US Department of Commerce Invests $849,185 to Support Business Resiliency Efforts in Ekwok

The US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $849,185 grant to the Native Village of Ekwok to build a multi-purpose facility that will enhance the resiliency of the area’s business community. This EDA grant is expected to create or retain fifty-five jobs and generate $45,000 in private investment.

“President Biden is committed to supporting Native communities as they build a foundation for future economic growth,” says Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment will construct a multi-purpose facility to be used for the storage of emergency supplies and the training of waste management staff from surrounding communities in the safe and sustainable processing of hazardous and recyclable materials.”

“The negative economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hit small communities like Ekwok especially hard. This Indigenous Communities program award from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will invest in building a multi-purpose facility, creating jobs and generating income to boost Ekwok’s economy,” says Senator Lisa Murkowski. “As we work to build business resilience across Alaska–in both rural and urban areas–our entire state will be better off. I appreciate the EDA’s focus on ensuring small remote communities like Ekwok have the opportunity for a stronger future.”

Under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, EDA’s Indigenous Communities program dedicates $100 million to develop and execute economic development projects that these communities need to recover from the pandemic and build economies for the future. For more information, please visit EDA’s American Rescue Plan Indigenous Communities webpage.