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US Economic Development Administration Investment Priorities

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are intended to provide more detail for certain terms identified within 

EDA’s investment priorities (https://www.eda.gov/about/investment-priorities/). For more 

information on EDA’s investment priorities and the associated definitions, please contact your 

EDA regional office (https://www.eda.gov/contact/).

1. Underserved Populations (as noted in the Equity investment priority): 

a. Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and 

Pacific Islanders and other persons of color. To qualify under this component of 

the investment priority the applicant must identify which minority population(s)

will benefit from the project AND either a) how the project will intentionally 

attempt to improve the economic conditions of that population within the 

project’s planned area of impact and/or b) how that minority population, alone 

or in combination with other minority populations, represents at least 30% of 

the population within the planned area of impact of the project. Projects that 

have a focus on assisting businesses that are owned by any of the abovereferenced persons or that are led by minority-severing institutions (e.g., 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities) would also qualify. 

b. Women. To qualify under this component of the investment priority the 

applicant must identify how specific components of the project will assist 

women in the project’s planned area of impact to overcome barriers to 

employment or entrepreneurship. Examples of projects might include a project 

that is intended to assist women who left the workforce due to the coronavirus 

pandemic to return to work or a project that will focus on supporting women 

entrepreneurs. Projects that have a focus on assisting women-owned businesses 

would also qualify. 

c. Members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 

(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities. To qualify under this component of 

the investment priority the applicant must identify how specific components of 

the project will assist one of the above-mentioned groups (i.e., members of 

religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) 

persons; persons with disabilities) in the project’s planned area of impact to 

overcome barriers to employment or entrepreneurship. An example might 

include a project that will focus on training persons with disabilities to improve 

their skills in entrepreneurship. Projects that have a focus on assisting businesses 

that are owned by any of the above-referenced groups would also qualify. 
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2. Geographies (as noted in the Equity investment priority): Examples of “Geographies” 

include Tribal Lands or Persistent Poverty Counties, which include rural areas with 

demonstrated, historical underservice. To qualify under this component of the 

investment priority the applicant must show one (or more) of the geographies

represents at least 30% of the planned area of impact of the project. This could also 

include smaller pockets (i.e., sub-county) of high (at least 20% poverty rate) or 

persistent (at least 20% poverty rate for at least 30 years) poverty that represent at least 

30% of the project’s planned area of impact. For help in identifying areas of high 

poverty please see: Census ACS19 based Poverty Status Viewer. 

3. Green Products (as noted in the Environmentally-Sustainable Development investment 

priority): An economic development project that results in a clearly defined end-product 

that furthers or contributes to the environmental quality (e.g., 

reuse/recycling/restoration/preservation), greenhouse gas mitigation (e.g., renewable 

energy, energy efficiency), and/or climate resiliency (e.g., green infrastructure) of the 

associated community or region. The end-product (i.e., what is being developed or 

produced) can take numerous forms, such as an activity, item, plan or program. For 

example, a Green Product might be a business incubator focused on renewable energy, 

infrastructure for a business park in which the primary tenant will produce solar panel 

components, or a feasibility study for developing a biomass-to-electricity facility.

4. Green Processes (as noted in the Environmentally-Sustainable Development

investment priority): An economic development project that results in clearly defined 

green enhancements to the resource, energy, water, and/or waste efficiency of an 

existing function or process (including the use of green or natural infrastructure). The 

enhancements reflect changes to the life-cycle process of an existing function so that 

the function is performed in a more environmentally-sustainable manner (e.g., improves 

energy efficiency, uses renewable energy, contributes to 

reuse/recycling/restoration/preservation, reduces anticipated climate risks like

flooding). The focus is on how the product is being developed or produced rather than 

the product itself. For example, a Green Process might be the retrofitting of a tannery 

facility to enable tannery operations to use water and energy in a more sustainable 

manner. The project would potentially impact multiple stages (e.g., use and reuse) of 

the tannery process life-cycle.

5. Green Buildings (as noted in the Environmentally-Sustainable Development investment 

priority): An economic development project that results in the construction or 

renovation of a structure using green building techniques that result in a net positive 

outcome in terms of energy, materials, and/or water use efficiency and designed with 

consideration of impacts from climate change (e.g., flooding). Such buildings or 

structures would preferably pursue or plan to pursue and receive U.S. Green Building 

Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) certification (or other 

comparable green building certification). The focus is on the green aspects of the 

building or structure itself, not what is being created, developed or undertaken within. 
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For example, a Green Building might be a LEED-certified agribusiness commercialization 

center. 

6. Green Places (as noted in the Environmentally-Sustainable Development investment 

priority): An economic development project located within mixed-use, transit-oriented 

areas that increases community revitalization, improves job access, avoids impacts to 

undeveloped or environmentally sensitive lands and waters (e.g., greenfields or 

wetlands) and is resilient to expected climate risks (e.g., not sited in a location 

vulnerable to anticipated sea level rise impacts). The green portion is focused primarily 

on where (from a water/land-use perspective) the project activity is taking place. Such 

investments are:

o located within a 1⁄2 mile of quality transit (i.e., fixed guide way transit station 

or well-served bus transit stop) for urban or inner-suburban locations, or 

within a 1⁄2 mile of a town center or main street area for rural locations; 

o situated on previously developed or degraded land – includes infill and 

vacant property development, intensification of underutilized parcels, and/or 

the leveraging of existing public infrastructure; 

o sited based on an assessment of the anticipated climate threats (e.g., 

drought, flooding) to the project for its lifetime; AND

o placed in an area that favors efficient land use (i.e., land uses in close 

proximity to one another), where commercial uses, economic activity, and 

employment opportunities are concentrated and accessible (e.g., walkable, 

bikeable) to nearby residential density.

In addition to the criteria noted above, consider using tools such as EPA’s Smart 

Location Calculator and the National Walkability Index to determine the project’s overall 

location efficiency.

7. Well-Paying, Quality Jobs (as noted in the Workforce Development investment priority): 

A job that exceeds the local prevailing wage1 for an industry in the region, includes basic 

benefits (e.g., paid leave, health insurance, retirement/savings plan) and/or is unionized, 

and helps the employee develop the skills and experiences necessary to advance along a 

career path.

1 “Prevailing wage” is defined by the Department of Labor as “the average wage paid to similarly employed workers 

in a specific occupation in the area of intended employment.”