April 5 - 9, 2021

EDA announced 94 investments from April 5-9, 2021, totaling $97,678,131.85, which is matched by $44,399,369.41 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $42,697,509 in 26 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes 16 projects for $32,374,841 that will help create 1,928 jobs, save 3,598 jobs, and leverage $175,360,000 in private investments; (2) $9,912,497 in five Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to help communities design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change to their economy in response to structural damage to their underlying economic base that will help create 500 jobs, save 1,241 jobs, and leverage $538,600,000 in private investments; (3) $14,550,057 in 10 Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure, which includes eight projects for $11,550,057 that will help create 1,754 jobs, save 155 jobs, and leverage $261,350,000 in private investments; (4) $28,978,068.85 in 45 SPRINT Challenge grants to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the coronavirus pandemic through entrepreneurship and innovation; and (5) $1,540,000 in eight Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $42,697,509 in 26 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by 10,494,573 in local investments, as follows:
  • $5,918,000, matched by $1,479,500 in local investment, to Jackson County/Blackman Charter Township and LDFA, Jackson/Jackson County, Michigan, to support Jackson County and the Blackman Charter Township with constructing a new 145-acre Jackson Technology Park North and upgrading a nearby County Farm/Springport Corridor in Jackson County, Mississippi, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthen its medical equipment cluster and dense advanced manufacturing, which will provide more developable acreage for new and expanding tech and manufacturing businesses. Once completed, the project will help bolster job creation and retention, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 40 jobs, save 136 jobs, and leverage $4,000,000 in private investment.
  • $5,276,499, matched by $1,319,125 in local investment, to the Herman J. Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Atlanta/Fulton County, Georgia, to support the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with expanding and improving its small business incubator, accelerator and resource center to provide solutions for real time issues that small business owners are facing in Fulton County, Georgia, a designated Opportunity Zone. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by diversifying the regional economy, which will lead to sustainable economic growth, bolster job creation, spur private investment, and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $4,450,677, matched by $1,617,338 in local investment, to Forsyth County, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina, to support Forsyth County with providing crucial repairs to facilities at Smith Reynolds Airport in Forsyth County, North Carolina, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will facilitate repairs to assist with recovery efforts from Tropical Storm Michael, which caused damage to the hanger, and the adverse economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed the project will support the aviation industry and augment economic recovery, which will bolster job creation, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs, save 100 jobs, and leverage $2,500,000 in private investment.
  • $3,000,000, matched by $1,000,000 in local investment, to Oakland County, Waterford/Oakland County, Michigan, to support Oakland County with establishing the new Oakland County and Great Lakes Women’s Business Council revolving loan fund (RLF) in Oakland County, Michigan. The RLF will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing an immediate, flexible, and accessible source of financing for small businesses and entrepreneurs located in Oakland County. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to working capital, which will help bolster job creation and retention, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 125 jobs, save 225 jobs, and leverage $9,200,000 in private investment.
  • $3,000,000, matched by $600,000 in local investment, to the Community Ventures Corporation, Lexington/Fayette County, Kentucky, to support the Community Ventures Corporation with establishing a revolving loan fund to provide affordable, fixed-rate financing to help businesses in the Bluegrass region stabilize and recover from the business closures, limited re-openings, and overall economic shock caused by the COVID pandemic in Fayette County, Kentucky. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to working capital, which will help bolster job creation and retention, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $2,500,000, matched by $625,000 in local investment, to the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Cheyenne/Laramie County, Wyoming, to support the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s That’s WY Recovery project, which will leverage Wyoming state funds to spur statewide economic recovery and resilience from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Laramie County, Wyoming, nearby a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will address the statewide need to diversify the Wyoming economy and to retain critical tourism, hospitality, and manufacturing jobs through a tourism marketing campaign. Once completed, the project will support the state’s response to and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic by supporting resilient economic growth and diversification from extractive industries, which will help retain jobs and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 875 jobs.
  • $2,296,000, matched by $724,675 in local investment, to the City of Lake City/Columbia County, Lake City/Columbia County, Florida, to support Lake City with retrofitting Hangar 1 (H1) and Hangar 2 (H2) at the Lake City Gateway Airport in Columbia County, Florida, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will help the City absorb, recover from, and adapt to the COVID-19 and similar disasters by constructing critical infrastructure and developing economic diversity. Once completed, the project will support the aviation industry by helping create and retain jobs, attract private investments, and advancing economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 300 jobs, save 512 jobs, and leverage $1,200,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the Berwyn Development Corporation, Berwyn/Cook County, Illinois, to support the new Berwyn Development Corporation with establishing a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to help respond to the serious need for access to capital in the City of Berwyn in light of high unemployment and slow sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cook County, Illinois. The Fund will evaluate small business proposals for working capital and plant and equipment financing. Once implemented, the RLF will provide an immediate, flexible, and accessible source of financing for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs, save 100 jobs, and leverage $35,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, Biloxi/Harrison County, Mississippi, to support the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau with implementing the Coastal Mississippi’s Re-entry Marketing Plan, a travel and tourism-related marketing campaign in Mississippi. The project will provide the necessary financial resources for the Coastal Mississippi region to engage and recruit visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In addition, the project will assist the region with recover efforts from the detrimental impacts its tourism industry has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Once implemented, the plan will identify strategies that will build towards sustained growth, create jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $1,942,916, matched by $485,729 in local investment, to the Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation/Davie County, Yadkinville/Yadkin County, (Project: Yadkinville/Davie County), North Carolina, to support the Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation and Davie County with the installation of fiber-optic cable and associated splices to provide network connectivity across Davie County, North Carolina, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will provide infrastructure to support business development and recovery in Davie County and help businesses and their workers have better access to the global marketplace through high-speed internet connections. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, create jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $1,800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the Big Sky Economic Development Corporation, Billings/Yellowstone County, Montana, to support the Big Sky Economic Development Corporation with establishing a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the eastern Montana region of Yellowstone County. Big Sky Economic Development Corporation will provide financing options and gap financing to small businesses impacted by the pandemic and support the development of new entrepreneurial business opportunities arising from, or related to, recovery or future resiliency. Once implemented, RLF will provide much-needed capital in the region for businesses to not only continue operations but also retain and create jobs, which will strengthen the regional economy and advance economic resiliency. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 40 jobs, save 14 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
  • $1,650,000, with no local match, to the Bear Paw Development Corporation of Northern Montana, Havre/Hill County, Montana, to help capitalize a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the northern Montana region of Blaine, Chouteau, Hill, Liberty, and Phillips Counties. Bear Paw Development Corporation of Northern Montana will provide financing options and gap financing to small businesses impacted by the pandemic and support the development of new entrepreneurial business opportunities arising from, or related to, recovery or future resiliency. The RLF will provide much-needed capital in the region for businesses to not only continue operations but also retain and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs, save 70 jobs, and leverage $3,000,000 in private investment.
