3 Economic Questions

[Esam Rosado]

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This phrase refers to the Census Bureau poverty thresholds, although it is included in the legislative section of the 1981 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) that requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to update the poverty guidelines annually. The thresholds are mentioned in this legislative section because they are the starting point from which the poverty guidelines are calculated. (The legislative section is section 673(2) of OBRA-1981 or of the Community Services Block Grant Act; the U.S. Code citation is 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) .)

Since 2006, the poverty guidelines have been published in late January (except for 2010). The Federal Registration notices published since 1982 may be viewed by visiting the Prior HHS Poverty Guidelines and Federal Register References page.

The only way to get an official update of a chart showing percentage multiples of the poverty guidelines is to contact the organization or office that prepared it. While ASPE calculates the poverty guidelines each year, ASPE does not calculate or prepare any official charts showing percentage multiples of the poverty guidelines even though such charts may indicate the HHS poverty guidelines as the source. However, ASPE provides a spreadsheet tool to assist organizations in creating these charts. Be aware, however, that the rounding rules for these calculations, as well as procedures for calculating monthly income, are determined by the federal, state, and local program offices that use the poverty guidelines for eligibility purposes. Therefore, the numbers in these spreadsheets could differ somewhat from what is used by other federal, state, or other organizations.

Chart showing different multiples of the poverty guidelines for 2024 (XLSX)

Chart showing different multiples of the poverty guidelines for 2024 (PDF)

Chart showing different multiples of the poverty guidelines for prior years (XLSX)

*This content is in the process of Section 508 review. If you need immediate assistance accessing this content, please submit a request to Kendall Swenson, Kendall...@hhs.gov. Content will be updated pending the outcome of the Section 508 review.

The only way to get an update of a sliding fee scale is to contact the organization or office that prepared it. While ASPE calculates the poverty guidelines each year, ASPE does not calculate or prepare any sliding fee scales even though such scales may indicate the HHS poverty guidelines as the source.

The HHS poverty guidelines, or percentage multiples of them (such as 125 percent, 150 percent, or 185 percent), are used as an eligibility criterion by a number of federal programs, including those listed below. For examples of major means-tested programs that do not use the poverty guidelines, see the end of this response.

Some state and local governments have chosen to use the federal poverty guidelines in some of their own programs and activities. Examples include financial guidelines for child support enforcement and determination of legal indigence for court purposes. Some private companies (such as utilities, telephone companies, and pharmaceutical companies) and some charitable agencies also use the guidelines in setting eligibility for their services to low-income persons.

There is no simple answer to these questions. When determining program eligibility, some agencies compare before-tax income to the poverty guidelines, while other agencies compare after-tax income. Likewise, eligibility can be dependent on gross income, net income, or some other measure of income. Federal, state, and local program offices that use the poverty guidelines for eligibility purposes may define income in different ways. To find out the specific definition of income (before-tax, after-tax, etc.) used by a particular program or activity, one must consult the office or organization that administers that program.

No. ASPE does not project price changes for the current year; instead, we issue guidelines based on price changes through the most recent completed year. Accordingly, the 2024 poverty guidelines, issued in January 2024, reflect actual price changes through calendar year 2022

The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on policy development, and is responsible for major activities in policy coordination, legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis.

The below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are designed to help the public and applicants better understand the Tech Hubs Program. If you have any questions about the Tech Hubs Program that are not addressed in the FAQs below, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. Please also be sure to carefully read the Tech Hubs Phase 1 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which can be found here.

EDA will aim to update these FAQs every other Thursday, so please check them for new information. EDA also encourages you to subscribe to our newsletter and to check the Tech Hubs website for updates on the program.

EDA is running the program in two phases through two separate Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs). The Phase 1 NOFO was published on May 12, 2023 and can be found here. EDA expects to release the Phase 2 NOFO in Fall 2023.

The Phase 1 NOFO has two components: EDA will fund Strategy Development Grants and will Designate certain regions as Tech Hubs. Applicants can apply for (a) Designation only; (b) a Strategy Development Grant only; or (c) both Designation and a Strategy Development Grant.

Strategy Development Grants provide funding to prepare a consortium to apply for an Implementation grant in Phase Two (if they also receive a Designation) or for Designation in a future competition (if EDA receives additional Tech Hubs appropriations). As such, a Strategy Development Grant should help the consortium significantly increase local coordination and planning activities to be more competitive on the seven criteria for Designation that are described in section A.1.d. of the Phase 1 NOFO.

No, EDA staff cannot clarify whether your selected core technology area is within or at the intersection of one or more of the Key Technology Focus Areas. EDA expects applicants to clearly explain how their selected core technology area is within one, or at the intersection of more than one, of the Key Technology Focus Areas.

The Tech Hubs Program will make investments in places that, with an infusion of funding, will be able to leverage their respective innovation and R&D assets to achieve global competitiveness in technology sectors that are critical to national and economic security within approximately the next ten years.

The Recompete Pilot Program will provide grant funding to persistently distressed communities across the country to create and connect workers to good jobs. Recompete specifically does this by supporting long-term comprehensive economic development with the aim to reduce high, prime-age (25 to 54 years of age) employment gaps and increase wages. EDA anticipates releasing more information on the Recompete Pilot Program by Summer 2023.

How is the competition different from other national Federal challenges like the EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge, EDA Good Jobs Challenge, NSF Regional Engines, DOE Hydrogen Hubs, or DOT SMART Challenge?

The Tech Hubs Program aims to increase the diversity of the U.S. innovation economy and support equitable economic development. Economic research clearly shows that increasing the diversity of inventors, students, researchers, funders, and founders increases the pace of innovation, which in turn supports good jobs, stronger supply chains, and new technologies, like clean technology. Throughout both Phases of the Tech Hubs Program, successful applicants will pursue impactful diversity and inclusion strategies that accelerate innovation and growth and that increase the equity, accessibility, and diversity of the innovation economy, including through accessible good jobs.

Organizations that promote local economic stability, high-wage domestic jobs, and broad-based economic opportunities, such as employee ownership membership associations and State or local employee ownerships and cooperative development centers, financial institutions and investment funds, including community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions;

Applicants should provide evidence that their consortia members meet the requirements of the required and optional entity types. Applicants are free to submit supplemental documentation for this purpose.

The minimum consortia size is five eligible entities. Consortia must include at least one of each of the 5 required entity types listed on page 6 of the NOFO. While some organizations may meet definitions of multiple entity types, a single entity cannot satisfy the requirements for more than one required type.

No. EDA does not require that the consortium have a formal legal structure (i.e., a contractual arrangement or public-private partnership). EDA, however, does expect that consortium members are actively collaborating and aligned behind the content of their Phase 1 application.

In the event the consortium is Designated in Phase 1 and wins a Phase 2 Implementation award, the lead member will have additional duties related to the ongoing governance structure of the collection of implementation projects funded to ensure they remain cohesive and coordinated. Governance in this context means ensuring that the consortium is communicating and coordinating activities and outcomes. The lead member may also receive funding for specific implementation project(s) in Phase 2. These details will be further addressed in the forthcoming Phase 2 NOFO.

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