1. (a) Minimum Investment Rate. There is no minimum Investment Rate for a Project.

2. (b) Maximum Investment Rate—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided by this paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of this section, the maximum EDA Investment Rate for all Projects shall be determined in accordance with Table 1 in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. The maximum EDA Investment Rate shall not exceed the sum of 60 percent, plus up to an additional 30 percent based on the relative needs of the Region in which the Project is located, as determined by EDA.

   1. (i)

      1. (A) Relative needs. In determining the relative needs of the Region in which the Project is located, EDA will prioritize allocations of its Investment Assistance to ensure that the level of economic distress of a Region, rather than a preference for a specific geographic area or a specific type of economic distress, is the primary factor in allocating its Investment Assistance. In making this determination, EDA will take into consideration the following measures of economic distress:

         (1) The severity of the unemployment rate and the duration of the unemployment in the Region;

         (2) The per capita income levels and the extent of underemployment in the Region;

         (3) The outmigration of population and the extent to which such outmigration is causing economic injury in the Region; and

         (4) Such other factors as EDA deems relevant in determining the relative needs of the Region in which the Project is located.

      2. (B) A Project is eligible for the maximum allowable Investment Rate as determined by EDA between the time EDA receives the application for Investment Assistance and the time that EDA awards Investment Assistance to the Project; however, the burden is on the Eligible Applicant to establish the relative needs of the Region in which the Project is located.

   2. (ii) Table 1. Table 1 of this paragraph sets forth the maximum allowable Investment Rate for Projects located in Regions subject to certain levels of economic distress. In cases where Table 1 produces divergent results (i.e., where Table 1 produces more than one maximum allowable Investment Rate based on the Region's levels of economic distress), the higher Investment Rate produced by Table 1 shall be the maximum allowable Investment Rate for the Project.

      Table 1

      Projects located in regions in which:	Maximum allowable investment rates (percentage)
      (A) The 24-month unemployment rate is at least 225% of the national average; or	80
      (B) The per capita income is not more than 50% of the national average	80
      (C) The 24-month unemployment rate is at least 200% of the national average; or	70
      (D) The per capita income is not more than 60% of the national average	70
      (E) The 24-month unemployment rate is at least one percentage point greater than the national average; or	60
      (F) The per capita income is not more than 80% of the national average	60

   3. (2) Projects subject to a Special Need. EDA shall determine the maximum allowable Investment Rate for Projects subject to a Special Need (as determined by EDA pursuant to § 301.3(a)(1)(iii)) based on the actual or threatened overall economic situation of the Region in which the Project is located. However, unless the Project is eligible for a higher Investment Rate pursuant to paragraph (b)(5) of this section, the maximum allowable Investment Rate for any Project subject to a Special Need shall be 80 percent.

   4. (3) Projects under part 303.

      1. (i) The minimum Investment Rate for Projects under part 303 of this chapter shall be 60 percent.
      2. (ii) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section or in paragraph (b)(5) of this section, the maximum allowable Investment Rate for Projects under part 303 of this chapter shall be the maximum allowable Investment Rate set forth in Table 1 for the most economically distressed county or other equivalent political unit (e.g., parish) within the Region. The maximum allowable Investment Rate shall not exceed 80 percent.
      3. (iii) In compelling circumstances, the Assistant Secretary may waive the application of the first sentence in paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section.

   5. (4) Projects under part 306. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(5) of this section, the maximum allowable Investment Rate for Projects under part 306 of this chapter shall generally be determined based on the relative needs (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section) of the Region which the Project will serve. As specified in section 204(c)(3) of PWEDA, the Assistant Secretary has the discretion to establish a maximum Investment Rate of up to 100 percent where the Project:

      1. (i) Merits, and is not otherwise feasible without, an increase to the Investment Rate; or
      2. (ii) Will be of no or only incidental benefit to the Eligible Recipient.

   6. (5) Special Projects. Table 2 of this paragraph sets forth the maximum allowable Investment Rate for certain special Projects as follows:

      Table 2

      Projects	Maximumallowableinvestment rates(percentage)
      Projects that involve broad Regional planning and coordination with other entities outside the Eligible Applicant's political jurisdiction or area of authority, under special circumstances determined by EDA, and Projects that effectively leverage other Federal Agency resources	80
      Projects of Indian Tribes	100
      Projects for which EDA receives appropriations under section 703 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3233) and Projects to address and implement post-disaster economic recovery efforts in Presidentially Declared Disaster areas in a timely manner	100
      Projects of States or political subdivisions of States that the Assistant Secretary determines have exhausted their effective taxing and borrowing capacity, or Projects of non-profit organizations that the Assistant Secretary determines have exhausted their effective borrowing capacity	100
      Projects under parts 305 or 307 that receive performance awards pursuant to § 308.2 of this chapter	100
      Projects located in a District that receive planning performance awards pursuant to § 308.3 of this chapter	100

3. (c) Federal Funding Opportunity announcements may provide additional Investment Rate criteria and standards to ensure that the level of economic distress of a Region, rather than a preference for a geographic area or a specific type of economic distress, is the primary factor in allocating Investment Assistance.

[71 FR 56675, Sept. 27, 2006, as amended at 73 FR 62865, Oct. 22, 2008; 75 FR 4262, Jan. 27, 2010; 79 FR 76125, Dec. 19, 2014; 90 FR 51992, Nov. 19, 2025]