  • $1,000,000, matched by $250,000 in local investment, to the San Jacinto Community College District/City of Houston, Pasadena/Harris County, Texas, to support the San Jacinto Community College District and Houston Airport System with renovating the EDGE Center to provide aerospace technician training in Harris County, Texas. The center will be used to train students in a variety of technologies so that they can serve as technicians for private aerospace companies. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by growing the aerospace community in the Houston region, building manufacturing capacity for the Spaceport, the space station, and space exploration needs, which will help create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 216 jobs.
  • $800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Orange Beach/Baldwin County, Alabama, to support the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau with establishing a strategic, multi-faceted marketing campaign designed to attract visitors back to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign will reassure prospective vacationers that the area is open for business and provide information regarding the current health and safety conditions. Once implemented, the project will support continued economic growth, job creation, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $749,810, with no local match, to the University Corporation at Monterey Bay, Seaside/Monterey County, California, to support the University Corporation at Monterey Bay with establishing the 2020 Re-Start & Recovery initiative to bolster services of the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) that helps businesses affected by COVID pandemic in counties of Monterey and San Benito, California. The project will reduce economic distress of Monterey and Benito counties business ecosystem, provide highly effective technical assistance in the form of collaborative programs, and support regional startup business. Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 35 jobs, save 200 jobs, and leverage $3,000,000 in private investment.
  • $624,316, matched by $156,079 in local investment, to the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET), Cleveland/Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to support MAGNET with providing the Cleveland region with resources and technical assistance to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, nearby a designated Opportunity Zone. MAGNET will provide technical assistance to help businesses restart operations with proper systems in place to manage employee exposure to the virus and utilize Industry 4.0 technologies to provide advanced manufacturing capacity to businesses otherwise unable to access it. In addition, MAGNET will conduct research into growth opportunities for manufacturers based on their product lines and other indicators, regional workforce training capacity and gaps, and cybersecurity needs for sensitive products and industries such as defense, food, and healthcare. Once implemented, MAGNET will develop recommendations and technical assistance for companies interested in reshoring operations and suppliers, which will bolster job creation, retain jobs, attract private investment advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 500 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
  • $600,000, matched by $150,000 in local investment, to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, Honolulu/Honolulu County, Hawaii, to support the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) with providing immersive training to food manufacturing companies through participation in a Hawaii Digital Strategy working group in Honolulu County, Hawaii. The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing technical assistance to target small businesses that can contribute to gross domestic product (GDP) growth. In addition, the project will also provide mentorship and insights from volunteer executives from HTDC's network of business partners through the EDA funded Entrepreneurs' Sandbox facility in Kakaako. Once completed, the project will decrease business closures, restore consumer spending, and accelerate recovery for the Hawaii manufactures, which will bolster job creation, attract private investments, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 500 jobs, and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.
  • $571,355, matched by $155,699 in local investment, to the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center/BRITE, Warren/Trumbull County, Ohio, to support the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center/BRITE with expanding its Entrepreneur-in-Residence program to provide one-on-one mentoring to local entrepreneurs in Trumbull County, Ohio, a designated Opportunity Zone. BRITE will also undertake a strategic planning process, which will include asset-mapping and evaluation of feedback from entrepreneurs regarding the most important energy accelerator services. In addition, new prototyping equipment will support re-shoring efforts and supply-chain development. Once completed, the project will bolster job creation, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 200 jobs, save 150 jobs, and leverage $100,000,000 in private investment.
  • $500,000, with no local match, to the County of Tuolumne, Sonora/Tuolumne County, California, to fund the Broadband Roadmap Project, which will provide a guiding document on the development of broadband in the Central Sierra region by addressing current business access, policies to help guide counties on a day to day basis, and opportunities to reduce barriers for current internet service providers to build infrastructure in Tuolumne County, California. The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID 19 pandemic by providing a roadmap that will lay the groundwork on a process to streamline Internet Service Provider infrastructure. Once implemented, the project will create and retain jobs by improving business retention, enabling business expansion, and increasing business attraction opportunities, which will help advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $393,184, matched by $98,296 in local investment, to Iowa City, Iowa City/Johnson County, Iowa, to fund the EdTech Collaborative project that addresses the need to increase industry diversification within the state of Iowa and increase economic resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa City Area Development Group, Inc will spearhead the project to foster education technology (EdTech) entrepreneurship and facilitate product piloting and product adoption in the sector, which has significant potential for growth with the increased need for remote learning products. The project will help support economic recovery across the state Iowa, with a specific focus on Iowa City and Johnson County. The project will impact the region by nurturing an important economic cluster for the state as well as supporting high-quality job and startup growth in the EdTech industry. The grantee estimates that tis investment will help create 463 jobs and leverage $50,000 in private investment.
  • $380,000, matched by $95,000 in local investment to the Great Lakes Bay Region Quality of Life Council, Saginaw/Saginaw County, Michigan, to support the Great Lakes Bay Region Quality of Life Council and the Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau develop a comprehensive recovery and sustainability-focused travel-sector business action plan. The project will help mitigate the impact of a recent natural disaster, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the region’s critical tourism economy. The recovery plan, recovery marketing strategy, tourism master plan, and tourism experience development plan will all be developed with input from local stakeholders, industry leaders, and the public. The coordinated and strategic planning process will ensure the region is ready to make thoughtful investments in the tourism industry to ensure that the industry reaches its potential to grow the regional economy and is resilient in the face of future shocks, whether weather- or health-related.
