The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $400,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission, according to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Wednesday.

The commission can use the funding to support economic development projects in its eight-county region, which includes Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren.

The Northwest Commission can use the grant to respond the the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and support region-wide projects like expanding broadband.