McKee Administration Receives $1M Planning Grant from U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration

PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration awarded a $1 million statewide planning grant to the McKee Administration. The planning grant is part of the Biden Administration's $3 billion American Rescue Plan funding to support the President's Build Back Better Agenda. These are the first EDA American Rescue Plan grants announced.

"I'm grateful to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the team at the Economic Development Administration for awarding Rhode Island this $1 million statewide planning grant," said Governor Dan McKee. "This funding will bolster our efforts to build a strong vision for Rhode Island's future and support efforts to update the state's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy."

"The Biden Administration is giving states and territories the unprecedented opportunity to bring all their communities together to develop comprehensive plans to build back better and stronger," said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. "The $1 million Statewide Planning grants will be used to lay the groundwork for President Biden's Build Back Better agenda to build resilient economies and increase U.S. Competitiveness."

"Planning is the backbone of economic development and Building Back Better," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. "EDA is proud to partner with state and territory leaders as they begin to tackle a wide range of challenges - including climate change, broadband, childcare, electric vehicle adoption, and pandemic recovery - and develop a comprehensive plan for their entire state or territory that ensures communities work together toward a common economic development vision for the future."

The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation has been designated as the state agency that will be responsible for carrying out the scope of work that was laid out in the State's application to the EDA.

###