  • $375,000, matched by $93,750 in local investment, to the Wind River Development Fund, Fort Washakie/Fremont County, Wyoming, to help capitalize a Revolving Loan Fund within the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie, Wyoming, to address the current COVID-19 pandemic by providing capital financing for new, existing, and expanding businesses in the area. Once implemented, the project will support entrepreneurs and small business owners as they overcome barriers to successfully launch or expand a business, which will increase investment, employment, and economic diversity throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs and leverage $410,000 in private investment.
  • $374,752, matched by $94,382 in local investment, to the University of Maine, Orono/Penobscot County, Maine, to support the University of Maine with developing hypochlorous acid, an environmentally safe, all-purpose disinfectant alternative to bleach, to meet the current demand related to COVID-19 relief while also preventing future panic and economic stress because of disinfectant shortages and unstable supply in Orono, Maine. The current demand requires a sustainable supply of safe, non-toxic disinfectants for reopening schools and businesses of all types in the area and the project will help lay the groundwork for local industry to produce reliable equipment to manufacture on-demand hypochlorous acid, which will promote economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $276,000, matched by $69,000 in local investment, to the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Woodstock/Windsor County, Vermont, to fund the Creative Sector program to assist the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) in favorably positioning organizations within the East Central Vermont Economic Development District’s creative economy sectors recover from pandemic related business losses by providing opportunities for marketing creativity, investing in creative enterprises and leveraging cross sector partnerships to amplify economic development. The program elements are designed to work together to generate increased economic opportunity among the area’s most vulnerable residents and business owners and to support businesses that need help navigating a dramatically changed environment in the wake of COVID-19, which will help to strengthen the regional economy and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $144,000, matched by $36,000 in local investment, to the City of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Rapids/Wood County, Wisconsin, to assist the City of Wisconsin Rapids in recovering from multiple economic disasters including the recent closure of a large paper mill. As an immediate response to layoffs from the mill’s closure and reduced economic activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local leaders saw the need for a new strategy to recover and become more resilient in the face of future disasters. The project will include a market assessment, community participation in goal-setting, redevelopment strategies for the neighborhood where the mill was located, and an action plan to implement recommendations made in the strategy. Once implemented, the strategy will ensure coordination of resources necessary to strengthen the city’s economy to withstand future economic disruptions.
  • $105,000, matched by $45,000 in local investment, to the City of Baraboo, Baraboo/Sauk County, Wisconsin, to support the City of Baraboo with establishing a new Economic Development and Strategic Plan to include conducting data analysis, promoting community and stakeholder engagement, providing economic development recommendations and strategies, creating the South Boulevard Special Area Strategy, and examining economic risk analysis and resilience strategies in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Once completed, the plan will help spur economic development and diversification in the city for years to come and provide industry leaders, investors, and other partners with market research and recommendations to help the city recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and increase resiliency for future disruptions.
• $9.912,497 in five Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects, matched by $8,570,248 in local investments, as follows:
  • $4,500,000 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $2,862,849 in local investment, to the Southern Boone County R-I School District/City of Ashland, Ashland/Boone County, Missouri, to support the Southern Boone County R-I School District, in partnership with the City of Ashland and Ranken Technical College, with addressing the local and regional need for a well-trained and qualified labor force serving Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, and Moniteau counties by constructing a workforce development training center in Ashland, Missouri. The project will result in more than 140 job-ready individuals graduating from the program per year, local jobs being created in Southern Boone County, and opportunities for an incumbent labor force to increase or update their skills. Once completed, the project will spur job creation, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 163 jobs and leverage $9,000,00 in private investment.
  • $2,500,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $975,000 in local investment, to the Pea Ridge Public Service District, Barboursville/Cabell County, West Virginia, to support the Pea Ridge Public Service District with providing public sanitary sewer service to eight businesses that currently rely on malfunctioning private package treatment plants in Cabell County, West Virginia. Once completed, the project will help promote new business creations, generate and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 11 jobs, save 851 jobs, and leverage $14,600,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $3,819,500 in local investment, to the City of Johnson City, Johnson City/Washington County, Tennessee, to support Johnson City with upgrading the water infrastructure to the Sinking Creek Pump Station in Washington County, Tennessee. The upgrades will assist the city in correcting its infrastructure needs by providing a means to become more economically resilient from the impacts of coal related closures along with natural disasters such as tornados, severe weather, flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, advance economic resiliency, and attract private investment to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 216 jobs, save 265 jobs, and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.
  • $532,497, matched by $532,899 in local investment, to the Catalyst Corporation, Pittsburgh/Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to support the Catalyst Connection with establishing a virtual Maker-to-Manufacturer (M2M) Commercialization Center, which will integrate and expand entrepreneurial services and resources in the advanced metals and materials fields in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The project will expand an asset map, provide education and training, promote M2M design, build a robust online presence, and provide tracking and evaluation. Once completed, the project will provide long-term economic growth, support business development, and create new jobs throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 125 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
  • $380,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $380,000 in local investment, to the County of Custer, Miles City/Custer County, Montana, to fund the reconstruction of a critical bridge to a planned wind turbine farm development in Custer County, Montana. Due to recent coal plant closures and subsequent diminished production at a nearby coal mine that served the plant, the new bridge will be a critical component in enabling heavy freight and construction traffic to the wind farm being developed. Once completed, the project will create jobs, advance economic resiliency, and attract private investment to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 10 jobs and leverage $500,000,000 in private investment.
