• Join your peers at SSTI's 2024 Annual Conference!

    Join us December 10-12 in Arizona to connect with and learn from your peers working around the country to strengthen their regional innovation economies. Visit ssticonference.org for more information and to register today.

  • Become an SSTI Member

    As the most comprehensive resource available for those involved in technology-based economic development, SSTI offers the services that are needed to help build tech-based economies.  Learn more about membership...

  • Subscribe to the SSTI Weekly Digest

    Each week, the SSTI Weekly Digest delivers the latest breaking news and expert analysis of critical issues affecting the tech-based economic development community. Subscribe today!

Dozens of organizations state support for Regional Innovation Strategies

March 21, 2019
  • Forward logo
  • LinkedIn logo

More than 50 current and former program awardees, along with 11 tech-based economic development-focused organizations led by SSTI have signed letters supporting the Regional Innovation Strategies program at EDA. Since 2014, when the program first received funding, EDA has funded 180 projects across nearly every state, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In FY 2019, Congress appropriated $23.5 million. These projects have supported specific regional activities, including mission-focused seed investing in Kansas, maritime tech demonstrations in Washington, and incubator services in Florida.

While the FY 2019 appropriation is the largest in the program’s history, demand is such that EDA is only able to fund approximately one in every six applications. The $23.5 million is also significantly less than the COMPETES legislation’s vision of a $100 million program. The letters call on Congress to consider further support for the program, enabling more regions to leverage local assets in building robust innovation economies.

Read the letters here:

RIS, eda