White House announces 21 winners of 'Build Back Better Challenge' to split $1 billion

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Friday announced nearly two dozen winners of a White House economic challenge who will split $1 billion in funding in an effort to rebuild oppressed communities nationwide.

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge was funded by American Rescue Plan and overseen by the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration.

The challenge was designed to provides regional investments to "transform local economies, create good-paying jobs, jump-start emerging industries and prepare workforce for the future."

The White House announced 21 winners of the challenge on Friday from various states, including California, West Virginia, Michigan, New York, Florida and Oklahoma.

The winners will receive between $25 million and $65 million in funds to aid local economies, promote inclusive and equitable recovery and advance clean energy and biotechnologies.

"Since day one, President Biden has been laser-focused on ensuring that economic opportunity is delivered to all Americans, especially communities that have grappled with decades of disinvestment or suffered economic distress," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

"We want to create industry hubs in diverse communities across the country. These grants will provide critical and historic funding directly to community coalitions to invest."

Biden sees the program as a way to revitalize business in the private sector and help spur "transformational" projects in rural, tribal and impoverished communities. More than $270 million will go to workforce training and helping people find work.

Family-owned businesses also stand to benefit from the program by producing technologies to move the United States away from gas-powered vehicles and traditional energy sources, like coal.

One award includes $87 million to two tribal coalitions to establish a digital finance sector.

Small farms will get some of the funding, as will solar energy companies. More than $150 million will go to more than 200 tribal and rural communities "impacted by the declining use of fossil fuels."

Old and derelict industrial buildings will be renovated for new business and pharmaceutical supply chains will be rebuilt to lower drug costs. The federal dollars will also be used to build advanced manufacturing centers for testing and training.

Private companies have kicked in an additional $300 million for the local projects.

Under the American Rescue Plan, the Economic Development Administration was given $3 billion to assist economically challenged communities following the COVID-19 pandemic.