• $14,550,057 in 10 Public Works projects, matched by $15,815,477 in local investments, as follows:
  • $2,700,000, matched by $675,000 in local investment, to the Town of Plymouth, Plymouth/Grafton County, New Hampshire, to fund improvements to the Town of Plymouth’s downtown commercial district by upgrading the stormwater management system in Grafton County, New Hampshire, designated Opportunity Zone. The project will install approximately 4,000 linear feet of 12- to 30-inch stormwater pipelines and 75 stormwater structures, followed by the reconstruction of approximately 12,000 square yards of excavated roadway and 2,500 square yards of sidewalk, and the installation of new street lighting and other appropriate appurtenances. Once completed, the project will help prevent future flooding, ensure physical and economic resiliency by protecting public and private property and making it accessible through major weather events, prevent existing businesses from relocating to other communities and enable further economic development in the area, which will strengthen the regional economy.
  • $2,240,000, matched by $560,000 in local investment, to the City of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge County, Louisiana, to support the City of Baton Rouge with providing infrastructure capacity improvements and associated appurtenances for Pump Station-299, which supports economic advances within the Baton Rouge Medical Corridor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from Hurricane Laura and the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding the Baton Rouge Medical Corridor to meet the demand for qualified and accessible healthcare facilities. In addition, the project will benefit activity in a nearby Opportunity Zone and provide critical sewer capacity to help meet the current needs of region's largest healthcare providers and employers. Once completed, the project will build the foundation for future growth, which will bolster job creation, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 574 jobs and leverage $21,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $2,125,000 in local investment to the City of Thomasville, Thomasville/Thomas County, Georgia, to support the City of Thomasville with providing needed improvements to the city’s only wastewater treatment plant, which will support new business creation and help retain existing businesses in Thomas County, Georgia, a designated Opportunity Zone. The improvements will ensure that the City of Thomasville will have the capability to provide efficient service to businesses and residents and the ability to maintain future growth in the community. Once completed, the project will give confidence for the community marketers and developers to continue to drive visitors and industry to the community and recover from the impacts of natural disasters, which will spur private investment and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 260 jobs and leverage $28,800,000 in private investment.
  • $1,500,000, matched by $3,844,695 in local investment, to the City of Ames, Ames/Story County, Iowa, to fund infrastructure upgrades to include extending sanitary sewer and water mains to serve approximately 1,300 acres of new industrial development within Ames, Iowa. The new infrastructure will support the construction of the Prairie View Industrial Center to help address the local and regional need for high skill, high quality jobs and support the region’s resilience, manufacturing activities, and foreign direct investment. Once completed, the economic impact of this Industrial Center will result in the expansion of local industry and the attraction of future companies and jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 15 jobs and leverage $30,000,000 in private investment.
  • $1,300,000, matched by $315,000 in local investment, to the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Ranchos De Taos/Taos County, New Mexico, to support the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps with helping hard-to-employ young people gain valuable skills and achieve long-term employment by aiding in the construction of a workforce training center in Taos County, New Mexico. The training that will be provided is unique to the workforce needs of the region being served and is in-line with the environmental, ecological, and cultural needs of the region. Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, attract private investments, and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $1,156,015, matched by $1,156,015 in local investment, to the City of Biddeford, Biddeford/York County, Maine, to support the economic revitalization of Biddeford’s downtown mill district by providing access to the city’s new 650-space parking garage and connecting it to the mill buildings which are slated for redevelopment. Specifically, the project will reconstruct approximately 900 linear feet of Pearl Street, from its intersection with Lincoln Street to the Saco River and Biddeford Riverwalk, and will include traffic calming bump outs, parallel parking space, pedestrian-friendly sidewalk, storm drainage, underground conduit for electric, telecommunications and internet lines, and upgrading of approximately 465 linear feet of sewer lines. Once completed, the project will promote economic growth and development, spur private investment, and create jobs throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 645 jobs and leverage $170,000,000 in private investment.
  • $1,000,000, matched by $4,485,725 in local investment, to the City of Sioux City, Sioux Falls/Woodbury County, Iowa, to support the City of Sioux with the construction of an aviation school hangar at Sioux Gateway Airport in Woodbury County, Iowa, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will create jobs in new highly-skilled sectors, diversify the regional labor pool through creation of non-food production-related jobs, and promote the long-term growth of the community through the attraction of a diversified workforce from outside of the labor shed. Once completed, the project will directly address much of the economic distress the region faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2019 floods, and other factors, which will help attract private investment and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 30 jobs and leverage $720,000 in private investment.
  • $941,250, matched by $941,250 in local investment, to the City of Antigo, Antigo/Langlade County, Wisconsin, to support the City of Antigo with constructing additional roadway access, watermain access, and street lighting for the Saratoga Industrial Park, to accommodate existing and future tenants in Langlade County, Wisconsin, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will provide additional expansion opportunities to existing businesses, and it will add 24 acres of newly developable land in the Park. Once completed, the project will enhance attractiveness to new businesses, create jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 21 jobs, save 155 jobs, and leverage $5,750,000 in private investment.
  • $633,146, matched by $633,146 in local investment, to the City of Columbia Falls, Columbia Falls/Flathead County, Montana, to support the City of Columbia Falls with leveraging public and private sector resources to meet critical infrastructure needs by reconstructing an existing local street to accommodate increased motorized and non-motorized traffic resulting from ongoing and anticipated commercial and industrial development in the area and expanding utility services to the burgeoning commercial hub in Flathead County, Montana. The business park development includes the expansion of an innovative manufacturing firm and a medical campus, addressing the local and regional need for healthcare services that are in high demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will support the expansion of water and sewer infrastructure and improvement of roads to a growing business park, which will provide access to high-paying jobs, attract private investments, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 70 jobs and leverage $5,800,000 in private investment.
  • $1,079,646, matched by $1,079,646 in local investment, to the City of Grand Forks/Grand Forks Growth Fund-A Jobs Development Authority, Grand Forks/Grand Forks County, South Dakota, to support the City of Grand Forks and the Grand Forks Growth Fund, A Jobs Development Authority, with addressing the local and regional need for tech-sector industry and workforce development by converting an historic downtown building into a tech accelerator in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, a designated Opportunity Zone. It is the City’s intention to use this building as the epicenter of a future tech corridor in Grand Forks. Once completed, the project will result in job creation by local tech-accelerator partners, support the acceleration of tech startups, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 139 jobs.
