EDA FY25 Disaster Supplemental

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has released its FY 2025 Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program. This NOFO provides $1.447 billion in grant funding to support communities and regions affected by major natural disasters in calendar years 2023 and 2024, as defined by Presidential declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The program aims to support long-term economic recovery through construction and non-construction projects that help impacted communities exceed pre-disaster economic conditions and build greater resilience to future disasters. The funding opportunity is divided into three distinct pathways: Readiness, Implementation, and Industry Transformation. The Readiness Path supports non-construction projects that enhance a community's ability to apply for or implement recovery funding. These may include strategy development, capacity building, or predevelopment activities such as site assessment or engineering plans. Implementation Path projects may include both construction and non-construction activities intended to replace or upgrade critical infrastructure, enhance workforce development, or diversify regional economies. The Industry Transformation Path funds large-scale, multicomponent projects led by regional coalitions focused on long-term transformation and industry development in disaster-impacted regions. Eligible applicants include district organizations of EDA-designated Economic Development Districts, Indian tribes, state and local governments and subdivisions, higher education institutions, public or private nonprofits working with political subdivisions, economic development organizations, and public-private partnerships for public infrastructure. Applications from individuals or for-profit entities will not be considered. Projects must be located in, serve, or demonstrably benefit communities in federally designated disaster areas from 2023 or 2024. EDA maintains a searchable contact list of Economic Development Representatives by state on their website. The application process requires electronic submission through the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE) portal. For the Readiness and Implementation Paths, applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or a new NOFO is issued. Industry Transformation Path applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Applicants must register in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Specific narrative components, such as an Impact and Engagement Narrative or Overarching Narrative, are required depending on the chosen Path, with page limits strictly enforced. Evaluation will be conducted via a technical review and Investment Review Committee (IRC) scoring process, considering factors such as disaster recovery need, project feasibility, strategy, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with EDA’s economic recovery resilience investment priority. EDA expects to fund 80% of eligible project costs but may increase the federal share up to 100% in cases of demonstrated need or for Indian tribes. Matching requirements and investment/policy commitments vary by Path, with the Industry Transformation Path requiring documented commitments. Technical assistance is available from EDA’s Economic Development Representatives. More details, including application templates, required forms, and webinar links, can be accessed through EDA’s official website or EDGE portal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the registration and application process early due to the complexity and time required for system setup and documentation.