the environment and the local community, including communities with 

environmental justice concerns. Applicants should also account for or have a plan to account for current 

and future weather- and climate-related risks, such as wildfires, droughts, extreme heat and cold, inland 

and coastal flooding, and the extreme winds produced by tornadoes, hurricanes, and other weather 

events.

vii. How should applicants consider equity?

Consistent with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved 

Communities through the Federal Government and Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial 

Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and EDA’s Equity 

Investment Priority, EDA expects projects to advance equity to underserved and underrepresented 

populations4 to the extent practicable. 

Specifically, applicants are expected to articulate which populations or communities will benefit from 

the project and how the project will provide for inclusive community engagement, ensuring that the 

economic benefits of the project will be shared by all communities in the project area, including any 

underserved communities.

c. Strategy Development Grants

An applicant to the Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO may apply for a Strategy Development Grant. Such grants 

are intended to facilitate a region to prepare to apply for an Implementation Grant or to prepare for 

potential future rounds of Designation, if EDA receives additional Tech Hubs appropriations. There are 

consortia that may be strong candidates for Designation (discussed below in section A.1.d.) that may not 

have a compelling case for a Strategy Development Grant. As such, a Strategy Development Grant 

should help the consortium significantly increase local coordination and planning activities to be more 

competitive on the seven items discussed in the Designation section below (A.1.d.). Applications will be 

evaluated based on how well they do that.

Strategy Development Grants may fund the following types of activities:

4 Underserved and underrepresented populations and communities include but are not limited to persons who 

rent their home, racial and ethnic minorities, limited English proficiency (LEP) populations, persons with 

disabilities, and racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty, among other communities.
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(1) Coordination of a locally defined planning processes, across jurisdictions and agencies, relating 

to developing a comprehensive regional technology strategy;

(2) Identification of regional partnerships for developing and implementing a comprehensive

regional technology strategy;

(3) Implementation or updating of assessments to determine regional needs and capabilities;

(4) Development or updating of goals and strategies to implement an existing comprehensive

regional plan;

(5) Identification or implementation of planning, local zoning, and other changes to code, law, or 

policy necessary to implement a comprehensive regional technology strategy; 

(6) Development of plans for promoting broad-based economic growth, creating good paying 

jobs, assessing job quality,

5 and helping students and workers gain the skills for, secure, and 

advance in good jobs and careers to develop a qualified workforce related to the consortium’s 

selected core technology area within a region; 

(7) Hiring of the coalition’s RIO to lead the overall effort; and

(8) Activities necessary to prepare for strategy implementation, which may include workforce 

development strategies and environmental and engineering documentation, if applicable.

In submitting the required application materials (see section D.2. below), the applicant should describe

its proposed planning activities in the required Project Narrative, whether included on the above list or 

additional.

In addition, EDA will ensure geographic diversity and representation in the awarding of Strategy 

Development Grants. Thus, by statute:

(1) Not fewer than one-third of Strategy Development Grants must go to eligible consortia that 

significantly benefit a small and rural community6 and 

(2) Not fewer than one-third of grants must go to eligible consortia that include as a member of 

the consortia at least one member that is a State or territory that is eligible to receive funding 

from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) of the National 

Science Foundation.

7 EPSCoR States and territories are set through FY 2027 and include 

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, 

North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, 

US Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

These two categories may overlap such that one grantee may count toward meeting both requirements.

EDA expects each applicant to identify those geographic criteria that might apply to their respective 

region in their application materials (see section D.2. below).

By statute, Strategy Development Grants may not be used as a prerequisite for Implementation Grants. 

5 See, e.g., https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles. 6 “The term ‘small and rural community’ means a noncore area, a micropolitan area, or a small metropolitan 

statistical area with a population of not more than 250,000.” 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(a)(8). 7 EPSCoR States are determined annually by the National Science Foundation (NSF) based on the proportion of NSF 

funding each State receives within certain periods of time. See 42 U.S.C. § 13503(b)(3) (2021); NAT’L SCI. FOUND., 

EPSCoR Criteria for Eligibility, https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/epscor/epscor-criteria-eligibility (last visited 

Feb. 14, 2023).
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d. Designation

An applicant to the Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO may apply to be Designated as a Regional Technology and 

Innovation Hub. Only applicants Designated at the conclusion of Phase 1 of the Competition will be 

permitted to apply for Implementation Grants under the Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO.

Designation is a strong signal from EDA about a region’s assets, resources, and capabilities, including

that the region is in a position where an investment over the next five years can catalyze their 

emergence over the next decade as a self-sustainable, globally competitive region in a particular

technological area(s). EDA’s evaluation of a region’s potential is detailed in section E.1. and must be 

addressed in the applicant’s application materials (see section D.2. below).

For a consortium to demonstrate that their region is ready for Designation, they should address:

(1) Technology-based potential of the region for global competitiveness: Consistent with 15 U.S.C. 

§3722a(b)(1)(C)(i), the Tech Hubs Program is intended to enable US leadership in technology 

and innovation sectors critical to national and economic security. Therefore, a Designated Tech 

Hub should be in a position to become globally competitive in a KTFA within the next decade, if 

they receive a Phase 2 Implementation award and any additional, expected commitments. In 

Phase 2 of this program, EDA expects to award approximately $50-75 million ($65 million on 

average) to each Phase 2 Implementation Grant awardee toward this goal, so the ability of that 

level of funding to help catalyze a region into being globally competitive will be particularly 

germane, though not determinative. To show their potential to be globally competitive, the 

region must inventory the existing assets, resources, and capabilities of the region—including 

relevant companies and their commitments to specific actions and approaches that support the 

region’s growth—that will be enhanced or brought together with the EDA funding. In this vein, 

applicants should identify relevant ongoing State and local development programs and 

investment from other relevant Federal programs—such as the National Science Foundation’s

(NSF’s) Regional Innovation Engines, Department of Energy programs, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture Rural Development programs, education and training programs from the 

Departments of Education and Labor, and National Institute of Standards and Technology 

programs—that will complement and amplify their impact (and that will not duplicate those 

other investments). EDA will not fund basic and fundamental research nor activities intended to 

increase capacity to conduct such research—regions should demonstrate significant existing 

market-relevant scientific capacity. EDA will also not fund a region that, absent EDA funding, is

on a clear path to global competitiveness. Applicants should clearly describe the nature and 

magnitude of the consortium’s selected core technology area’s economic opportunity, including, 

e.g., reasonable, data-based, and justified forecasts of the future size of the global market, the 

region’s future share of that market, and the number and earning potential of related jobs. 

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(1) (potential to 

advance development, deployment, and domestic manufacturing KTFA) and (12) (sustainability of the 

consortium).

(2) Role of the private sector: A Designated Tech Hub—including its consortium—should have 

clear, prominent, and strong private sector participation, especially from firms in the 

consortium’s selected core technology. EDA encourages two or more firms in the consortium’s 

selected core technology to participate as direct members of the consortium. EDA also 

encourages the consortium’s strategy to recognize the importance of private capital that meets 

the needs of technologies and companies at various stages in their development and maturity. 
Page 12 of 37

The robustness of the private sector’s commitment to and ability to benefit from the region’s 

strategy and EDA’s investments—including startups, existing firms in cluster, other firms in the 

supply chain, small-and-medium sized and employee-owned businesses and cooperatives, and 

venture and financial institutions8

—will be one factor that will be considered. There are many 

ways the private sector can be an important partner, including commitments of funding, 

investments, hiring, good labor and business practices, or community ties. EDA expects regions 

to articulate their own strategy. The application must include written documentation from each 

firm in the consortium, evidencing that each firm has read the application and is committed to 

executing its role in the consortium, including any specific commitments (e.g., funding, hiring).

As with all letters of support, EDA puts a premium on quality over quantity.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(4) (engagement

with the private sector to commercialize new technologies and improve the resiliency and sustainability 

of domestic supply chains in sectors critical to national security and economic competitiveness) and (7)

(partnerships with sources of private investment in support of private sector activity).