• $28,978,068.85 in 45 SPRINT projects, matched by $8,534,071.41 in local investments, as follows:
  • $750,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the SecondMuse Foundation, Lake Oswego/Clackamas County, Oregon, to fund the Prototyping a Shared Infrastructure for the Community Fund Operators and Entrepreneur Support Organizations of the Inclusive Capital Collective program, to prototype a distributed, digital infrastructure for mobilizing financial capital, technical assistance and knowledge resources for community funds and entrepreneur support organizations that are operating at and between city, county and state levels--working in partnership with Philadelphia, Cook County (IL), and the State of Colorado. The program provides a shared platform and community for fund operators, facilitating their access to philanthropic and other sources of capital for the entrepreneurs they serve; leveraging pooled resources such as a credit enhancement facility and shared communications and marketing capacity; and creating operational efficiencies to enhance their service delivery.
  • $750,000, matched by $424,456 in local investment, to the University of Massachusetts, Lowell/Middlesex County, Massachusetts, to fund the Innovative Medical Products - Action, Commercialization, Technology (IMPACT) program, to assist early-stage companies with recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to assist them with preparedness going forward by developing health security and biomedical technologies that provide rapid feedback to both caregivers and patients in order to effect timely changes in patient self-care, symptom detection, diagnosis, and treatment delivery.
  • $750,000, matched by $238,847 in local investment, to the University of Missouri System, Kansas City/Jackson County, Missouri to fund the Comeback KC Ventures: SPRINTing to COVID Solutions in the Kansas City Region program, to unite the Kansas City region's community-based public health, digital equity and education efforts with the regional technology entrepreneurial ecosystem to support the development of early-stage technology-driven interventions that can respond to these needs.
  • $750,000, matched by $233,420 in local investment, to the Washington State University, Pullman/Whitman County, Washington, to fund the FIRE & RAIN Network program, to assist early-stage life science business incubators with developing a Flexible Infrastructure for Resilient Entrepreneurship (FIRE), consisting of support programs to spur regional economic development in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Specifically, the program will Launch Executive Advisors and Review Team Honorarium (EARTH), a modified executive-in-residence (EIR) program that matches startups with EARTH-supported executive advisors for 10 months to provide business insights and expedite go-to-market actions; create Internship Consultants for Entrepreneurs (ICE), consisting of teams that provide wrap-around services in marketing, bookkeeping and business research to accelerate startup growth and create high-quality workers; create a Rural Angel Investment Network (RAIN), which will establish a directory of funding opportunities, assess regional funding gaps, and train local investment groups to develop funding for early-stage businesses to bridge the funding gap prior to SBIR/STTR funding; and initiate the Workforce Innovation Network Development (WIND) program, targeting pharmaceutical manufacturing education and certification in urban and rural communities
  • $750,000, matched by $220,000 in local investment, to the Northern Arizona Technology and Business Incubator, Inc., Flagstaff/Coconino County, Arizona, to fund the Rural Rebound and Resiliency: Creating and Demonstrating the Power of Virtual Economic Development Strategic Planning Tools program, to establish a team of professionals with experience in economic development, strategic planning, software design and systems thinking. The team includes Building Communities, Inc., 2b design and development, Inc., the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Serving Communities, LLC. Together, this team will develop and test virtual economic development strategic planning tools and theories to create a new online approach that will utilize innovation and technology to overcome the disconnecting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • $750,000, matched by $205,717 in local investment, to the University of Delaware, Newark/New Castle County, Delaware, to fund the University of Delaware Proof of Concept program, to continue the formation and launch of over half the DeepTech startups currently active within Delaware’s innovation ecosystem by offering augmented trainings, enriched mentorship, and access to new funding opportunities (i.e., POC Seed Fund and Angel network).
  • $750,000, matched by $201,150 in local investment, to the University of Texas at Austin, Austin/Travis County, Texas, to fund the Texas Global Health Security Consortium (TEXGHS) program, to establish a consortium that will work with innovators and entrepreneurs to develop technologies that complement the large global effort to connect public and private resources to innovators and entrepreneurs, provide education and support to entrepreneurial teams, coordinate a regional ecosystem focused on pandemic resiliency, and bring together investors aligned with TEXGHS activities.
  • $750,000, matched by $190,000 in local investment, to the Aglaunch Initiative, Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee, to fund the Resilient AgriFood Innovation Network (RAIN) program, to focus on scaling technology-based pandemic response in the agri-food supply chain by building and launching: (1) Farmer’s Toolbox; (2) Farm Robot Challenge; and (3) Resilient Crops=Healthy Food. The Memphis region’s agri-food sector has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing serious vulnerabilities in the current farm-to-consumer supply chain. RAIN’s strategic initiatives will re-imagine and re-invigorate key segments of the agri-food supply chain by: (1) connecting a diverse group of urban and rural farmers to each other and to a portfolio of unique value-creation tools leveraging farm data, startup engagement, market transparency, and investment network; (2) proving and scaling robotic solutions to lower labor-related barriers to specialty crop introduction using AgLaunch farm-centric accelerator model; and (3) instigating a focused process of crop identification, field trials, and scaling a diverse regional cropping system with vertically integrated local processing and direct-to-consumer models focused on health food.
