The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing 22 Finalists in the Distressed Area Recompete 

Pilot Program. These communities will compete for $200 million of implementation funding 

from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to combat 

long-term economic distress and create good jobs. 

The economic conditions of one’s 

neighborhood and community are a 

fundamental building block to social 

and economic outcomes, yet too many 

Americans still live in communities where they 

struggle to find reliable jobs and opportunity. The 

Distressed Area Recompete Pilot (Recompete) 

program is targeted to address a critical gap: 

ensuring communities have the investments they 

need to grow, adapt, and remain competitive in a 

changing national and global economy. 

Authorized for up to $1 billion in the CHIPS 

and Science Act, the Recompete Program received 

$200 million in initial appropriations for the 

2023 competition. Through this funding, EDA 

aims to make transformational investments in 

distressed communities across the nation that 

catalyze renewed competitiveness and economic 

opportunity for workers and families in these areas. 

On December 20, 2023, President Biden 

announced 22 Phase 1 Finalists of the 

Recompete Program and 24 Strategy 

Development Grant awardees.

Recompete Finalists will compete in Phase 2 

of the competition, with 4-8 Recompete Plans 

ultimately receiving implementation funding 

averaging between $20 and $50 million each. 

Strategy Development Grant awardees will 

receive ~$500,000, on average, to further develop 

their Recompete Plans, hire staff, and identify 

follow-along resources for their communities. 

The Recompete Program addresses 

critical gaps in the national economy 

by providing community-driven 

investments to re-engaging workers 

into the workforce. 

The Recompete program aims to catalyze longterm economic opportunity in highly distressed 

communities with investments that target the 

unique underlying conditions of a particular 

place. Through its bottom-up, community-driven 

approach, Recompete will provide employment 

opportunities in concentrated areas. Reducing the 

number of places experiencing joblessness is not 

only one of the best ways to improve social and 

economic outcomes, but also supports the broader 

U.S. economy through a stronger, more resilient 

workforce. 

EDA received more than 560 applications 

during the Recompete Program’s initial 

competition, representing the highest demand of 

any national program in EDA’s history. On average, 

Recompete Finalists have prime-age (25–54-yearold) employment rates that trail the national 

average by more than 10 percentage points and 

an average median household income one-third 

below the national average. 

Recompete Finalists reflect a spectrum of 

economic distress in America and proposed a 

variety of economic strategies focusing on: 

 Supporting rural and Tribal communities

by addressing barriers to job creation and 

economic opportunity through regionallyaligned investments to reconnect residents 

across isolated areas; 

 Addressing distress in large cities through 

a series of highly concentrated investments 

in targeted neighborhoods to reverse historic 

urban inequities and connect workers to 

good jobs; and 

 Strengthening small- and medium-sized 

towns ranging across post-industrial centers, 

suburban areas in proximity of growing labor 

markets, and rural and remote cities.

continues on page 2

FACT SHEET

Phase 1 Finalists

KEY

Finalist HQ

SDG Recipient HQ

Finalist and 

SDG Recipient HQ

Finalist

States Served

States Served 

by Only SDG
FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 2

To combat long-term distress, each Finalist built a 

Recompete Plan that articulated a tailored investment 

thesis based on specific root causes, ranging from shifting 

global markets, to addiction, to economic isolation. These 

plans brought together strong public, private, and civic 

partnerships � together, Finalists submitted more than 

530 letters of support, many of which represent specific and 

targeted partnerships and local commitments from local 

elected officials (116), the private sector (125), higher education 

and workforce training organizations (104), and communitybased and labor organizations (103).

"Recompete helps fulfill President Biden’s promise

that no community in America will be left behind as we continue

to grow our nation’s economy and invest in American workers.

These Recompete Finalists and grant recipients have presented 

a wide range of inspiring solutions to create jobs, 

develop long-term economic growth, and realize the full potential 

in communities that for too long have been overlooked or counted out."