(3) Regional coordination & partnerships: For a consortium to successfully become globally 

competitive, there must be strong alignment and a shared strategic vision amongst all the 

consortium’s membership. EDA would like to understand how the sum of the consortium 

members is greater than its parts. In that regard, any history of working together in the past and 

achieving concrete successes will be relevant. EDA recognizes and expects that consortium 

membership may change over the course of the Competition, especially between Phase 1 and 

Phase 2: new members may join, and, as the consortium’s plans solidify, the involvement of 

particular members may become more or less relevant. Designation requires a holistic 

understanding of the relevant regional institutions and assets, a clear collaboration model, and 

strong leadership.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(8) (organization of

activities of regional partners) and (11) (alignment of education institutions activities with selected core 

technology area).

(4) Equity & diversity: EDA expects applicants to describe clearly how the consortium and other 

partners and stakeholders will actively engage underserved communities in planning and how 

benefits from the tech hub will be shared equitably, which may include but are not limited to

increasing the number of high-wage, high-quality domestic jobs—including union jobs—

available to residents in the Tech Hub; removing barriers to good jobs, particularly for those 

without college degrees who are disproportionately from underserved communities, including 

by partnering with community colleges; creating new economic opportunities for economically 

disadvantaged and underrepresented populations (including rural populations); increasing 

opportunities for minority business enterprises and socially and economically disadvantaged 

individual owned businesses; and building and retaining wealth in the region as part of 

supporting broad-based economic growth. EDA seeks evidence-driven equity and inclusion 

initiatives, including those that effectively support more historically underrepresented 

innovators and those that focus on a core technology area that includes significant job 

8 As described in section C.1. this includes community development financial institutions and minority depository 

institutions.
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opportunities for a wide range of skill and experience levels. Consortium members’ historical 

commitments to equity and diversity and their prior concrete successes related to equity and 

diversity will be relevant. The application should include letters of support from entities that 

represent underserved communities, businesses, and workers. As with all letters of support, 

EDA puts a premium on quality over quantity.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(2) (creating new 

economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged and underrepresented populations), (5)

(partnerships with community colleges, HBCUs, MSIs, Tribal Colleges and Universities), (6) (STEM 

opportunities), (9) (support of local and regional businesses through procurement), and (10) (ensure 

that growth produces opportunities across the region and for economically disadvantaged, minority, 

underrepresented and rural populations; consider affordable housing availability and primary and 

secondary education).

(5) Composition and capacity of the regional workforce: To become globally competitive, a region 

must not only have an R&D advantage in one or more KTFAs, but also have the workforce and 

workforce development systems necessary to scale. Once the technology becomes more 

widespread, the region needs to demonstrate the ability to maintain its competitiveness and 

scale the regional workforce in the consortium’s selected core technology area, including 

opportunities for workers with relevant skills but without four-year college degrees and 

strategies to retain both U.S. and foreign-born students in the region as entrepreneurs and 

workers. Applications should include qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the current 

regional workforce, specifically the subsets most relevant to the consortium’s selected core 

technology area. The application should describe further how the region will grow and evolve its 

STEM workforce—including by developing pipelines from within the region itself and its 

underserved populations—to continue to meet the needs of companies and research 

institutions in the consortium’s selected core technology area (and its supply and value chains), 

whether with existing or new workforce development capacity, in line with DOC’s workforce 

best practices9 and Commerce and Labor Departments’ Good Jobs Principles.

10 Applications also 

should describe how workforce development programs and organizations representing workers, 

including labor organizations, will collaborate within the consortium and region to increase job 

quality and the quantity of good jobs in the selected core technology area.

11 EDA encourages 

labor organizations, labor federations, or organizations representing workers to participate as 

direct participants in the consortium.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(1) (potential to 

advance development, deployment, and domestic manufacturing of technologies critical to national 

security and economic competitiveness), (2) (likelihood of positive regional economic effect, including 

increasing the number of high wage domestic jobs), (5) (workforce development and skills acquisition 

9 See https://www.commerce.gov/issues/workforce-development. 10 For more information on what constitutes a good job, see https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles. 11 Collaborations could include labor-management training programs or increasing access to debt-free or 

affordable high-quality preparation for those jobs through, e.g., Registered Apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship 

programs, and Career and Technical Education programs.
Page 14 of 37

programming), and (10) (ensure that growth produces opportunity across the identified region and for 

economically disadvantaged, minority, underrepresented and rural populations).

(6) Innovative “lab to market” approaches: A critical element of becoming a Tech Hub is 

successfully translating science into market opportunities. EDA intends to encourage and reward 

regions that can identify new and/or scaled-up proven existing models (e.g., innovative 

procurement policies and practices) that will overcome commercialization barriers and bring 

technologies and ideas to the market. Applicants, teams, and institutions should primarily 

pursue technology transfer policies and programs that promote global competitiveness (not 

those that merely promote pure academic research output), that leverage the resources of their 

key R&D assets, and that prioritize U.S. technology creation and production while promoting

U.S. ownership of intellectual property (IP). Applicants should discuss methods of translating 

research into local economic competitiveness (e.g., specific programs, policies, incentives and 

practices)—including evidence that supports the success of those methods. Applicants should 

also discuss the new or scaled-up programs and policies consortium members plan to pursue.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(3) (leverage the 

resources of federally funded research and development), (9) (support local and regional businesses 

through procurement), and (11) (alignment of education institutions’ activities).

(7) Impact on economic and national security of the entire United States: The Tech Hubs Program 

is designed to bolster regional competitiveness to strengthen the United States’ leadership in 

technologies critical to economic and national security and that will create jobs and domestic 

production in the United States. As a new tool to support American domestic and foreign policy, 

the Tech Hubs program requires that applicants clearly articulate how their success at becoming 

globally competitive in their selected core technology area supports national priorities. 

Economic and national security are tightly intertwined with a variety of national priorities 

ranging among climate change, supply chain resiliency, accelerating the pace of innovation in 

critical technologies, and beyond.12 Successful applicants will focus their strategies and 

investments in areas that serve their regional economies as well as U.S. economic and national 

security and will demonstrate the likelihood of positive regional economic effect.

This requirement includes the statutory considerations found at 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(h)(1) (critical to 

national security and economic competitiveness), (2) (building and retaining wealth in the region), (12)

(durability of the consortium’s impacts), and (13) (enhance economic, environmental, and energy 

security of the U.S. by promoting domestic innovative clean technologies and advanced manufacturing 

practices).

Additionally, by statute, EDA is required to Designate at least 20 Tech Hubs while seeking to comply with

the following geographic constraints:

12 The following strategies are helpful in identifying the technology’s impact on national security considerations: 

the 100-day supply chain reviews produced pursuant to Executive Order 14017, Building Resilient Supply Chains, 

Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth; the National Security Strategy’s (Oct. 

2022) discussion of climate change and other technological areas; Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate 

Crisis at Home and Abroad; and CHIPS for America, A Strategy for the CHIPS for America Fund.
Page 15 of 37

(1) At least three Tech Hubs are Designated in each area covered by an EDA Regional Office. See 

the below map depicting the States covered by each EDA Regional Office. Note that the 

Seattle Regional Office covers Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific U.S. Territories while the 

Philadelphia Regional Office covers the Atlantic U.S. Territories.

(2) Not fewer than one-third of Designated eligible consortia significantly benefit a small and rural 

community.

(3) Not fewer than one-third of Designated eligible consortia include as a member of the 

consortia at least one member that is a State or territory that is eligible to receive funding 

from the EPSCoR of the NSF. Again, EPSCoR States and territories are set through FY 2027 and 

include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, 

North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, 

US Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

(4) At least one Designated eligible consortium is headquartered in a low population State13 that 

is eligible to receive funding from the EPSCoR of the NSF. States that meet this definition 

include Alaska, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, 

West Virginia, and Wyoming.

13 The term “low population State” means a State without an urbanized area with a population greater than 

250,000 as reported in the decennial census.
Page 16 of 37

(5) Designate two additional tech hubs based on the extent to which the regional technology and 

innovation hub significantly engages and benefits underserved communities in and near 

metropolitan areas.

Consortia may fulfill one or more of the above five requirements. 

Further, in Designating eligible consortia, EDA encourages eligible consortia to leverage institutions of 

higher education serving populations historically underrepresented in STEM, including Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions to 

significantly benefit an area or region. 

Lastly, in Designating eligible consortia, EDA encourages proposals from eligible consortia that would 

significantly benefit an area or region whose economy significantly relies on or has recently relied on 

coal, oil, or natural gas production or development.

