Delta Regional Authority

Name

Delta Regional Authority

Legal name

Delta Regional Authority

Website

https://dra.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Economic Development

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK), State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

Keywords

• Economic development grants
• Rural infrastructure funding
• Workforce development programs
• Community development financing
• Federal-state partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarksdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Appropriations: DRA receives federal funding through congressional appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for economic development projects in the Delta region. The agency distributes these funds through various programs including SEDAP, CIF, and workforce development grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership agency established by Congress in 2000 that invests federal appropriations as grants and technical assistance for transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, business development, and health programs in 255 counties and parishes across eight states (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). Core grant programs include SEDAP, the Community Infrastructure Fund, Supplemental Disaster Recovery Funding, and PWEAA, complemented by workforce (DWP, WORC), health (Delta Doctors, IRT, Delta Region Community Health Systems Development), and leadership (DLI Executive Academy) initiatives.

Product overview

Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state economic development agency established in 2000, offering a portfolio of grant programs and initiatives rather than a unified technology product. The core programs include SEDAP (States' Economic Development Assistance Program) and CIF (Community Infrastructure Fund) as primary investment tools, supplemented by the Supplemental Disaster Recovery Funding (SDRF) program for disaster-affected communities. Human infrastructure programs encompass the Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy for leadership development, Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP) and WORC Initiative for workforce development, and health programs including Delta Doctors, Innovative Readiness Training (IRT), and Delta Region Community Health Systems Development. Capacity-building programs include the Strategic Planning Program and LDD Community Support Pilot Program. All programs operate through grant applications and coordinated investment with state partners, federal agencies, and Local Development Districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• States' Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP) DRA's main investment tool providing direct grants for basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development with emphasis on entrepreneurship, and workforce development across the eight-state service region. Awards range from $50,000 to $500,000.
• Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) Investment program supporting projects that address flood control, basic public infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure improvements, complementing SEDAP as one of DRA's primary investment tools.
• Supplemental Disaster Recovery Funding (SDRF) Program Addendum to the Community Infrastructure Fund supporting targeted infrastructure investments in communities affected by federally declared disasters occurring between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.
• Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) Partnership with U.S. Economic Development Administration helping support economic growth in distressed Delta communities through flexible funding for technical assistance, planning, and infrastructure.
• Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy Nine-month executive leadership development program bringing together public, private and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions, featuring six in-person sessions across different cities.
• Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP) Program building long-term community capacity and boosting economic competitiveness by funding workforce training and education initiatives throughout the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.
• Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative Partnership with U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration supporting community-led workforce grants in economically distressed rural areas.
• Delta Doctors Program expanding access to quality health care in DRA communities by using J-1 visa waivers to place U.S.-trained foreign physicians in areas with health professional shortages.
• Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Partnership with U.S. Department of Defense and military reserve forces delivering free medical, dental, and optical care to residents in need while providing military training opportunities.
• Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Partnership with HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and National Rural Health Resource Center to strengthen rural healthcare delivery in DRA communities.
• Delta Region Rural Health Workforce Training Program Partnership with HRSA supporting education and training for critical health administrative support occupations in rural areas.
• Strategic Planning Program Program helping communities develop strategic plans addressing gaps in infrastructure, workforce development, and small business development with awards ranging from $25,000 to $150,000.
• LDD Community Support Pilot Program Pilot program helping Local Development Districts strengthen internal capacity and develop strategic plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $218 million invested FY2021-FY2024 across 484 projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) program. Together, DRA and EDA invest in economic development projects across the Delta region. From 2020-2024, the partnership invested approximately $9.1 million across five projects.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established in 2017 to strengthen rural healthcare delivery through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program. HRSA collaborates with DRA on workforce training and healthcare network development.
• U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program to deliver medical, dental, optometry, and veterinary services to underserved communities. Since 2009, DRA and DOD have successfully hosted over 50 IRT missions across the eight-state region.
• U.S. Department of LaborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative, launched in 2019 with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to support community-led workforce grants in economically distressed rural areas.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established in 2012 for the Rural Health IT Revolving Loan Fund in partnership with USDA.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address diabetes in the Delta region, established in 2012 as part of DRA's rural health initiatives.
• National Rural Health Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with HRSA and DRA on the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program to strengthen rural healthcare delivery.
• The Idea VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Delta Entrepreneurship Network, launched in 2015 to identify, nurture, and grow entrepreneurs through a competitive fellowship program.
• Local Development DistrictscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional planning organizations that coordinate with DRA and state governments for program funding implementation across the eight-state region.
• Office of the Governor for the Commonwealth of KentuckycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState government coordination for program funding implementation, particularly for SEDAP awards.
• Louisiana State GovernmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoordinated with DRA for various infrastructure projects including Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund and Water Sector Program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): Federal-state economic development partnership serving 13 Appalachian states; the closest structural analog to DRA with the same federal-state model, grant deployment mandate, and distressed-region targeting via ARC.
• Southwest Border Regional Commission (SWBRC): Federal-state economic development commission serving Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas border counties; direct structural peer operating under the same federal regional commission model as DRA.
• Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC): Federal-state regional development commission serving Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York; identical statutory framework to DRA with grants for distressed counties.
• Denali Commission: Federal-state partnership providing critical infrastructure in rural Alaska; same congressional-chartered, governor-co-chaired model as DRA, focused on distressed/remote regions.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal corporation driving economic development across the Tennessee Valley; broader geographic scope and direct infrastructure ownership, but overlapping mission of regional economic uplift in the same Southern geography served by DRA.
• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Federal agency under the Department of Commerce funding economic development nationally; DRA's PWEAA partnership partner and a co-funder across Delta projects, representing the broader federal EDA ecosystem in which DRA operates.

Regional players

• Great Lakes Commission: Multistate agency coordinating economic and infrastructure initiatives across the Great Lakes region; comparable intergovernmental funding-administration function to DRA but focused on a different distressed corridor.
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact agency with federal-state coordination model serving Pacific states; analogous intergovernmental funding-administration structure in a different geography, useful for comparing regional commission governance models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC50CLcCdhZMGeoBk6nmXSKg
• Facebookfacebook.com/delta.regional.authority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/delta-regional-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/deltaregionalauthority
• Xx.com/DeltaRegional

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments21 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Delta Regional Authority