GINA RAIMONDO

Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce

530+ LETTERS

OF SUPPORT

125

Private Sector

116

Local Elected Officials

104

Higher Education and 

Workforce Training 

Organizations

103

Community-Based and 

Labor Organizations

Since 2000, labor force participation has declined by 5 percent, and 

this decline has been associated with a decrease in life expectancy, 

poorer outcomes for children and lower U.S. overall competitiveness. 

That’s why economists have found that programs like Recompete 

that specifically focus investments into those places with low primeage employment  tend to have a much larger return on investment

than untargeted programming. 

continues on page 3

Finalists also demonstrated a clear commitment to equity, 

with all 22 Recompete Plans proposing strategies intentionally 

centered on underserved communities. Of the 22 Finalists, 

seven are focused exclusively on rural America and five are 

led by or involve Tribal organizations as a primary partner. 

Additionally, seven Finalists’ plans involve labor organizations 

as part of their proposed investments. 

Recompete Finalists proposed investments will catalyze 

regional growth and opportunity. Together, the 22 Phase 1 

Finalists represent nearly $800 million in preliminary funding 

requests that will be refined in their Phase 2 applications. 

These include approximately:

 $300 million in funding for workforce training to connect 

workers to good jobs;

 $190 million in social and wraparound services such as 

transportation, child/elder care, counseling, addiction and 

post-incarceration support and other supports to ensure 

residents can meaningfully participate and stay in the 

labor force;

 $150 million in entrepreneurships and small business 

supports to provide local business enterprises the skills, 

resources, and networks needed to thrive;

 $150 million in infrastructure investments to revitalize 

public infrastructure, commercial corridors, and improve 

residential wellbeing; and

 $80 million in governance and local coordination 

resources to ensure Recompete Plans are designed by 

and for the communities they serve.

Note that EDA asked for preliminary budgets in Phase 1; 

Finalists will revise and resubmit their projects in Phase 2 of 

the competition.

WHAT SETS THE RECOMPETE PROGRAM APART?
FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 3

Creating economic opportunity requires attacking 

the underlying conditions that keep workers from 

accessing good jobs. The Recompete program aims to 

meet communities where they are and based on their 

unique needs—social and economic. For example, the 

Finalists have proposed nearly $200 million in funding 

to address social and wraparound services needed by 

workers and families. 

Investing in the right programs and people can activate 

the competitive advantage of a region and create a 

positive cycle of jobs and economic opportunity for 

its residents. However, too often those underlying 

assets are not adequately invested in, which is 

particularly the case for rural areas. Recompete 

Finalists have identified specific competitive strengths 

of their regions and built investment priorities that 

can catalyze domestic and foreign direct investment, 

exports, new businesses, and jobs growth. 

The decline of traditional manufacturing over the past 

forty years has impacted communities across the 

county. Yet in many American cities and towns, the loss 

of manufacturing jobs was geographically concentrated 

and its impacts compounded by racist policies like 

redlining. The Recompete Pilot is strengthening 

American manufacturing through investments to 

revitalize communities and neighborhoods that once 

were thriving centers of production.

Thriving small businesses are a leading indicator 

of thriving neighborhoods. Yet, for example, only 

3 percent of all U.S. businesses are majority-owned 

by Black Americans. Supporting entrepreneurship 

provides an oversized impact to distressed 

communities by creating good jobs and sustainable 

local communities. For example, Black-owned 

businesses employ 1.3 million workers and create over 

$141 billion in sales—much of which stays directly in 

the community.

FINALIST EXAMPLE

St. Claire Medical Center’s Recompete Strategy is focused on 

coupling addiction treatment with training and access to good jobs, 

stating: “We recognize recovery is most successful when treatment 

is immediately followed by employment opportunities.” By 

comprehensively addressing the social, wellbeing, and economic 

needs of community members in Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, 

Morgan, and Rowan counties in Eastern Kentucky, St. Claire and 

its partners aim to alleviate systemic distress.