EDA expects each applicant to identify those geographic criteria that might apply to their respective 

region in their application materials (see section D.2. below). 

e. Implementation Grants

Given that EDA will award Implementation Grants competitively under the Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO to a 

subset of consortia Designated under the Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO, it is instructive to understand the 

types of activities that might be funded with Implementation Grants. 

Implementation Grants can fund a wide range of non-construction and construction activities that aim 

to increase regional capacity across the following four broad categories: workforce development, 

business and entrepreneur development, technology maturation, and infrastructure.14 This large suite of 

eligible activities is designed to meet the individual needs of a particular region and what it specifically 

needs to catalyze it becoming a sustainable, globally competitive Tech Hub in its consortium’s selected

core technology area. EDA expects workforce development activities to be in line with DOC’s workforce 

best practices15, support placement into good jobs, including union jobs, and incorporate worker input

into their design and delivery.

16

In each Tech Hub selected for Implementation Grants, EDA expects to fund approximately 3-8 tightly 

aligned projects that aim to collectively address the region’s key inhibitors of global competitiveness at a 

total funding level of approximately $50-75 million ($65 million on average) for each Tech Hub that is 

selected under the Phase 2 NOFO for Implementation funding.

17

Investment Examples within the Regional Tech Hubs Program

Like a previous EDA competition, the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (see 

https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/american-rescue-plan/build-back-better), the Tech Hubs 

Program seeks to invest in multiple, simultaneous, interconnected projects that accelerate regional 

economic development. The Tech Hubs Program is aggressively focused on investing in activities that 

14 See 15 U.S.C. § 3722a(f)(2) for a more comprehensive list of allowable activities within these four broad 

categories.

15 See https://www.commerce.gov/issues/workforce-development. 16 For more information on what constitutes a good job, see https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles. 17 The statutory authority envisions possible future investments for consortia that receive Implementation funding. 

This may be possible in the future depending on future Congressional appropriations. 
Page 17 of 37

will enable a region that already has R&D assets in a manner that catalyzes their emergence over the 

next decade as self-sustainably, globally economically competitive in its selected core technology area. 

For example, such an investment might be highly targeted within several interrelated projects that will 

leverage existing technical expertise to accelerate both the regional economy and American 

competitiveness, such as the following:

• a “first of its kind”, world-class demonstration facility or testbed that provides startups access to 

shared facilities to bring products and services in a consortium’s selected core technology area to 

market faster;

• a strategy to bring entrepreneurship- and industry-focused faculty researchers and innovators to the 

university and national lab that have a proven track record of creating new startups in a 

consortium’s selected core technology area (researchers would have joint appointments at the lab, 

university, and private sector companies);

• a program that ensures workers collaborate directly in the demonstration of new technologies to 

inform the design of those technologies—as well as their deployment, production, and delivery—

with the perspective, experience, and input of workers;

• the re-purposing of an existing site or facility (such as a former auto or coal plant or other 

brownfield) to promote the advance of the core technology;

• a network of industry-focused workforce training programs via which workers would be trained on 

cutting edge technologies on the job or at the demonstration facility;

• partnerships with organizations that support employer adoption of hiring and employment practices 

that tap into the talents of existing workers and remove barriers to good jobs, such as skills-based 

recruitment and hiring practices;

• a technology supply chain program that helps existing small manufacturers throughout the region 

purchase the necessary equipment and hire workers that allow it to transition into domestic 

manufacturing in the supply chains of the consortium’s selected core technology area (small 

businesses would have access to the demonstration facility to try out new machinery);

• an “Office of Regional Innovation” led by the new RIO to spearhead the entire industry transition 

strategy, ensure common industry engagement between the labs and universities and oversee 

industry partnerships at the new demonstration facility and ensure they are well-staffed with 

industry-focused economic development and technology practitioners; 

• a region-wide strategy, specific to the consortium-selected core technology area, to blend and braid 

multiple funding sources and programs around industry’s needs related to the consortium’s selected 

core technology area; and

• a capital networks strategy that crowds in and syndicates significant follow-on funding.

Policy Examples within the Regional Tech Hubs Program 

EDA recognizes most regions will need to undertake significant new commercialization policies and 

programming to accelerate their growth and achieve global competitiveness. While EDA acknowledges 

many new policies will not be ready within the Phase 1 application period, it is highly likely that EDA will 

fund implementation strategies in Phase 2 that are paired with commitments to institute creative and 

impactful commercialization policy changes that may not require EDA funding to implement. The Tech 

Hubs Program offers maximum flexibility to fund or otherwise support new public and regional policies,

and regions are encouraged to describe in applications for Designation and for Strategy Development 

Grants the types of policy changes they are considering, such as:

• region-wide standardization of licensing and technology transfer rules among research 

institutions;
Page 18 of 37

• innovation voucher programs that enable researchers to provide technical (including but not 

limited to legal, engineering, capital, etc.) support to small-and-medium sized manufacturers;

• criteria for evaluating faculty and staff performance which include efforts that promote 

economic development;

• investments “outside the fence” at national labs, including micro-labs and other pre-competitive 

environments that connect labs to industry;

• private sector R&D facilities that provide access to researchers to accelerate commercial 

outcomes;

• strategies to build local talent pipelines to increase the number of high-skilled—including both 

U.S. and foreign-born—students retained in the region as entrepreneurs and workers;

• commitments of endowments and other sources of regional capital to invest in regional startups

that are committed to domestic manufacturing;

• coordination between regional entrepreneurship ecosystem organizations, including 

standardized outcome reporting;

• how the consortium will better ensure affordable housing availability, especially as the region 

covered by the consortium accelerates its growth;

• a supplier diversity program, including proactive commitments to supplier diversity and working 

with supplier diversity organizations to grow a pool of diverse domestic suppliers;

• partnerships between research institutions and labor unions or organizations representing 

workers that incorporate workers earlier and more intensively in the R&D and 

commercialization processes;

• expanding innovative repurposing for power plant, auto, and other communities as our country 

transitions to a net-zero greenhouse gas economy; and

• public, private, and university sector institutions that create new leadership positions meant to 

accelerate technology-based global competitiveness.

EDA aims to provide maximum flexibility both in terms of what the Tech Hubs Program can fund as well 

as what constitutes a meaningful policy commitment. The above examples are not meant to be an 

exhaustive list but are examples of investments and policy changes consortia might consider. EDA 

encourages other creative ideas to shift a region’s academic, research, and innovation incentives to 

those that promote global competitiveness. 

2. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Tech Hubs Program

The statutory authority for this program is section 28 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 

Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. § 3722a). 

B. Federal Award Information

1. What Funding Is Available Under this Announcement?

Across the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 and the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations 

Act, 2023 (both enacted in Public Law 117-328), Congress appropriated EDA $500,000,000 to remain 

available until expended to implement the Tech Hubs Program. 

If an applicant is awarded funding, neither DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any future 

funding in connection with that award or to make any future award(s). Amendments or renewals of an 

award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance are at the sole discretion of DOC and 

EDA.
Page 19 of 37

Publication of this announcement does not obligate DOC or EDA to award any specific grant or 

cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any part of available funds. The granting of any award is 

subject to the availability of funds at the time of award as well as to DOC priorities at the time of award.

Neither DOC nor EDA will be held responsible for application preparation costs.

Applicants to this Phase 1 NOFO must choose whether they are pursuing a Strategy Development Grant, 

a Tech Hub Designation, or both. EDA anticipates approximately $15,000,000 in total being awarded in 

Phase 1 as Strategy Development Grants. Such grants will at maximum be awarded between 

approximately $400,000 and $500,000 in federal funds each depending on the level of local match for 

which they qualify (see section below C.2.a.). Designation itself does not come with any funding, 

although EDA may award a Strategy Development Grant to a Designated Tech Hub. Designation also 

serves as a prerequisite to applying to the Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO, through which Implementation 

Grants will be awarded. If a consortium would like to apply for Implementation funding this year, it 

should apply for Designation under this Phase 1 NOFO. EDA expects to Designate at least 20 Tech Hubs 

during Phase 1. See the text box on p. 1 of this NOFO for examples of who might consider applying for a 

Strategy Development Grant, Designation, or both. Under Phase 2, EDA anticipates funding 5-10 Tech 

Hub Implementation Grants between $50,000,000-75,000,000 (an average rate of $65,000,000) each, 

though the amounts will vary depending on the constituent projects, location of the Tech Hub, and the 

consortium’s selected core technology area. The individual award amount will vary by Tech Hub cluster 

and will depend on the nature and cost of the proposed component projects. 