  • $750,000, matched by $188,147 in local investment, to the Northern Kentucky University, Newport/Campbell County, Kentucky, to fund the NKY Collaborative for Economic Engagement: Connecting Entrepreneurs to Knowledge, Data, Talent, and Capital program, to support the Northern Kentucky Collaborative for Economic Engagement (NKY Collaborative), a one-stop shared-services central innovation hub for businesses and entrepreneurs designed to increase regional economic resilience and accelerate long-term economic recovery. The NKY Collaborative will leverage regional agencies and programs as well as Northern Kentucky University's (NKU) expertise in data analytics, health, tech, logistics, and entrepreneurial innovation to provide the tools that entrepreneurs need to thrive: access to knowledge, access to data, access to talent, and access to capital.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles/Los Angeles County, California, to fund the Los Angeles Response To COVID (LA-R2C) Accelerator For Health Security program, to facilitate a scalable framework for COVID-19 resilience and support domain specific expertise for entrepreneurs. Specifically, LA-R2C will assemble a Rapid Response Technology Review Panel, deploy a web-based Innovation Partnering Network, and create a Virtual LaunchPad for Entrepreneurial Programming that addresses diversity in workforce development. LA-R2C will amplify existing infrastructure for regional connectivity in the biosciences through interactions with frontline community organizations and health systems, such as UCLA Health, as well as with mission-driven investors that accelerate early-stage technologies and industry manufacturers that support the production of critical resources.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to XLR8X, Honolulu, Hawaii, to fund the XLR8 Resilience: Investing in a Thriving and Economically Prosperous Hawaii program, to support 125 companies to pivot, operate, and scale in a post-COVID19 world by expanding the successful virtual investment readiness and business scaling pilot program – preX. In response to the devastating impact and economic injury faced by many residents and businesses in Hawaii resulting from coronavirus, preX was launched in April 2020 to transform impacted businesses into agile, resilient organizations reequipped with the business knowledge, technical assistance, professional networks, and support community to handle the pandemic disruption and thrive successfully in a post-COVID-19 world.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, El Paso/El Paso County, Texas, to fund the Product and Supplier Development Lab program, to create a Product and Supplier Development Lab (PSDL) that will support innovators and companies working to address the shortage of PPE and other medical supplies, diagnostics, and devices, thereby creating impact with the growth of new companies, living wage jobs, and technology-based industry development. The program will 1) bolster supply chain development and manufacturing expertise for the production of critical items through assisting medical device suppliers and manufacturers to complete and meet necessary regulatory standards for the industry, 2) support innovation and the development of new medical device production through design thinking, product development, and prototyping assistance, and 3) address public health concerns by increasing manufacturing capacity for PPE and medical devices, diagnostics, and ancillary supplies.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the New Mexico Trade Alliance, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to fund the Q-Station: Supporting Recovery and Resilience via Aerospace, Science, and Tech Entrepreneurship program, to support entrepreneurs in responding to the pandemic, especially by increasing government connectivity across the innovation cluster of aerospace technology to support commercialization and entrepreneurship. The project will have an economic impact throughout New Mexico’s mid-region—promoting resilience and recovery by supporting entrepreneurs, improving government connectivity, strengthening security and supply chain innovations, and improving startups’ access to capital.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the Launch New York, Inc., Buffalo/Erie County, New York, to fund the Rebound and Innovate: Full-Scale Virtual Office and Investor Network Platforms program, to solve challenges to accessing entrepreneurship support and capital caused by the coronavirus pandemic through a full transition to virtual mentorship and novel financing programs for technology-based startup companies, driving economic recovery and ensuring long term resilience in responding to similar threats.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, New York, to fund the Innovation-based Economic Recovery program, to spark the revitalization of the NYC region in the post COVID-19 pandemic. The project delivers economic development to Upper Manhattan by delivering state of the art entrepreneurship training and workforce transformation to promote technology-enabled entrepreneurialism.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the Greater New Orleans Development Foundation, New Orleans/New Orleans County, Louisiana, to fund the GNOpivot 2.0 program, to transition from making personal protective equipment to "post-pandemic products and technologies." GNOpivot2.0 will work directly with regional companies to leverage existing assets and create new innovations and business lines via collaboration with university researchers, corporate labs, startups, and investors. GNOpivot 2.0 will address specific post-pandemic market opportunities, driving collaborative innovation and providing the framework to quickly scale.
  • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to the University of Louisville, Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky, to fund the Pandemic-Related Product Acceleration & Responsive Entrepreneurship (PRePARE) program, to strengthen connections between UofL and community partners, accelerate the development of technologies that mitigate pandemic-related economic, health, and safety risks, and catalyze the creation of new businesses or growth of existing businesses. The collaborations between PRePARE staff, university researchers with relevant scientific or technical expertise, and community partners with real-world business insights are expected to have lasting positive impacts on regional economic growth and community wellbeing, which includes new products, high-tech startups and jobs, and a more equitable and resilient economy.
  • $750,000, matched by $190,055 in local investment, to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill/Durham County, North Carolina, to fund the Creating an Entrepreneurial Hub in the Research Triangle Area program, to create a vibrant, resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem that allows advances in high-tech R&D and commercialization in COVID-stressed and post-pandemic times.
  • $749,856, matched by $192,067 in local investment, to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland/Cumberland County, Maine, to fund the Gulf of Maine Blue Innovation Recovery program, to act as a platform for growth and resilience for blue-tech startups and small seafood businesses that are facing significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the medium to long-term, the project will focus on building a resilient regional economy through the use of a blue innovation corridor with hubs of excellence in Boston and Portland. By supporting innovation in the seafood sector, an historically significant piece of New England's economy and culture, the Blue Innovation Recovery project will stimulate job creation and capital attraction as the seafood industry innovates and adapts to volatile markets.
  • $749,764.26, matched by $207,322.76 in local investment, to the Parallax Advanced Research Corporation, Beavercreek/Green County, Ohio, to fund the Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit program, to accelerate the development of 500 entrepreneurs in a COVID and post-COVID environment by providing digital educational resources that directly align with the requirements of regional programs, resources, and customers to create businesses with strong foundations to provide economic resilience in the face of future economic shocks. The Digital Toolkit will help scale the region's support and make resources accessible to entrepreneurs when they need it most.
  • $749,472, matched by $355,729 in local investment, to the Port of Ridgefield, Ridgefield/Clark County, Washington, to fund the IT3 SPRINT - Innovation & Technology Based Recovery for Entrepreneurs program, to assist entrepreneurs with innovation and the use of advanced technology to drive competitive advantage in their business, recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and build greater resiliency. IT3 SPRINT allows entrepreneurs to explore potential markets, products, services, business models and partnerships.
  • $748,943, matched by $265,944 in local investment, to the Houston Community College, Inc., Houston/Harris County, Texas, to fund the HCC Crisis to Opportunity (C2O) Consortium program, to establish a Consortium that will provide short-term strategies for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term planning for community resilience through regional development. The program will develop a connected regional network of partners across the maker, manufacturing, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems that will identify the critical issues and problems to collaboratively create solutions that respond to the current crisis through innovative and entrepreneurial approaches, which will establish long term recovery and resilience for the region.