FINALIST EXAMPLE

“Native households own only eight cents of wealth for every 

dollar owned by a white household.” That’s why Wind River 

Reservation’s Recompete Plan develops local capacity to 

capitalize on sustainable natural assets. Based on an analysis 

conducted with the National Park Service, if Wind River—located 

next to Yellowstone National Park—can capture just 15 percent of 

Yellowstone tourism, it will create over 1,300 reservation jobs and 

a long-term economic lifeline for the community.

FINALIST EXAMPLE

In 1970, 98 percent of the population of Allentown, Pennsylvania

was white, and the economy was driven by the steel industry. Today, 

more than half of the city’s residents are Hispanic, and the economy 

ranges from advanced manufacturing to health care. The city’s 

Recompete Plan doubles down on the diversity of its people and 

economy, especially by investing in Allentown’s Black and brown 

neighborhoods, to create economic pathways to good jobs and a 

thriving, future-looking, local economy for all residents. 

FINALIST EXAMPLE

Historically, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector served 

as a source of opportunity for Black residents. “In 1970, 43 percent 

of the Black population in Milwaukee worked in blue-collar jobs, a 

rate higher than in Detroit. However, by 2000 almost all those jobs 

were lost and the central city neighborhoods, home to the city’s 

Black residents, suffered the most and have had poverty rates 

exceeding 20 percent since.” That’s why Milwaukee’s Recompete 

Plan proposes providing operational and flexible financing to 

over 1,000 small businesses and construct a new manufacturing 

business accelerator within the 30th Street Industrial Corridor to 

provide minority-owned small businesses support to grow. 

COMMUNITY CALLOUTS

Recompete recognizes social factors, such as substance abuse or community blight, as well as 

economic factors influence regional distress, and the program invests in root causes of joblessness. 

Recompete aims to end the cycle of poverty by investing in a community’s long-term competitiveness. 

Recompete strengthens American manufacturing. 

Recompete supports minority-owned businesses 

that restore underinvested-in Black and Brown neighborhoods. 

continues on page 4
10/20/23

FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 4

OVERVIEW OF 

THE 22 RECOMPETE PLAN FINALISTS

Here is an overview of our 22 Recompete Plan Finalists, 15 of which were also awarded 

a Strategy Development Grant (SDG) as indicated by a (•) next to their name. 

Note that budgets are preliminary at this time�implementation funding will be awarded 

in Phase 2 of the competition to 4-8 of the following Finalists.1

 The Borderplex Region Workforce Recompete Plan, led 

by the city of El Paso, Texas, requests approximately $50 

million to connect residents to good jobs by providing 

workforce development in advanced manufacturing, 

healthcare, and IT, upscaling wraparound services, and 

connecting participants to existing employers. 

 The City of Allentown Recompete Plan •, led by the city 

of Allentown, Pennsylvania, requests approximately $20 

million to connect residents to good jobs by working with 

labor organizations and manufacturing and healthcare 

employers to create targeted economic opportunities in the 

most distressed parts of downtown Allentown’s 1st and 6th 

wards, the city’s primarily Black and brown neighborhoods. 

 The Closing the Gap Recompete Plan •, led by Plenty 

Doors Community Development Corporation, requests 

approximately $50 million to recover jobs lost in the 

decline of the coal industry by investing in critical business 

and municipal infrastructure, business incubation, and 

vocational training in the trades. The Finalist’s eight 

investments will curb economic leakage by growing 

businesses that provide needed services and job 

opportunities for the Crow Reservation in Montana.

 The Decatur, Illinois’ Recompete Plan, led by Richland 

Community College, requests approximately $50 million to 

catalyze two growing industries in the region and connect 

them to underserved populations in Decatur, Illinois. 

Taking advantage of its successful “EnRICH” training 

model, the Finalist will prepare thousands of workers for 

manufacturing job opportunities in the emerging electric 

vehicle and precision fermentation sectors.