Depending on demand under this NOFO, EDA may exercise its discretion to adjust the total amount 

available between the Phase 1 and Phase 2 NOFOs to ensure funds are used to maximum effect and to 

determine the total number of Hubs it Designates.

2. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards? How Long Will a Project’s 

Period of Performance Be?

Funding Instrument: Subject to the availability of funds, EDA may award grants or cooperative 

agreements to eligible applicants for Strategy Development Grants. EDA will award a cooperative 

agreement on a case-by-case basis if substantial agency involvement is required. For a cooperative 

agreement, the nature of EDA’s “substantial involvement” (to be included in the terms and conditions of 

the award) will generally be collaboration between EDA and the recipient on the scope of work, 

including consultation about administration of subawards to other consortium members. However, 

other possible examples of EDA’s “substantial involvement” may include but are not limited to: (i) 

authority to halt immediately an activity if detailed performance specifications are not met; (ii) 

stipulation that the recipient must meet or adhere to specific procedural requirements before 

subsequent stages of a project may continue; and (iii) operational involvement and monitoring during 

the project to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

Period of Performance: The period of performance for a given Phase 1 Strategy Development project 

may vary depending on the scope of work. EDA expects that most projects will range from 18 to 36

months. EDA expects that all projects will proceed efficiently and expeditiously.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Only consortia are eligible to apply for investment assistance under this NOFO. 
Page 20 of 37

Each consortium must include at least one each of the following as a member, one of whom should 

serve as the lead institution to receive an award under this NOFO:

(1) Institutions of higher education, which may include Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions;

(2) State, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions of a State, 

including State and local agencies, or a consortium thereof;

(3) Industry or firms in relevant technology, innovation, or manufacturing sectors (see section 

A.1.b.iii. for additional information related to this member type, including that EDA 

encourages two or more firms in the consortium’s selected core technology area to be part of 

the consortium);

(4) Economic development organizations or similar entities that are focused primarily on 

improving science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or access to capital; and

(5) Labor organizations or workforce training organizations, which may include State and local 

workforce development boards as established under 29 U.S.C. §§ 3111 and 3122 (see section 

A.1.b.iii. for additional information related to this member type, including that EDA 

encourages a labor organization to be part of the consortium).

Consortia may also include one or more of:

(1) Economic development entities with relevant expertise, including a district organization (as 

defined in section 300.3 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation);

(2) Organizations that contribute to increasing the participation of underserved populations in 

science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship;

(3) Venture development organizations (as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 3722(a));

(4) Organizations that promote local economic stability, high-wage domestic jobs, and broadbased economic opportunities, such as employee ownership membership associations and 

State or local employee ownerships and cooperative development centers, financial 

institutions and investment funds, including community development financial institutions 

(see 12 U.S.C. § 4702(5)) and minority depository institutions (see 12 U.S.C. § 1463 note or 

considered a minority depository institution by the appropriate Federal banking agency or the 

National Credit Union Administration);

(5) Elementary schools and secondary schools, including area career and technical education 

schools (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 

2006 (29 2 U.S.C. § 2302));

(6) National Laboratories (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 15801);

(7) Federal laboratories;

(8) Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers;

(9) Manufacturing USA Institutes;

(10) Transportation planning organizations;

(11) A cooperative extension services (as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103(6));

(12) Organizations that represent the perspectives of underserved communities in economic 

development initiatives; and

(13) Institutions receiving an award under the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation 

Engines program (42 U.S.C. § 19108).
Page 21 of 37

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

a. EDA Investment Rate

In general, Phase 1 Strategy Development grants, as described in section A.1.c., may be awarded with a

maximum 80% federal grant rate. With $500,000 in total funding this means the federal amount is 

$400,000 and the local match requirement is $100,000. If the consortium represents all or part of a 

small and rural or other underserved community, the federal share may be awarded at a maximum 90% 

rate (e.g., $450,000 federal share, $50,000 local match). If the eligible consortium lead is a Tribal 

government or the Tech Hub primarily benefits Tribal areas, the federal share may be awarded at a 

maximum 100% rate. Applicants will be expected to discuss their maximum federal match rate and the 

sources of local match (see section C.2.b. below) in the application materials. 

As there is no funding associated with Designation, there is no relevant federal grant rate or local 

matching requirement. 

b. Documentation of Cost Sharing or Matching

Applications must include commitment letters or equivalent documents that demonstrate, to the 

satisfaction of EDA, that all matching funds (regardless of kind, e.g., cash, loans, bonds, in-kind) from all 

sources (e.g., any applicant, any co-applicants, and any other sources of matching funds) referenced in 

the application will be unencumbered, unrestricted, and committed at the time of award and are signed 

by authorized representatives of the sources of the matching funds. Authorized representatives must 

have the authority to execute documents and to obligate and expend funds on behalf of their respective 

organizations.

Each matching share commitment letter must state whether the contribution is cash, loans, bonds, or 

in-kind; if in-kind, provide a valuation for in-kind contributions. In-kind match must consist of 

contributions directly related to the proposed project, such as services, equipment, or space. EDA will 

fairly evaluate all in-kind contributions, which must be eligible project costs and which must meet 

applicable federal cost principles and uniform administrative requirements. Funds from other federal 

financial assistance awards may be considered matching share funds only if authorized by statute, which 

may be determined by EDA’s reasonable interpretation of the statute.

Additional documentation may be requested by EDA to substantiate the availability of the matching

funds. For example, if bonds are contemplated as match, applicant must provide a counsel’s opinion of 

the applicant’s bonding authority and eligibility of the bonds for use as match, along with full disclosure 

of the type of bonds and the schedule of the applicant’s intended bond issue. 

In addition, applicants should indicate if other Federal funds have been secured for, or have been 

requested to support, any portion of the project for which an EDA investment is proposed. Applicants 

should describe how the EDA investment will complement, leverage, or otherwise align with other 

public and private investments to implement the project. Where other Federal funding may be involved 

in the project, the applicant should provide the Federal program name and contact information with 

their application to facilitate interagency coordination and avoid duplication of resources. Section 28 of 

Stevenson-Wydler expressly prohibits the use of other federal funds as a source of match.

D. Application and Submission Information

There are separate application requirements for applying for a Strategy Development Grant and 

applying for Designation. An applicant seeking both a Strategy Development Grant and Designation 
Page 22 of 37

must complete both sets of application requirements. For any element of this Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO

that an applicant is pursuing (i.e., Strategy Development Grant or Designation or both), an applicant 

must submit a complete application, as detailed in Section D.2. of this NOFO, to be considered for 

funding. EDA intends to review each application expeditiously upon receipt of the complete application. 

EDA may request additional documentation or information from the applicant to make an eligibility 

determination. EDA also may, in its sole discretion, continue review of any application with minor 

defects or errors, while the applicant supplies the missing information. EDA will reject any 

documentation of eligibility that the agency determines is inaccurate or incomplete, which may cause 

the application to be rejected. Please see Section E of this NOFO for more information on award criteria, 

and the review and selection process.

1. Obtaining an Application and Electronic Submission through EDGE

An applicant must obtain, complete, and submit an application electronically through the Economic 

Development Grants Experience (EDGE) at sfgrants.eda.gov. EDA will not accept paper, facsimile, or 

email transmissions of applications except as provided below. In order to obtain and submit an 

application through EDGE, an applicant must register for an EDGE account at sfgrants.eda.gov. As part 

of the registration process, you will register one Authorized Representative for your organization, 

however, multiple points of contact may be registered or added by the applicant to the application 

workspace to view or work on completing the application. The Authorized Representative will be the 

only official with the authority to submit applications.

a. Verification of Submission

Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made through EDGE.

Applicants, specifically the Authorized Representative submitting the application and materials, will 

receive a time and date stamped email from EDGE confirming the submission and receipt of the 

application and other required documents. 

Applicants should save and print both the confirmation screen provided on EDGE after the applicant 

has submitted an application and the confirmation email sent when the application has been

successfully submitted.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify that its submission was timely received and submitted 

successfully through EDGE. To see the date your application was submitted, log on to EDGE and click on 

the Submitted Application section from the Home Page.

