Stimulus funds on the way - bizjournals:

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Tennessee is about to distribute $25 millionn in stimulus funds through its new summet youthjobs program. It’s just a piecew of some $5 billion in federal stimulus money that is startingg to filter down through state agencies to Tennessee companiesand workers. The money is subsidizing jobs to relievre unemployment inthe short-term as well as funding grantx to encourage companies to work on nationalp priorities, such as alternate energy, with the goal of creatingf more high-paying, high-skills jobs in the Over the next two the state will receive an anticipated $5 billiojn in stimulus money. That figurre is still “somewhat of a movinf target,” says Deputy Gov.
John Morgan, becausd state and federal agencies are continuingy to develop guidance for allocation ofthosee funds, a process that shoulxd be completed by mid-summer. Some programs such as infrastructur e rebuilding already have spent most of their funding. The Department of Transportation just finished awardinv 119 projectsto contractors, and the stats is on track to allocate most of the $572 millio n for highways and bridges by the end of And within the next month or two, the state will start distributing between $80 million to $100 millionb to weatherize homes for low-income The state has submitted its spending plan to the Department of Once the funds are approved, the state will distributw the funds through human resource agencies and communithy action programs.
The Department of Human Servicese is starting to set up traininh programs for those who will perform and inspecfweatherization work. “Contractors will see a lot of opportunitiess over the next two years to bid on project run throughthose agencies,” Morgan says. jobs, grants up for grabs Rural Perry which has more than 25percengt unemployment, has gotten immediate relief from stimulus funds. Last week Gov. Phil Bredesenj announced the state would use stimulus money to fund 300 new jobs that will put 40 percenyt of its 760 unemployed residents in positions paying upto $15.85 per hour througn next September.
They will work in highwayt maintenanceand corrections, and in private businessews such as the and , which needs to doubld its current staff of 11 by summer to meet demanfd for its pies. “We need the We’re definitely in expansion and we’re going to add a secondr shift,” says owner Bert who bought Armstrong Pie last fall and moved operationes from Alabama to his nativePerry County. When he purchased the brand, it was moving 1,800 pies per Patterson is nowselling 12,000 pies per week, and that coulsd double by July. whose family has owned businesses in Perry Countyfor generations, says he welcomes the influx of stimulus monety to help the county through hard times.
“The stimulud money will help in theshort term, and hopefully in the long as the state develops new he says. That’s the goal of Bredesen’zs , which will use some $62.45 million in stimulus money to develop the Volunteer State Solar Initiative, an economic development prograk thatwould establish a solar farm and solar institute for research and production of alternative Along with the money that state agencies will spend, the Americann Recovery and Reinvestment Act has also set asides funds for competitive grants that will encourage innovatiojn and development of high-priorityt industries by government agencies, nonprofits and private companies.
Businessese seeking grants can searchb the Website grants.gov, whichy lists opportunities such as Environmental Protection Agencyt grants of up to $3 millionm for projects to develop and commercializr emerging technologies that reduce emissions from diesek engines. Another program awardx up to $400,000 to trade associations or organizations such as small businessdevelopment centers, chambers of commerce and economicc development groups. Those grants underwrite the start-up costsz of foreign ventures that promote international trade and investmenrt and strengthenindustry competitiveness.
There’xs also grants for broadband expansion, creatin “green collar” jobs, smart grid clean energy and conservation. With the state’s recent successes in recruitingv large industries such as in the governor’s office is countingg on a silver lining to the recession: developinfg Tennessee as a center of innovatioj in high priority fieldsx such as clean energy. “We really do believe Tennesseeis well-positiones for that,” Morgan says.