 The Eastern Kentucky Runway Recompete Plan, led by 

Shaping Our Appalachian Region, requests approximately 

$50 million to reduce barriers to employment and address 

skills mismatches in the healthcare and tech sectors in 

southeastern Kentucky. The Finalist’s seven projects would 

fund healthcare and remote training programs, customize 

training and resources to individual needs, and create a 

social enterprise accelerator to grow small businesses 

focused on addressing workforce participation barriers like 

access to childcare.

1

 Budgets will be re-submitted in Phase 2; amounts may be revised based EDA’s funding decisions.

 The East Oakland Partnership Recompete Plan •, led 

by the Black Cultural Zone Community Development 

Corporation, requests approximately $20 million to upskill 

workers for careers in emerging technologies and the 

trades. Through investments in wraparound services, 

digital literacy programs, and small business development, 

the Finalist will connect East Oakland, California, a 

predominantly Black and Hispanic community, with 

existing IT and infrastructure jobs across the region.

 The Grow Milwaukee Recompete Plan •, led by the 

Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, 

requests approximately $50 million to support business 

growth, modernize industrial sites, and create workforce 

pathways into quality jobs. The Finalist will connect 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s historically segregated 30th Street 

Industrial Corridor to broader economic prosperity in the 

surrounding region.

 The Gulf Coast Chambers Network (GCCN) Recompete 

Plan •, led by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 

Foundation, requests approximately $40 million to 

upskill Gulf Coast residents for jobs prevalent in Alabama, 

Louisiana, and Mississippi. The GCCN’s investment 

strategies leverage six chambers of commerce and 

“workforce influencers” to address transportation and other 

shared barriers to good jobs facing coastal communities in 

the Gulf region.

 The Lithium Valley Recompete Plan, led by San 

Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center, requests 

approximately $65 million to reskill workers and equip 

small businesses to take advantage of the region’s 

burgeoning lithium extraction industry. The applicant’s 

seven proposed projects will address gaps in educational 

attainment and STEM workforce training to ensure 

new growth industries serve residents of California’s 

Imperial Valley.

 The Newark Builds Newark Recompete Plan, led by the 

city of Newark, requests approximately $20 million to 

connect residents to good jobs created by the Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law in New Jersey. With projects like the 

$6.9 billion Gateway Project underway, the Finalist – in 

partnership with the Carpenter’s Union (Local 253) – aims 

to connect historically underserved communities to job 

opportunities in the local building trades. 

 continues on page 5
FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 5

 The North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Plan •, led 

by Clallam County, requests approximately $50 million 

to renew competitiveness of its natural resources and 

maritime industries. The applicant’s seven investment 

strategies will address barriers to business growth and 

employment through marine transport, manufacturing 

facilities and critical infrastructure, and social support 

services within the rural and tribal regions of Clallam and 

Jefferson Counties, Washington.

 The Oasis Expansion Recompete Plan •, led by the 

Platform for Social Impact, requests approximately $50 

million to invest in comprehensive, equitable economic 

development in the Villa Prades public housing community 

of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Recognizing the community’s 

unique needs, the Finalist aims to address obstacles to 

participating in the formal economy, provide training and 

comprehensive wraparound supports like child and elder 

care, and support the growth of small businesses.

 The Prosper Memphis 2030 Recompete Plan, led by the 

Memphis Chamber Foundation, requests approximately 

$20 million to diversify the local economy and build job 

pathways into growth industries in Tennessee, including 

advanced manufacturing and technology. The Finalist 

seeks to enable economic mobility and growth in the 

region’s persistently impoverished communities by 

providing Industry 4.0 workforce training, increasing 

childcare capacity, and supporting local small businesses 

and entrepreneurs.

 The Reconnecting Canton Recompete Plan •, led 

by the Stark Economic Development Board, requests 

approximately $20 million to combat a history of redlining, 

urban renewal, and industry decline in southeast Canton, 

Ohio by creating new workforce pathways, providing small 

business supports, expanding community resource hubs to 

provide wraparound services, and removing transportation 

barriers faced by underserved populations.

