The “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” will award $1 billion in grant funding from the American Rescue Plan to projects spanning 24 states.
The Biden administration today announced 21 winners of a competitive grant program for funding to “rebuild regional economies, promote inclusive and equitable recovery, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”
A White House press release on September 2 announced the conclusion of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan signed into law in March 2021. In all, 21 projects spanning 24 states received funding between $25 million and $65 million.
The press release summarizes the winning projects: “Projects include developing workforce training programs and connecting workers to jobs; providing support to family-owned manufacturers to transition from traditional automotives [sic] to electric vehicles; establishing a digital finance sector to support small businesses in Tribal communities; providing digital resources to small farms; renovating and repurposing industrial buildings for new businesses; rebuilding pharmaceutical supply chains in the U.S. to lower drug costs; building advanced manufacturing centers for testing and training; deploying solar energy on former coal land; and more. Additionally, private sector companies and local organizations are investing an additional $300 million in these local projects.
A complete list of grant award winners is available online and a “grantee profile book” [pdf] are available online at the U.S. Economic Development Administration website.
At least one local media publication picked up on the news of grant funding headed their way. Jayati Ramakrishnan reports for The Oregonian that “The Mass Timber Coalition, a group that’s helmed by the Port of Portland and includes several Oregon state agencies, will get $41.4 million from the “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” to help fund a manufacturing facility at the Port of Portland, "which will build and supply highly processed wood panels for modular homes to be used as affordable housing around the state."
Update: The Brookings Institution provides commentary and analysis on the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
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