If you experience a systems issue with EDGE, see Section D.7. below for instructions.

b. Alternatives to Submission though EDGE

To accommodate an applicant’s accessibility requirements, a paper version of this application may be 

obtained by contacting the appropriate POC listed in section G of this NOFO. Or if an applicant is 

otherwise unable to submit an application through EDGE for reasons beyond the control of the 

applicant, EDA, in its sole discretion, may pre-approve in writing submission via an alternate method 

(e.g., email).

2. Content and Form of Applications

If applying for both a Strategy Development Grant and Designation, you must complete and submit 

every required document as detailed in sections D.2.A. and D.2.B., below. The letter(s) of consortium 
Page 23 of 37

commitment, CD-511, and SF-LLL will be the same but they must be submitted twice, once in each 

application portal in EDGE.

a. What is required for a complete Strategy Development Grant application?18

The following table provides a complete list of documents required for a complete application for a 

Strategy Development Grant. 

(1) One Form SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) from the consortium lead.

(2) Letter or letters of Consortium Commitment As required in section A.1.b.iv. on this 

NOFO, a letter or letters identifying the consortium lead as well as evidencing that each 

consortium member has read the application and is committed to executing its roles, 

responsibilities, or commitments related to the project. In the letter identifying the 

consortium lead, the lead entity should self-identify which entity type it is consistent with 

types of entities eligible for membership in a consortium as delineated in section C.1. of 

this NOFO. 

(3) One Strategy Development Narrative (not to exceed five 8.5x11-inch pages, with a 

minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins) that discusses in detail all the requirements 

outlined in sections A.1.b. and A.1.c. of this NOFO, including the name of the consortium, 

clearly defined boundaries of the chosen geography, the consortium’s selected core

technology area, the uses to which the consortium will put the strategy development 

funds if awarded, and the Strategy Development Grant geographic constraints that the 

consortium might meet. If more than five pages of Project Narrative is submitted, only the 

first five pages will be reviewed.

(4) One Form SF-424A (Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs).

(5) One Strategy Development Budget that clearly identifies and justifies how funds in each 

line item of the budget (Form SF-424A) will be used to support the proposed project. The 

Budget Narrative should specifically address each budget line item, and the narrative total 

should match the total project costs listed in both the SF-424 question 18, line g, and SF424A. The Budget Narrative should also include itemized valuations of any in-kind local 

matching funds. The non-federal local matching share, whether cash or in-kind, is 

expected to be paid out at the same general rate as the federal share; however, if the 

applicant’s Budget Narrative proposes otherwise, applicants must also include 

information that clearly indicates what project elements the local matching share funds 

will support and explain why deviation from paying out at the same general rate is 

required for the project to be implemented. A template budget narrative is provided at 

https://www.eda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-

05/Strategy_Development_Budget_Template_Tech_Hubs.xlsx. 

(6) Documentation of Matching Share for each local matching share source, such as a 

commitment letter, board resolution, or similar document, as applicable.

18 In the event of discrepancies between instructions provided in any of the forms and this NOFO, the 

requirements for complete applications as stated in this NOFO will control.
Page 24 of 37

(7) One Form CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying) from the consortium lead.

(8) One Form SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) from the consortium lead, if

applicable. Form SF-LLL is only required if the applicant has reportable lobbying activities.

(9) Indirect Cost Rate Documentation (if Applicable). See section D.2.d. for more information 

on this requirement.

(10) SPOC Documentation (if applicable). See section D.4 for more information on this 

requirement.

All documentation and data submitted should be current and applicable as of the date submitted. 

Applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate POC for technical assistance before submitting an 

application. EDA staff members are available to provide applicants with technical assistance regarding 

application requirements. Additionally, EDA may contact the applicant to clarify application materials 

received.

b. What is required for a complete Designation application?

The following table provides a complete list of documents required for a complete application for 

Designation:

(1) Letter or letters of Consortium Commitment As required in section A.1.b.iv. on this 

NOFO, a letter or letters identifying the consortium lead as well as evidencing that each 

consortium member has read the application and is committed to executing its roles, 

responsibilities, or commitments related of the Tech Hub. EDA discourages form letters of 

support and encourages letters describing concrete engagement and commitments from 

consortia members. In the letter identifying the consortium lead, the lead entity should 

self-identify which entity type it is consistent with types of entities eligible for 

membership in a consortium as delineated in section C.1. of this NOFO.

(2) One Case for Designation (not to exceed 5 pages 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-

point font and 1-inch margins) that discusses in detail all the requirements outlined in 

sections A.1.b. and A.1.d. of this NOFO, including the name of the consortium, clearly 

defined boundaries of the chosen geography, the consortium’s selected core technology

area, the seven key Designation factors, and Designation geographic constraints that the 

consortium might meet. If more than 5 pages of Project Narrative is submitted, only the 

first 5 pages will be reviewed.

(3) Appendix (not to exceed 1 page 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-point font and 1-

inch margins) of citations that support claims made in the Project Narrative. If more than 

1 page is submitted, only the first page will be reviewed.

(4) One Form CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying) from the consortium lead.
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(5) One Form SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) from the consortium lead, if 

applicable. Form SF-LLL is only required if the applicant has reportable lobbying activities.

All documentation and data submitted should be current and applicable as of the date submitted. 

Applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate POC for technical assistance before submitting an 

application. EDA staff members are available to provide applicants with technical assistance regarding 

application requirements. Additionally, EDA may contact the applicant to clarify application materials 

received.

c. What do we need to submit if we apply for both a Strategy Development Grant and 

Designation?

Consortia applying for both a Strategy Development Grant and Designation must submit two 

applications. I.e., to apply for both a Strategy Development Grant and Designation, a consortium must 

submit all materials listed in sections D.2.a. and D.2.b above (refer to the respective section above for a 

full description of each required document).

d. Environmental and Historic Preservation Requirements

Each application will be reviewed by EDA for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) of 1969, as amended. Most planning and technical assistance activities funded under this NOFO 

will not require an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA), as EDA’s 

experience has shown such activities do not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. 

However, EDA will be alert to extraordinary circumstances that would require an EIS or an EA for 

activities funded under this NOFO, and EDA may require an applicant to submit additional information 

related to environmental review.

e. Copy of Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include documentation to support the 

indirect cost rate they are using (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, discussed 

below). The applicant must submit a copy of its current, approved, and negotiated indirect cost rate 

agreement (NICRA). The maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect costs for which EDA will 

reimburse a recipient will be the lesser of the (i) line-item amount for the federal share of indirect costs 

contained in the EDA approved budget for the award, or (ii) federal share of the total allocable indirect 

costs of the award based on either (i) the indirect cost rate approved by EDA (or applicable cognizant 

federal agency), provided that the cost rate is current at the time the costs were incurred and provided 

that the rate is approved on or before the award end date, or (ii) other acceptable documentation as 

indicated below.

If the applicant does not have a current or pending NICRA, it may propose indirect costs in its budget; 

however, the applicant must prepare and submit an allocation plan and rate proposal for approval 

within ninety calendar days from the award start date (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis 

indirect cost rate, discussed below). See 2 C.F.R. part 200 Apps. III, IV, V, VI, VII for guidance. The 

allocation plan and the rate proposal shall be submitted to EDA’s Office of Regional Affairs (or the 

applicable cognizant federal agency). The applicant should include a statement in its Budget Narrative 

that it does not have a current or pending NICRA and will submit an allocation plan and rate proposal to 

EDA or the applicant’s cognizant federal agency for approval.
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In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414(f), an applicant that does not have a current negotiated or 

provisional NICRA, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs 

(subject to the exceptions of § 200.414(f)). No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de 

minimis indirect cost rate; however, an applicant electing to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent 

must include a statement in its Budget Narrative that it does not have a current negotiated (including 

provisional) rate and is electing to charge the de minimis rate.

