Delta Regional Authority launches strategic planning grants for distressed communities

Speaker 1, a representative of the Delta Regional Authority, announced the Strategic Planning Program, a new grant opportunity to help economically distressed communities in the DRA’s eight-state Lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt service area develop plans and roadmaps for growth and resilience.

The program will award grants of $25,000 to $150,000 to support a range of planning activities, Speaker 1 said: “The strategic planning program awards grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000.” The funding is intended to support projects addressing prolonged local challenges, including basic public infrastructure, industry growth, workforce pipelines and small business development.

Speaker 2 outlined the types of plans eligible for funding, saying the program will consider comprehensive economic development plans, master plans, capital improvement plans, workforce development plans, preliminary engineering reports, transportation and broadband deployment plans, feasibility studies and utility rate studies. Speaker 2 also described who may apply: local units of government, federally recognized tribes, public authorities and associations, nonprofit organizations, local development districts and institutions of higher education.

“We require all applicants to provide a unique entity identifier and proof of an active System for Award Management or SAM.gov account to access the program application,” Speaker 2 said. The announcement did not specify application deadlines or the exact selection timeline; interested applicants were directed to the DRA website for details.

Speaker 3 described four priorities the DRA will give special consideration to when evaluating proposals: 1) projects that demonstrably improve economic development in economically distressed, isolated or persistent-poverty counties and parishes (for example, proposals that address job training and basic public infrastructure); 2) proposals that incorporate input from community members and underserved groups (such as focus groups or community meetings); 3) projects showing local or regional collaboration (for instance, a local government applying with an institution of higher education or a multi-county/parish regional proposal); and 4) proposals aligned with the Delta Regional Authority’s Regional Development Plan.

The announcement closed by directing prospective applicants to www.dra.gov for application materials and further guidance. The DRA did not announce a funding round deadline or selection schedule in the recorded remarks.