Economic Development Administration cancels latest Build to Scale solicitation
More than 200 applications were received for the competition launched last September.
The SSTI Weekly Digest reported that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently notified the FY24 Build to Scale (B2S) competition applicants that it has canceled the FY24 competition and will announce a new B2S competition in early 2026. According to the announcement, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has directed EDA to restart a new B2S competition that better aligns with the goals of the current administration.
It is unknown whether the proposed solicitation will have a pool of funds totaling $50 million (the FY24 appropriation), $100 million (FY24 and FY25), or possibly up to $150 million (adding the Senate FY26 appropriation level should it prevail in congressional budget negotiations). The size of the pool may influence the design of the proposals sought in the Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as well as the size and number of awards made. In September 2024, the previous administration announced a B2S competition; the EDA received over 200 applications at that time. The most recent awards made were in 2023.
EDA has encouraged all previous applicants to reapply for the next competition, but it is anticipated that the competition will be reopened for all potentially eligible applicants. The agency will post updates on the program on its website.
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