If the applicant is a State or local unit of government that receives less than $35 million in direct federal 

funding per year it may submit any of the following:

• a NICRA; 

• a Certificate of Indirect Costs from the Department of the Interior (DOI) or EDA (See: 

https://www.eda.gov/sites/default/files/filebase/archives/2021/files/tools/granteeforms/Certificate-of-Indirect-Costs-template.pdf);

• an acknowledgment received from EDA and a Certificate of Indirect Costs in the form prescribed 

at 2 C.F.R. pt. 200, app. VII; or

• a Cost Allocation Plan approved by a federal agency (note that cost allocation plans or indirect 

cost rates approved by State agencies are not acceptable).

f. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

Applicants are required to: (i) be registered in SAM; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in 

the application; (iii) make certain certifications (see also section H.5 of this NOFO); and (iv) continue to 

maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an 

active federal award, or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. Lead 

institutions do not need to be registered in SAM at the application deadline, but their SAM registration 

must be complete before EDA may make a Phase 1 Strategy Development grant award. EDA may not 

make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM 

requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the EDA is 

ready to make an award, EDA may determine that the applicant is not qualified. Recipients will be 

subject to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 C.F.R. parts 25 and 170. 

All subawardees must have a UEI before any subawards are made.

3. Submission Dates and Times

This is a two-phase competition. The deadline for Phase 1 Applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 

August 15, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Only 

those that are Designated as Technology Hubs in Phase 1 will be permitted to apply to Phase 2. It is 

anticipated that the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Phase 2 will be made available in fall 2023.

EDA may amend, cancel, or withdraw the Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO at any time. 

4. Intergovernmental Review

Applications for Strategy Development Grants submitted under this Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO are 

subject to the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,” if a State has adopted a process under EO 12372 to review and coordinate proposed Federal 

financial assistance and direct Federal development (commonly referred to as the “single point of 

contact review process”). All applicants must give States and local governments a reasonable 

opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Project, including review and comment from area-
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wide planning organizations in metropolitan areas. To find out more about a State’s process under EO 

12372, applicants may contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Names and addresses of 

some States’ SPOCs are listed on OMB’s website at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. 

Based on the applicant’s State, EDA requires the following documentation:

State does not 

participate No documentation required—check SF-424 box 19(c).

State participates; this 

grant program not 

subject to review

Documentation (e.g., a State executive order, a letter from the 

SPOC) showing that this grant program is not subject to review—

provide the documentation as an attachment to the application

and check SF-424 box 19(b).

State participates; this 

grant program subject 

to review

Documentation (e.g., a letter from the SPOC) with comments or 

indicating that this project was not selected for review, or, if the 

comment period has expired or comments were not received, a 

copy of the applicant’s request for comments (e.g., email)—

provide the documentation as an attachment to the application

and check SF-424 box 19(a).

5. Funding Restrictions

EDA will not reimburse pre-award project costs under this NOFO. Under no circumstances will EDA or 

DOC be held responsible for application preparation expenditures, which are distinguished from preaward project costs.

It is DOC policy that funds may not be used to pay for management fees in excess of costs or profits, 

unless statutorily authorized. Additionally, the use of project funds to make equity or hybrid 

investments in businesses is not an allowable cost. 

Funds may not be used, directly or indirectly as an offset for other funds, to support or oppose collective 

bargaining.

6. Other Submission Requirements

After EDA reviews an application, EDA may contact the applicant to request additional documentation 

to clarify or substantiate submitted application materials, depending on the type of project proposed. 

Examples of additional documentation may include, but are not limited to, title verification, 

documentation of the value of in-kind contributions, evidence all funding is available and committed to 

the project, proof of eligibility (e.g., organizational documentation such as articles of incorporation, 

bylaws, and a current certificate of good standing), or documentation required for environmental or 

legal compliance. This additional documentation will be required to ensure that the proposed project 

complies with all applicable rules and regulations prior to EDA’s issuance of an award. EDA will provide 

applicants a reasonable amount of time to provide any additional documentation. Failure to provide 

complete and accurate supporting documentation in a timely manner when requested by EDA may 

result in the denial of an application.
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7. EDGE Systems Issues

If you experience a systems issue with EDGE (i.e., a technical problem or glitch with the platform) that 

you believe threatens your ability to complete a submission, please (i) print any error message 

received; (ii) email the help desk at GrantHDSupport@eda.gov; and (iii) contact EDA using the contact 

information in Section G. of this Phase 1 NOFO. Please be sure to track your issue using a case number 

given to you by the help desk. Please note that problems with an applicant’s computer system or 

equipment are not considered systems issues. Similarly, an applicant’s failure to, e.g., (i) complete the 

required registration, (ii) ensure that a registered Authorized Representative submits the application, 

or (iii) notice receipt of an email message from EDGE are not considered systems issues. An EDGE issue 

is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of the website itself, such as the temporary loss 

of service due to unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information technology systems, both of 

which are highly unlikely. In the event of a confirmed systems issue, EDA reserves the right to accept 

an application in an alternate format.

Applicants should go to sfgrants.eda.gov and click on the Resources page for assistance in navigating 

EDGE and for a list of useful resources.

E. Application Review Information

Throughout the review and selection process, EDA reserves the right to seek clarification in writing from 

applicants whose application packages are being reviewed. EDA may additionally ask applicants to clarify 

application materials, objectives, and work plans, or modify budgets or other specifics necessary to 

comply with Federal requirements. EDA may also use statistical methods to normalize the scoring. EDA 

will screen submitted materials to verify that all required forms are complete, and all required 

documentation is included. Applications that do not contain all elements listed in section D.2 will not be 

reviewed, with limited exceptions where non-substantive missing information or forms can be supplied 

after original submission.

As discussed further in the sections below, Strategy Development Grants and Designations each have 

their own review, evaluation, and selection processes. 

1. Criteria, Review, and Selection Process

a. Strategy Development Grants Review

All complete applications for Strategy Development Grants will undergo a two-step review. First, they 

will be reviewed by at least three individuals and scored against the below criteria.

Fifteen points can be earned for each criteria listed below; applications can earn a maximum of 

45 points:

(1) The extent to which the project will strengthen engagement of and collaboration among 

regional stakeholders (private, public, and non-profit entities, etc.), whether or not 

members of the consortium;

(2) The consortium’s organizational and leadership capacity, including its financial and 

management capacity; and

(3) The project’s potential to increase the capacity of the region to achieve the Designation 

criteria (as described in section A.1.d. of this NOFO).
Page 29 of 37

EDA will sort the resultant scores into tiers of similarly scored applications, and top tiers will advance to 

a second level review by an investment review committee (IRC) of at least three reviewers who did not 

participate in the initial scoring. The IRC will review the applications collectively using the same criteria 

listed above as well as relevant selection criteria. Based on this group evaluation, the IRC will

recommend to the Grants Officer which applications to fund and how to apply the selection factors 

discussed in section E.2. below.

b. Designation Review

All complete Designation applications will undergo a two-step review. First, they will be evaluated by at 

least three reviewers and scored against the below criteria. 

Points can be earned for each criteria listed below; applications can earn a maximum of 51 points:

(1) Technology-based potential of the region for global competitiveness (15 points);

(2) Role of the private sector (6 points);

(3) Regional coordination & partnerships (6 points);

(4) Equity & diversity (6 points); 

(5) Composition and capacity of the regional workforce (6 points);

(6) Innovative “lab to market” approaches (6 points); and

(7) Impact on economic and national security of the entire United States (6 points).

EDA will sort the resultant scores into tiers of similarly scored applications, and top tiers will advance to 

a second level review by an IRC of at least three reviewers who did not participate in the initial scoring. 

The IRC will review the applications collectively using the same criteria listed above and relevant 

selection criteria. Based on this group evaluation, the IRC will recommend a list for the Grants Officer of 

recommended applications and how to apply the selection factors discussed in section E.2. below. 

