Resources available: SSTI webinar featuring federal funding opportunities to help regional innovation economies

On Tuesday, Feb. 1, SSTI’s new TBED Community of Practice hosted its first webinar as part of a multi-year effort to build capacity among Economic Development Administration (EDA) grantees to achieve greater impacts and strengthen the overall practice of technology-based economic development (TBED). Webinar participants learned about new funding sources and how they can support regional innovation economies.

Chivas Grannum and Amanda Kosty of EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship discussed two programs supporting TBED activities — Build to Scale and the STEM Talent Challenge. Build to Scale has two parts, the Venture Challenge to promote commercialization capacity and the Capital Challenge to assist with access to capital. The STEM Talent Challenge provides two-year grants addressing near-term workforce needs in regional innovation economies.

SSTI Vice President Jason Rittenberg presented on other programs across the federal government, including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. More information about these programs is available in the slide deck. Rittenberg also discussed opportunities available through other recent TBED-related legislation including SBIR/STTR reauthorization, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

Those interested in the recording of this webinar and the presented slide decks may access the information by filling out the form at https://ssti.wufoo.com/forms/webinar-materials-new-tbed-funding-from-chips/.