 The Reinvest Northwest: Birmingham Career Accelerator 

Recompete Plan, led by the city of Birmingham, requests 

approximately $20 million to connect residents in the 

neighborhoods of North Birmingham, Pratt, Smithfield, and 

Northside in Alabama to good jobs. The applicant’s four 

investment strategies will address persistent economic 

distress by providing workforce training and affordable 

shared transportation, as well as establishing new childcare 

centers and a business entrepreneurship center.

 The Revitalization of Central Maine Recompete Plan •, 

led by Main Street Skowhegan, requests approximately 

$50 million to connect residents to good jobs and revitalize 

the downtown economy. The Finalist’s proposed projects 

bridge community and economic development by creating 

a small business incubator and community kitchen, 

training workforce in tandem with regional employers, 

and increasing connectedness through downtown 

improvements in Skowhegan and Waterville.

OVERVIEW OF THE 22 RECOMPETE PLAN FINALISTS continued

 The Santa Cruz River/Sonoran Corridor (I-19) Recompete 

Plan •, led by Santa Cruz County, Arizona, requests 

approximately $50 million to counter job displacement and 

connect people to quality jobs with household sustaining 

wages in sustainable industries. The coalition’s five 

proposed projects will serve residents in Arizona’s Pima and 

Santa Cruz Counties through regional climate resiliency, 

digital equity and inclusion and industry re-investment.

 The South Chattanooga/East Lake Economic 

Revitalization Recompete Plan •, led by the city of 

Chattanooga, requests approximately $20 million to 

address economic disparity and persistent poverty in 

four neighborhoods in the urban core of Chattanooga, 

Tennessee. The Finalist’s investment strategies will 

expand tech-focused apprenticeship programming and 

wraparound services such as micro-childcare centers, case 

management, and transportation pilots. 

 The Springfield-Holyoke Recompete Plan •, led by the 

MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, requests 

approximately $20 million to train and connect workers 

to career pathways through inclusive hiring commitments, 

integrated workforce training, and a shared wraparound 

services hub. The Finalist’s four investment strategies 

will address the social determinants of work and health in 

Hampden County, Massachusetts.

 The St. Claire HealthCare Recompete Plan •, led by St. 

Claire Medical Center, requests approximately $10 million 

to help individuals with substance use disorders find 

sustainable and meaningful employment. The applicant’s 

four investment strategies tackle the impact of the opioid 

crisis on eastern Kentucky by using a 12-week curriculum 

complemented by the expansion of tuition assistance, 

training, and peer support programs.

 The UWCV: Addressing Economic Distress Recompete 

Plan •, led by the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, 

requests approximately $20 million to prepare residents in 

the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical 

Area for jobs in advanced manufacturing and construction, 

and to combat barriers to employment through targeted 

investments in childcare and job readiness.

 The Wind River Indigenous-based Economy Recompete 

Plan •, led by the Wind River Development Fund, requests 

approximately $50 million to establish a cultural 

preservation and ecotourism economy. The Finalist’s 

seven investment strategies aim to create new growth 

opportunities for the Wind River Indian Reservation and 

in Fremont County, Wyoming by accessing the growing 

tourism industry in nearby Yellowstone National Park.

 continues on page 6
10/20/23

FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 6

OVERVIEW OF THE 9 

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT GRANT RECIPIENTS

Below are the 9 applicants that were awarded only a Strategy Development Grant (SDG). 

 “Where did our people go?” – Alutiiq: Natmen Suupet 

agellriit? (SDG), led by Kodiak Area Native Association, 

will study factors leading to five Alaskan tribal areas’ 

population loss, develop intervention strategies, create 

new jobs, train workers to fill new and existing jobs, and 

identify how the target age group can return home to their 

village communities.

 Accelerate Mississippi Recompete Strategy (SDG), led 

by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security 

(MDES), will organize a strategy to address regional 

regional prime-age employment; identify and evaluate 

barriers to labor force participation and occupational skills 

attainment in key regions and industry sectors; and develop 

strategic implementation planning.