Only applicants Designated as Tech Hubs will be permitted to apply for Implementation funding under 

the forthcoming Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO. EDA’s final decision on whether to fund a project in Phase 2

or Designate a Tech Hub is dependent upon the ability of the applicant to provide sufficient 

documentation of the project’s compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

c. Due Diligence

If application is recommended for funding and/or Designation, the applicant still may have to complete 

certain due diligence requirements. After an application has been reviewed and evaluated, EDA may 

request that the applicant submit additional documents and information to allow EDA to fully evaluate 

compliance with applicable rules and regulations, including organizational documentation such as 

articles of incorporation, bylaws, and a current certificate of good standing. If the applicant provides the 

requested information and supporting documentation in a timely fashion and EDA determines the 

project is fully compliant with applicable rules and regulations, the application will be forwarded to the 

Grants Officer for a final decision. Applicants that do not provide the additional information and 
Page 30 of 37

supporting documentation in a timely fashion or who are deemed not to be in compliance with 

applicable rules and regulations will receive notification their application was not successful.

d. Security, Resilience, and Cybersecurity

It is the policy of the United States to strengthen the security and resilience of its critical infrastructure 

against all hazards, including physical and cyber risks, consistent with Presidential Policy Directive 21 -

Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience19 and the National Security Memorandum on Improving 

Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems20. Each applicant selected for Federal funding 

under this notice must demonstrate, prior to the signing of the grant agreement, effort to consider and 

address physical and cyber security risks relevant to the type and scale of the project. Projects that have 

not appropriately considered and addressed physical and cyber security and resilience in their planning, 

design, and project oversight, as determined by the Department and the Department of Homeland 

Security, will be required to do so before receiving funds.

Regarding Cybersecurity, applicants must describe measures taken to ensure that practices are 

consistent with current industry best practices for cybersecurity, such as the NIST Cybersecurity 

Framework21 and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Performance 

Goals (CPGs)22. These performance goals provide a baseline set of cybersecurity practices broadly 

applicable across critical infrastructure with known risk-reduction value, a benchmark for critical 

infrastructure operators to measure and improve their cybersecurity maturity, and a combination of 

recommended practices for IT and OT owners, including a prioritized set of security practices.

2. Grants Officer’s Decision

Strategy Development Grant applications recommended for funding or applications recommended for

Designation, and also deemed fully compliant with applicable rules and regulations, will be forwarded 

for final selection review and approval by the Grants Officer. The Grants Officer will select a portfolio of 

Strategy Development Grants to fund and regions to Designate based on the recommendations of the 

respective IRCs and the selection factors listed below. The final portfolio may differ from the

recommendations of the respective IRCs to ensure the selection factors below are adequately met:

i. The extent to which the application meets the overall objectives of section 28 of StevensonWydler (15 U.S.C. § 3722a); 

ii. The applicant’s performance under previous Federal financial assistance awards, including 

whether the grantee submitted required performance reports and data; 

iii. The availability of program funding; 

19 Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-21, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (Feb. 12, 2013). 20 National Security Memorandum on Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems (Jul. 28, 

2021).

21 National Institute of Standards and Technology, Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

Version 1.1 (Apr. 16, 2018).

22 Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals, 

https://www.cisa.gov/cross-sector-cybersecurity-performance-goals.
Page 31 of 37

iv. The extent to which the application includes a feasible plan that accounts for the specific 

needs of historically underserved areas and populations with a high likelihood that those 

populations will realize an equitable share of the project’s benefits; 

v. To achieve balance in the portfolio across geographies and technologies;

vi. The extent to which the Designated region reduces its environmental impact and accounts 

for current and future weather- and climate-related risks;

vii. The extent to which the Designated region will significantly benefit a small and rural 

community;

viii. The extent to which the Designated region includes a member that is a State or territory 

that is eligible to receive funding from NSF’s EPSCoR;

ix. The extent to which the consortium is headquartered in a low population State that is 

eligible to receive funding from NSF’s EPSCoR;

x. The extent to which the Designated Tech Hub leverages institutions of higher education 

serving populations historically underrepresented in STEM, including historically Black 

Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions; 

and

xi. The extent to which the Designated Tech Hub would significantly benefit a region whose 

economy significantly relies on or has recently relied on coal, oil, or natural gas production 

or development. 

The Grants Officer will prepare a final list of recommendations for funding and document the rationale 

for its selections.

3. Review of Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov 

EDA, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal Share greater than the simplified 

acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in 

the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (formerly FAPIIS). See 41 

U.S.C. § 2313.

Each applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance 

system accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding 

agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system 

accessible through SAM. EDA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other 

information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the 

applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing 

the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notice

If an applicant successfully and timely completes all due diligence requirements and the application is 

selected for funding, EDA will notify the successful applicant in writing. This notice is not an 
Page 32 of 37

authorization to begin work, however; work should not be undertaken until the award is signed by EDA 

and the applicant’s authorized representative, as discussed below. 

The EDA Grants Officer will issue the award (Notice of Award), which is the authorizing financial 

assistance award document and includes Specific Award Conditions and the DOC Financial Assistance 

Standard Terms and Conditions (DOC ST&Cs), as described in Section F.2.b., below.

By accepting the Notice of Award, the applicant agrees to comply with all award provisions. EDA will 

provide the Notice of Award to the applicant’s authorized representative through EDGE. The applicant’s 

authorized representative must review and accept the Notice of Award without modification within 30 

calendar days of the date of receipt.

If an applicant is awarded funding, neither DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any 

additional future funding in connection with that award or to make any future award(s). Amendment or 

renewal of an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is at the discretion of 

DOC and EDA. 

EDA will notify unsuccessful applicants in writing to the applicant’s authorized representative. EDA will 

retain unsuccessful applications in accordance with EDA’s record retention schedule. 

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements

Recipients of an EDA award will be bound by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, 

and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) as set forth in 2 C.F.R. part 200.

b. DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions 

Recipients of all non-construction EDA awards will be bound by the DOC ST&Cs applicable on the date of 

the award. The DOC ST&Cs may be accessed at the following website: 

http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/default.htm .

Recipients of an RLF award will be bound by the DOC ST&Cs and the EDA RLF ST&Cs. The RLF ST&Cs may 

be accessed at https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/revolving-loan-fund/guidance under the 

header “Standard Terms and Conditions for RLF and Construction Projects.”

Recipients of an EDA construction award will be bound by EDA’s Construction ST&Cs. The Construction 

ST&Cs may be accessed at https://www.eda.gov/grant-resources/find-grant-resources/granteeguidance/construction-awards under the header “Standard Terms and Conditions for RLF and 

Construction Projects.”

Recipients of DOC financial assistance are obligated to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, in Federally 

assisted programs or activities.

c. DOC Pre- Award Notification Requirements

DOC will apply the Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 

effective December 26, 2014, 79 Fed. Reg. 78,390. The Pre-Award Notice may be accessed at the 

Government Printing Office (GPO) website at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-12-

30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf. 
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3. Reporting 

a. Reporting Frequency and Format

All recipients are required to submit financial, performance, and impact reports in accordance with the 

terms and conditions of the grant award, generally no less than semi-annually. All project progress and 

financial reports must be submitted to the applicable EDA program officer in an electronic format to be 

determined at the time of award.

b. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a requirement for awardees 

of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive 

compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or later. All awardees of applicable 

grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System 

(FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over $30,000. See 2 C.F.R. part 170.

c. Performance Reporting, including Government Performance and Results Act

EDA will require additional data on activities, outputs, and outcomes of the funded investment, in part 

to fulfill the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). EDA anticipates that 

recipients will be expected to track their engagement activities within the scope of work, with project 

beneficiaries, and other project stakeholders. EDA further anticipates recipients will be expected to 

collect data, using surveys of beneficiaries or clients if necessary, on the outputs and outcomes of 

project activities, such as jobs created/retained, private investment attracted, the number of strategic 

plans or economic development tools developed, the number of new business partnerships formed, or 

the range of new capabilities acquired. EDA plans to collect this information using Forms ED-915 (Public 

Works, Economic Adjustment Infrastructure and Revolving Loan Fund Investments), ED-916 (Semiannual Program Outputs Questionnaire for EDA grantees), ED-917 (Annual Capacity Outcomes 

Questionnaire for EDA Grantees serving clients), and ED-918 (Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire 

for EDA Grantees). For more information, please refer to https://www.eda.gov/performance/gpra. EDA 

may also engage with other organizations to perform third-party program evaluations, which will 

require cooperation between the grantee, organizations within their service area, and the evaluating 

institution(s).

d. Requirements for Recipients with More than $10 Million in Federal-wide Funding

As required by appendix XII to 2 C.F.R. part 200, a recipient with more than $10 million in federal-wide 

funding must maintain the currency of information reported to SAM that is made available in the 

designated integrity and performance system (formerly FAPIIS) about civil criminal, or administrative 

proceedings.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

For questions concerning this Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO, or more information about EDA

programs, you may contact techhubs@eda.gov. EDA’s website at http://www.eda.gov provides 

additional information on EDA and its programs.

