- Details
- By Aminah Syed
- Economic Development
The Administration for Native Americans has opened applications for two new grant programs that replace one of the federal government’s longest-running tribal economic development initiatives.
The new Economic Advancement Grants for Local Empowerment (EAGLE) and Artificial Intelligence for American Indians (AI3) Action Institute funding opportunities shift federal support from tribally determined economic development projects to administration-defined priorities including greenhouses, microgrids, welding workforce development, elder mentorship and artificial intelligence.
The new grants replace the Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) and SEDS-Alaska programs, which for more than 30 years allowed tribes and Native-serving organizations to propose economic development initiatives based on local priorities. Congress reinforced SEDS in 2020 by directing ANA to prioritize projects involving Native CDFIs, tribal commercial codes, tribal business structures and tribal master planning.
Native leaders and lawmakers urged ANA to preserve SEDS while adding the new programs rather than replacing it altogether.
The proposal also drew criticism over tribal consultation. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the Trump administration moved forward without meaningful consultation, despite Native communities’ reliance on SEDS grants for economic development.
“Tribes deserve a seat at the table from the beginning — in all conversations — not just as an afterthought,” Murray told Tribal Business News.
The new EAGLE program will provide approximately $24 million over three years through five new funding tracks:
- Seventh-Generation Greenhouses to increase the quantity and quality of food;
- Microgrids to increase energy reliability;
- Welders to Elders to promote job growth and professional development;
- Tradition in Action, a Native elder program to support intergenerational knowledge; and
- Indigenous Designs to Empower and Advance Self-Determination (IDEAS) to support projects that identify tribal community needs.
The new AI3 Action Institute includes a single $3.5 million award intended to establish a national artificial intelligence resource center to help Native communities adopt AI technologies and reduce the AI learning curve.
The funding opportunities were posted July 28 after weeks of delays and uncertainty over when ANA would release the notices of funding opportunity. ANA has not announced a SEDS funding opportunity for fiscal 2026.
Tribal Business News reached out to ANA to ask about future plans for SEDS funding, but did not hear back when this story went live.
Applications for both grants are due Aug. 27. The EAGLE grant can be applied for through the opportunity number HHS-2026-ACF-ANA-NEG-0120. The AI3 grant can be applied for through opportunity number HHS-2026-ACF-ANA-NAI-0035.
Brian Edwards contributed reporting.
