August 2011 Newsletter
Chris Masingill is the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership that serves 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Q: How has the Delta Regional Authority supported rural and small business development across the country?
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By Dr. Christina Gabriel, President, University Energy Partnership and Member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship & Bomani M. Howze, MBA, Vice President, University Energy Partnership
August 2011 Newsletter
Innovation-driven industry clusters are powerful engines for job creation and sustainable economic growth. Yet even in regions with strong clusters, a rising tide does not automatically lift all boats. Small geographic pockets can become more affluent and more crowded while even in nearby neighborhoods high rates of unemployment and poverty can persist.
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August 2011 Newsletter
STEM workers are driving our nation’s innovation and competitiveness and helping America “win the future” with new ideas, new businesses and new industries. Read about how the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working to help college students obtain degrees in many STEM fields.
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By Courtney Gregoire, Director of the National Export Initiative,
United States Department of Commerce
August 2011 Newsletter
EXCERPT: Business owners aren't always aware of all the resources the government makes available for them. For example, the Department of Commerce has tools to directly help companies at every point in the business life cycle. And we're particularly focused on helping the small and medium-sized businesses that create over half of all new jobs. Read more.
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August 2011 Newsletter
EXCERPT: Ben Franklin TechVentures®, owned and operated by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) has been selected as one of “10 Startup Incubators You Need to Watch” by Inc.com. A $6 million grant funded by the Recovery Act through the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration and other state and federal grants, BFTP/NEP funding, and private contributions, allowed Ben Franklin to support the necessary expansion to Ben Franklin TechVentures2. Click here to read more.
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August 2011 Newsletter
EDA Solicits Applications for Three New Research and National Technical Assistance Program Federal Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced three new Federal Funding Opportunities under its Research and National Technical Assistance programs, which fund research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories. Applications for each are due on August 15, 2011.
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August 2011 Newsletter
The Obama Administration announces and requests public comments on the structure of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Challenge, which is a component of the SC2 Interagency Initiative led by the White House Office of Urban Policy. In addition to the six pilot locations, SC2 includes an Economic Planning Challenge designed to help additional cities develop economic blueprints, which will be administered by EDA. Six cities will be competitively selected to receive a grant of approximately $1 million that they will use to administer an “X-prize style” competition, whereby they will challenge multi-disciplinary teams of experts to develop comprehensive economic and land use proposals for their city. EDA invites comments from interested parties in both the public and private sectors to be considered in the formulation of the FFO announcement for the SC2 Pilot Challenge. Click here for more information.
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