  • $748,833, matched by $193,095 in local investment, to the Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network, Albany/Linn County, Oregon, to fund the Rapid Recovery in Oregon: Building Resilient Regional Innovation Economies by Accelerating Delivery of Pandemic-Inspired Resources to Impacted Entrepreneurs and Activating Local Capital program, to serve as a recovery and resiliency hub for startups and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon’s Lane, Linn, Benton, and Grant Counties.
  • $746,060, matched by $193,170 in local investment, to the Health Tech Alley, Inc., Columbia/Howard County, Maryland, to fund the Catalyzing Health Information Technology for Economic Opportunity and Growth in Underserved Communities program, to bring health information technology (IT) entrepreneurs and community-based healthcare organizations together to advance emerging IT capability. Health Tech Alley will focus on communities hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic and upskill the health IT workforce by: a) tapping into local networks of entrepreneurs and startups focused on primary care and digital health solutions, (b) creating alliances with healthcare organizations operating in underserved areas, and (c) partnering with local government agencies to address community healthcare challenges.
  • $744,290, matched by $195,000 in local investment, to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, Seattle/King County, Washington, to fund the Congregate: An Accelerator to Re-Open the Tourism and Performing Arts Industries program, to focus on scaling solutions that help safely re-open tourism, performing arts, travel, and hospitality (TPATH). The program will: (1) be a catalyst for innovation in biotechnology, health security, and supply-chain solutions, (2) increase regional, national, and government connectivity across innovation clusters to support entrepreneurship, and (3) scale models to address the new congregation environments post-pandemic.
  • $744,230, matched by $186,058 in local investment, to the University City Science Center, Philadelphia/Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, to fund the OnRamp to Opportunity: Accelerating Post-Pandemic Entrepreneurial Growth and Development in Greater Philadelphia program, to provide customized management and technical assistance and focusing on research and technology transfer, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship in support of underrepresented founders with innovative products or services enabled by technology. The program will serve entrepreneurs and founders, helping them develop their businesses through weekly curricula, timely connections, and a supportive community.
  • $743,012, matched by $241,600 in local investment, to the NextCorps, Inc., Rochester/Monroe County, New York, to fund the Software Startup Accelerator for Non-Technical Founders program, to build a repeatable model for developing high-growth software startups in the Rochester region, which will increase the resilience of the region to economic disruptions caused by events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • $726,389, matched by $276,000 in local investment, to Purdue University, West Lafayette/Tippecanoe County, New York, to fund the Project TRAVERSE: agTech Robotics, Automation and the Virtually Employed Resiliently Scaling Enterprises program, to develop and research technologies that offer resilient, remote work opportunities during pandemics and allow vital industries to recover quickly. The project will involve the utilization of advanced manufacturing technology, robotics, and cyber-physical systems (CPS) to develop and pilot test Agriculture Technology (agTech) solutions, like remote planting and harvesting of an array of crops. Once implemented, the project will allow the United States to recover from decades of trade imbalance for produce; provide resilient harvests of healthy nutrient rich produce to the public during pandemics or other global supply chain disruptions and offer remote and safe employment to a nimble workforce skilled and remote management of Horticulture crops.
  • $724,674, matched by $188,474 in local investment, to the 401 Tech Bridge, Kingston/Washington County, Rhode Island, to fund the Strengthening the RI Blue Tech Innovation program, to accelerate the technology of start-ups and existing companies in the Blue Tech sector, leveraging local strengths to help the state of Rhode Island recover from the economic injury sustained during the coronavirus pandemic by supporting the development of new companies, and creating new business opportunities. Once implemented, the program will help companies advance the readiness level of their technology through sponsored R&D, navigate the government R&D pathways, and find additional commercial or dual-use markets for their solutions.
  • $717,500, matched by $183,500 in local investment, to Champion Impact Capital, Irving/Dallas County, Texas, to fund the Commercializing Scalable Technologies through Creative Capitalization program, to develop an investment platform with a matchmaking tool that will provide suggested innovative financing structures based on inputs from both entrepreneurs and investors to bring to market technology that can build resilience and recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Central Texas.
  • $703,378, matched by $175,844 in local investment, to the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network, Inc., Cleveland/Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to fund the Resilient NEO program, to improve the recovery and resilience of the Northeast Ohio economic ecosystem. Resilient NEO will enhance the overall innovation capacity of seven target counties in Northeast Ohio, covering dozens of Opportunity Zones and HubZone to build the region's resilience by facilitating more connections between industries, thereby promoting innovation, and advancing "smart" manufacturing, creating the conditions to produce these new innovations at scale. Resilient NEO has four strategies: identify more promising startups that meet post pandemic market demands; enhance the support services provided to startups and manufacturers for innovation commercialization; drive more manufacturing-focused investment; and promote cross-sector collaboration between six industries critical to resilience (healthcare, manufacturing, academia, government, investors, and economic development).
  • $682,880, matched by $202,747 in local investment, to the Massachusetts Technology Park, Westborough/Worcester County, Massachusetts, to fund the Massachusetts Digital Health COVID-19 Recovery Challenge program, to accelerate the rate at which COVID-related digital health innovations are validated, to accelerate the rate at which these innovations get to market, to increase awareness of the Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Network resources, and to strengthen the Massachusetts digital health ecosystem through partnerships across the state, bringing innovators from one region to partner with Sandboxes in other regions.
  • $645,156, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the Meharry Medical College, Nashville/Davidson County, Tennessee, to fund the ResilienSEED: A Minority Business Incubator Rapidly Addressing Workforce Diversity, Economic Inequity and Recovery program, to provide minorities of diverse backgrounds and experiences the opportunity to present business ideas (focusing on STEM, biotech, and healthcare) and connect them with critical and often difficult-to-access investment capital, and support needed to make their business successful. The program represents a significant opportunity to leverage data as the foundation for future economic development initiatives.
