The Future Forest Economy Initiative, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities and the Northern Forest Center, is accepting proposals to support new markets for wood products. The Initiative has four investment priorities:

1. Supporting the development of new products and services from the region’s forests, particularly those that create or expand uses for low grade wood, mill residuals, and/or underutilized species;

2. Conducting strategic marketing campaigns to expand wood industry interest in the region as a place to do business and increase consumer demand for wood products;

3. Improving the efficiency of wood products supply chains to reduce transportation and production costs and increase access to markets for the region’s manufacturers;

4. Strengthening the ability of the region’s wood manufacturers to capitalize on new market opportunities.

The proposal deadline for the first round of funding is December 2, 2019.