About Local Development Districts

What is an LDD?

The NBRC Federal-State partnership is aided by a group of regional organizations called Local Development Districts (LDDs) that assist the NBRC in its outreach activities and administer NBRC investments for grantees. LDDs are either an already existing federally designated Economic Development District, as certified by the US Economic Development Administration, or an organization similar in nature to a regional planning commission.

What is the Role of an LDD?

LDDs are knowledgeable about other Federal and State programs that help fund economic and community development projects. They are aware of local concerns as most engage in regional economic development planning of varying degrees. LDDs provide feedback to the Commission on its current programs as well as assist in identifying future areas of focus for the Commission. 

Each Catalyst Program (SEID & IIJA) award is required to utilize an LDD for grant administration assistance unless they are an agency of State government, an LDD, or have requested and received an LDD waiver approval from NBRC during the preapplication stage of the Catalyst Program. 

LDDs are compensated for their grant administration services through a reimbursement process with the grantee. The grant administration fee for all NBRC awards of $400,000 or less is $8,000. The grant administration fee for all NBRC awards above $400,000 is based on the formula of 2% of the NBRC requested amount. LDD grant administration costs are an eligible NBRC cost for an amount not to exceed the formula.  If grant administration assistance is beyond the total available under the formula, those must be paid for with matching funds. Grant administration duties include assisting with quarterly reporting, reimbursement requests, final reporting, contract amendments, and general guidance (see Role of the LDD document for more details).

• Notice to Proceed Documentation: Help the grantee upload their LDD contract in the GMS, assist with getting the PNTP for LDD costs in place and submitting their matching funds documentation. 

• Quarterly and Annual Reporting: Ensure that the grantee files all quarterly and annual reports accurately and on time, and with enough information to provide a meaningful outline of the project’s status. 

• Reimbursement Requests: Provide guidance to grantees on filing reimbursement requests and ensure that reimbursement requests are accurate, within approved budget and contain all the necessary documentation to provide evidence of match and reimbursements that are expected to be paid by NBRC. 

• Final Reporting: Ensure the grantee submits all required close out material accurately and on time once the project is complete. 

• Contract Amendments: Assist grantees in submitting contract amendments such as a change in authorized official, budget adjustment, contract extension, or project scope adjustment. 

• General Assistance: Be available to provide guidance to the grantee with other issues such as what their responsibilities are regarding procurement of goods and services and contractors. Have a general knowledge base about federal grant programs, specifically NBRC. 

If an entity is required to utilize an LDD, grant administration costs must be reflected as a line item within the project budget submitted in support of a Catalyst Program application for funding. Please see the Catalyst Program Manual for additional guidance on where this cost should be reflected in the project budget (SF424cbw).

LDDs utilized by grantees must have opted into the LDD Partnership Program for the current cycle year and continue to meet programmatic requirements to be eligible to provide grant administration assistance to new grantees.

What is NOT the Role of an LDD?

The LDD is not expected to:

• conduct bid processes and/or assess bid documents for completion
• interviewing potential consultants, or
• other procurement processes.

The LDD grant administration allowance also does not cover assisting a grantee with the completion of NEPA.  While some of our LDD partners have this capacity and experience, if a grantee wishes to engage the LDD in these processes, those are eligible NBRC costs, which must be reflected in the project budget (SF424cbw), and the grantee may enter a separate Grant Management contract with the LDD for those services.