 Chester Recompete Program (SDG), led by the city of 

Chester, Pennsylvania, will use the planning grant during a 

critical moment of the city’s transition through bankruptcy 

and position the local economy for new growth. Activities 

will support a Recompete Plan Coordinator and contracts 

for a work assessment study, capacity study, and revising 

local policies to improve business conditions.

 FAMU Gadsden County Opportunity for All (SDG), led 

by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), 

will determine the key transportation, childcare, and 

agricultural strategies for the region’s small, rural farms to 

increase productivity and job opportunities.

 Recompete Rochester (SDG), led by RochesterWorks, 

Inc., will build capacity for interventions to increase the 

employment rate of prime-age residents, especially among 

Black and Hispanic or Latino communities – activities 

include convening regional stakeholders and conducing 

community outreach. The applicant’s efforts will focus on 

increasing access to good jobs for residents of Rochester, 

New York.

 Recompete Washington State Coastal Counties Initiative 

(SDG), led by Greater Grays Harbor, Inc., will develop a 

comprehensive and inclusive 10-step process to address 

the prime-age employment gap in Grays Harbor County 

and Pacific County in Washington state. Funding will 

also support hiring a Recompete Plan Coordinator and 

necessary staff.

 Site Readiness and Good Jobs Initiative (SDG), led by 

The Fund for Our Economic Future, will connect land use 

and growth initiatives with community development in 

Cleveland, Ohio. Activities include hiring a Recompete 

Plan Coordinator and necessary staff and funding 

contracted support for community outreach and strategic 

implementation planning.

 Springfield Economic Empowerment Project (SDG), led 

by the city of Springfield, will serve the 12 census tracts 

with the most acute prime-age employment gap within the 

Springfield, Illinois metro area. Activities include hiring a 

Recompete Plan Coordinator and Economic Development 

Officer and supporting strategic implementation planning.

 Working for Southeast Arkansas (SDG), led by The 

Alliance for Rural Impact, will develop a strategy to reverse 

the impacts of persistent poverty, out-migration, and 

economic distress in the Mississippi Delta region. Activities 

include community outreach and research in partnership 

with Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation and other 

local partners. 

 continues on page 7
12/20/23

FACT SHEET Phase 1 Finalists 7

WHAT SUPPORT CAN FINALISTS EXPECT 

FROM EDA DURING THE PHASE 2 COMPETITION?

The Recompete Pilot Program is a two-phase competition that was 

designed to help Finalists move from high-level conceptual plans in 

Phase 1 to detailed multi-project proposals in Phase 2 . This allows 

EDA to provide substantial support to Finalists to improve the quality 

of proposals for the Phase 2 applications and increase the readiness 

for project implementation regardless of whether a Finalist receives 

implementation funding.

 EDA will offer Recompete Finalists the following:

 1-on-1 Finalist Feedback Session

The Recompete Pilot Program team will provide individualized 

feedback based on Phase 1 applications in January 2024. These 

feedback sessions provide an opportunity for Finalists to reflect 

on their Phase 1 application, discuss questions, and refine their 

vision and strategy to better prepare for Phase 2 submission.

 1-on-1 Sessions with External Experts 

As they prepare Phase 2 applications, a Finalist may benefit 

from engaging with experts on specific topics. EDA will work 

with its partner network to connect Finalists to relevant experts 

when possible, to provide an independent sounding board during 

application development.

 Thematic Webinars

EDA and its partners will offer virtual sessions to highlight best 

practices on the investment strategies commonly proposed across 

the 22 Recompete Finalists. These sessions � designed in partnership 

with field experts in economic and workforce development, economic 

mobility, community development, economic competitiveness, 

and other areas � will inform Finalists as they build their Phase 

2 proposals. Example topics include: engaging and partnering 

with industry, effectively structuring wraparound services, and 

strengthening community engagement and equity.

 Ongoing Support

EDA will offer “Ask the Program” Office Hours for Finalists to 

raise strategic questions for Phase 2 application development, 

and “Technical Office Hours” for questions specific to application 

mechanics (e.g., questions on EDGE, filling out required forms 

and documentation), especially for first-time national competition 

participants.