  • $563,302.51, matched by $140,825.63 in local investment, to the Lean Rocket Lab, Jackson/Jackson County, Michigan, to fund the Manu-Tech (Manufacturing Technology) Virtual Incubator COVID Response Unit program, to rapidly respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and build economic resilience by supporting manufacturing-oriented small companies and startups with COVID response products and technologies, helping local manufacturers recover by connecting them to new business from these product developers, and introducing Industry 4.0 technologies that will build operational resilience to prepare for future economic shocks.
  • $545,600, matched by $136,400 in local investment, to the Wayne State University Research and Technology Park in the City of Detroit, Detroit/Wayne County, Michigan, to fund the Detroit Response Labs: Leveraging Regional Connectivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Respond to COVID-19 program, to promote economic recovery and resilience by deploying two approaches: 1) a holistic strategy that increases regional connectivity in metro-Detroit layered with 2) an innovative entrepreneurship support model.
  • $543,560, matched by $135,890 in local investment, to the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Wausau/Marathon County, Wisconsin, to fund the CREATE Your Community program, to develop and scale innovative entrepreneurship support models to address the virtual and remote work environment of the COVID-19 pandemic; increase regional, national, and governmental connectivity across innovation clusters to support commercialization and entrepreneurship; develop new and unique investment capital models to address the financial needs for entrepreneurs; and scale innovative biotechnology, health security, and supply chain technologies to market.
  • $500,000, matched by $125,000 in local investment, to the Regents of the University of Colorado, Boulder/Boulder County, Colorado, to fund the Pandemic Hyper-Accelerator for Science and Technology program, to fuel innovation and drive economic recovery and growth by bringing together leading technologists, entrepreneurs, and startup resources along the Colorado Front Range to commercialize COVID-19 solutions. Scientists and engineers at the University of Colorado (CU) are developing COVID-19 solutions including vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, environmental sensors, air decontaminants, supply chain innovations, and contact tracing. These technologies require entrepreneurial support and acceleration to rapidly be brought to market and meet the urgent needs related to the pandemic.
  • $474,020, matched by $139,716 in local investment, to the Saint Louis Development Corporation, Saint Louis/Saint Louis County, Missouri, to fund the TechSTL Consortium Creating a Prosperous Region through Innovation & Entrepreneurship program, to address the economic injury to the St. Louis region caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and establish entrepreneurship as a primary regional economic driver by bolstering the ecosystem of services, support, and training needed to launch new software tech businesses and to grow the entrepreneurial mindsets needed in 21st-century jobs.
  • $402,924, matched by $102,504 in local investment, to the Nola Business Alliance, New Orleans/New Orleans County, Louisiana, to fund the Resilient Corridors Initiative: An Approach to an Entrepreneurial COVID-19 Resilient New Orleans program, to address the economic downturn brought on by the loss of jobs and businesses in its hospitality and service-related industries, focusing on scaling established businesses in the emerging industries of technology, bio-innovation, and food production. Using a place-based approach—in order to leverage current resiliency factors of New Orleans East, Treme and Algiers (e.g. physical assets and current industry clustering), these communities will be the hubs of entrepreneurial efforts to transform the overall economy.
  • $397,535.60, matched by $99,383.90 in local investment, to the New Mexico Community Capital Management, LLC, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to fund the Stabilizing Native Enterprises with Digital Skills and Online Markets program, to leverage powerful partnerships with Google and the National Congress of American Indians to bring cloud-based technology training, access to new online markets, and other cutting edge-tools to Native-owned enterprises in central and northern New Mexico.
  • $316,346, matched by $105,000 in local investment, to Startup Tucson, Tucson/Pima County, Arizona, to fund the TechExcel: Equipping Tucson's Growth-Stage Companies with Technology-Enabled Skills and Resources program, to address Tucson's need for business stabilization and rapid job growth in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis by providing technical assistance for digital literacy, productization and regional connectivity. Startup Tucson will assist businesses in pivoting their existing business models with a three-pronged approach that includes developing and implementing: 1) technical-assistance and skills training within the areas of eCommerce and productization; 2) a digital Commercialization Mentor Network; and 3) a physical Media and Product Design Lab.
  • $252,201, matched by $63,050 in local investment, to the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Inc., Worcester/Worcester County, Massachusetts, to fund the MBI Bolt: Building Bolt on Executive Teams to Help Life Science Companies Sprint to Market program, to pair gifted entrepreneurs with the seasoned executives who can help advance products to patients. Phase I is an Entrepreneur in Residence program to help early stage entrepreneurs chart a linear path to proof of concept. Phase II creates "bolt on" executive teams that will roll up their sleeves, tap their networks, and tactically support the company to fundable milestones on the way to market.
  • $238,712.48, matched by $59,678.12 in local investment, to the Chico Economic Planning Corporation, Chico/Butte County, California, to fund the BRIC Resilience and Recovery program, to develop the Far North region’s key innovation economies by providing support and economic development services to entrepreneurs, innovators, and small businesses, while improving economic resiliency to the coronavirus pandemic and other acute economic pressures in Butte County, California.
  • $212,828, matched by $53,281 in local investment, to the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, to fund the Innovation and Commercialization for an Agile and Resilient Ecosystem (I+CARE) program, to provide training, mentorship, workshop product design, prototyping and fabrication of low cost devices for disability and aging markets for entrepreneurs negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly those in Opportunity Zones.
  • $100,000, matched by $25,000 in local investment, to the City of Charleston, Charleston/Charleston County, South Carolina, to support the expansion of the City of Charleston’s Business Development Lab to support minority and women-owned businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will allow the city’s Business and Neighborhood Services Division (BNS), resource partners, and contracted subject-matter experts to provide free technical assistance and advice to 500 minority and women-owned businesses. The Business Development Lab will offer 22 workshops, 6 virtual / live events, and consultation sessions customized to the needs of the business, which will assist with diversifying the local economy, bolstering job creation, attracting private investment, and promoting economic growth and resiliency throughout the region
• $1,540,000 in eight Partnership Planning projects, matched by $985,000 in local investments, to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) process. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.