H. Other Information
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1. Right to Use Information

The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for 

financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other 

reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews 

and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant information and data 

may be accessed, reviewed, and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other Federal 

employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom 

enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such 

information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, 

applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial 

and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with 

Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e), 

applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally 

identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or 

obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.

2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure

EDA may publish any applications it receives, including any supporting documentation, on its website or 

through other means. 

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 

5 U.S.C. § 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. part 4, Public Information. These regulations set forth rules for the 

Department regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under 

the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be subject to 

requests for release under the Act. In the event that an application contains information or data that the 

applicant deems to be confidential commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure 

under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, 

Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 C.F.R. § 4.9, the Department of Commerce 

will protect from disclosure confidential business information contained in financial assistance 

applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.

3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction

The general rule for Federal financial assistance is that contractors that develop draft specifications, 

requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids or requests for proposals are prohibited from 

competing for the final procurement. For instance, a professional engineer or architect who prepared 

the Preliminary Engineering Report for an EDA application would be excluded from bidding on the same 

work under the award under 2 C.F.R § 200.319. Under 2 C.F.R. 200.317, only State recipients are 

expressly exempt from this prohibition. Local governments and Indian Tribes may also take advantage of 

the exemption in two narrow circumstances: (i) if they are required (by statute, for example) to follow 

the State’s procurement rules in full and without exception; or (ii) if they are required to follow a 

specific State procurement rule that creates an explicit conflict with the prohibition in 2 C.F.R. § 

200.319(a) (i.e., there is a statute that requires or permits the local government or Indian Tribe to award 

the final procurement to the same contractor that developed the draft specifications). Absent one of 

these two scenarios, the local government or Indian Tribe must comply with the prohibition. Applicants 

are encouraged to contact EDA using the contact information in Section G. of this Phase 1 NOFO with 

any questions regarding application of this regulation.
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4. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions

Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being 

considered for funding. Failure to comply with any or all of the provisions of an award may have a 

negative impact on future funding by the DOC (or any of its operating units) may be considered grounds 

for any or all of the following actions: (1) establishing an account receivable; (2) withholding payments 

to the recipient under any DOC award(s); (3) changing the method of payment from advance to 

reimbursement only; (4) imposing other specific award conditions; (5) suspending any active DOC 

award(s); and (6) terminating any active DOC award(s).

5. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for Awards over 

$5 Million

As discussed in section D.2.d, all applicants are required to be registered in SAM before applying under 

this NOFO. SAM requires registering entities to certify compliance with all limitations imposed by annual 

appropriation acts. For corporations, this certification includes that the corporation: 

(a) Was not convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 

months, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation 

and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government; and/or 

(b) Does not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial 

and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a 

timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax 

liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation 

and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government.

For financial assistance awards in excess of $5 million, this certification includes that the entity: 

(a) To the best of its knowledge and belief, has filed all Federal tax returns required during the 

three years preceding the certification; 

(b) Has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 

and/or 

(c) Has not been notified, more than 90 days prior to certification, of any unpaid Federal tax 

assessment for which the liability remains unsatisfied, unless the assessment is the subject of an 

installment agreement or offer in compromise that has been approved by the Internal Revenue 

Service and is not in default, or the assessment is the subject of a non-frivolous administrative 

or judicial process.

6. EDA’s Non-Relocation Policy

If an application is selected for award, the recipient will be required to adhere to a specific award 

condition relating to EDA’s non-relocation policy as follows:

In signing this award of financial assistance, Recipient(s) attests that EDA funding is not intended by the 

Recipient to assist its efforts to induce the relocation of existing jobs within the U.S. that are located 

outside of its jurisdiction to within its jurisdiction in competition with other U.S. jurisdictions for those 

same jobs. In the event that EDA determines that its assistance was used for those purposes, EDA 
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retains the right to pursue appropriate enforcement action in accord with the Standard Terms and 

Conditions of the Award, including suspension of disbursements and termination of the award for 

convenience or material noncompliance, which may include the establishment of a debt requiring the 

Recipient to reimburse EDA.

For purposes of ensuring that EDA assistance will not be used to merely transfer jobs from one location 

in the United States to another, each applicant must inform EDA of all employers that constitute primary 

beneficiaries of the project assisted by EDA. EDA will consider an employer to be a “primary beneficiary” 

if: (i) the employer is specifically named in the application as benefitting from the project, and the 

applicant estimates that the employer will create or save 100 or more permanent jobs as a result of the 

investment assistance (if the jobs in question were originally located in a smaller community, EDA may 

extend this policy to the relocation of 50 or more jobs); or (ii) the employer is or will be located in an 

EDA-assisted building, port, facility, or industrial, commercial, or business park constructed or improved 

in whole or in part with investment assistance prior to EDA’s final disbursement of funds.

7. NOFO Changes Communicated on Grants.gov 

EDA may make changes or additions to this NOFO. All changes will be communicated on Grants.gov. It is 

recommended that applicants set up a Grants.gov account and subscribe to this funding opportunity 

(“EDA-TECHHUBSPHASE1-2023”) in order to be notified of any updates or changes. DOC or EDA may 

cancel, modify, or withdraw this NOFO at any time. EDA is not obligated to make any federal award or 

commitment as a result of this announcement.

8. Disclosure of Information

For the purpose of achieving rigorous program evaluations, all applications (including those not selected 

for funding) may be shared with EDA staff, outside parties contracted by EDA for the purposes of 

evaluation, and other federal agencies.

9. Audit Requirements

Single or program-specific audits shall be performed in accordance with the requirements contained in 

the Uniform Guidance (see 2 C.F.R. part 200, Subpart F, “Audit Requirements”).

The Uniform Guidance requires any non-Federal entity (i.e., non-profit organizations, including nonprofit institutions of higher education and hospitals, States, local governments, and Indian Tribes) that 

expends Federal awards of $750,000 or more in the recipient’s fiscal year to conduct a single or 

program-specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the OMB Uniform Guidance.

10. Fraud Awareness Training

Consistent with 2 CFR part 200, in signing a financial assistance award, Recipient personnel responsible 

for managing the Recipient’s finances and overseeing any contractors, sub-contractors or sub-grantees, 

will be required to complete the training PowerPoint entitled “Compliance with EDA Program 

Requirements” and return the signed Certificate of Training Completion to EDA as instructed by the 

Agency. Further, Recipient will be required to monitor award activities for common fraud schemes and 

report suspicious activity to EDA and the Office of Inspector General.

11. Office of Inspector General Rights and Responsibilities

The DOC Office of Inspector General (OIG) seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the 

Department’s programs, including deterring and detecting fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. 
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The OIG accomplishes this mission primarily through investigations, audits, and inspections of 

Department activities, including grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and contracts.

a. Disclosures

Recipients of financial assistance originating from the U.S. Department of Commerce, including EDA, 

shall timely disclose, in writing, to the OIG and awarding agency, whenever, in connection with the 

award, performance, or closeout of this grant or subaward thereunder, the recipient has credible 

evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or sub-recipient has committed:

(i) A violation of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity 

violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code; or

(ii) A violation of the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733).

b. Reporting

The OIG maintains a hotline to receive allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse. To report such allegations, 

please visit https://www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Hotline.aspx. Upon request, the OIG will take appropriate 

measures to protect the identity of any individual who reports misconduct, as authorized by the 

Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. Reports to the OIG may also be made anonymously.

c. Whistleblower Protection

Recipients, sub-recipients, and employees working on this grant award will be subject to the 

whistleblower rights and remedies established under 41 U.S.C. § 4712.

An employee of a recipient or sub-recipient may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise 

discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes is 

evidence of: gross mismanagement of a federal contract or award; a gross waste of federal funds; an 

abuse of authority (i.e., an arbitrary and capricious exercise of authority that is inconsistent with the 

mission of EDA or the U.S. Department of Commerce or the successful performance of a contract or 

grant awarded by EDA or the Department) relating to a federal contract or award; a substantial and 

specific danger to public health or safety; or a violation of a law, rule, or regulation related to a federal 

contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant. 

The recipient or sub-recipient shall inform its employees and contractors, in writing, in the predominant 

language of the workforce or organization, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 

U.S.C. § 4712, as described above and at https://www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Whistleblower-ProtectionProgram.aspx.