Phase 1
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.... the DMC team is building a consortium of partners to apply for a Federal EDA Tech Hub grant. This is a program aimed specifically at MSA <250K people. It’s a rather complicated program, where one can apply for a Phase 1 strategy development grant and/or designation as a technology hub. In the future there will be a Phase 2 implementation grant that will be on the order of $50-75M per award.
At this point, we’re going for the strategy development grant, which would be $400K or more.
Workforce development is a key element of the strategy grant application. We think there’s value in including the Community Mobilization Resource Coalition in the workforce strategy planning that would flow from this grant, and thus we’d like you to consider being part of the consortium.
The grant is due Aug 15th, so a LOT to do in a short window. Fortunately the grant application is fairly straightforward.
As you consider this request, here’s a summary of the draft narrative attached here.
What we need of you going forward:
- Please review/edit/comment on the attached *draft* of the strategy grant application narrative. All of the content is important – and the particularly important information is in Section VII where we describe the use of the grant. I’ll summarize here:
- We have a technology engine in Mayo Clinic and the technology companies that are here.
- To be a true technology hub, we need to build awareness, build infrastructure, and build the ecosystem.
- The MN investment in Rochester via the DMC initiative positions us well to build awareness and build infrastructure.
- The focus of our grant-funded activities will be to build the ecosystem.
- As a consortium, all members are critical to the success of our ecosystem-building activities.
- Section VII of the attached describes those activities.
- Please consider what resources will be needed from your organization to support the grant activities, should it be funded.
- We will need to build a budget, and that budget can include support for your existing staff to engage in the strategy development activities. Of course, that will require a time commitment from those staff to be actively engaged in the strategy-building activities.
Draft strategy
Latest Funding Opportunity
On May 12, 2023, EDA published the Tech Hubs Phase 1 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF)—the first of two phases. Below is an overview, but please read the NOFO and Frequently Asked Questions for specific details.
PHASE 1 (Deadline: August 15, 2023)
EDA will designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country and will separately award approximately $15 million in strategy development grants to accelerate the development of future Tech Hubs. The Tech Hubs designation will be a widely recognized indicator of a region’s potential for rapid technology-led economic growth.
PHASE 2 (EDA expects to release the Phase 2 NOFO in Fall 2023.)
In Phase 2, EDA will make at least 5 implementation awards to designated EDA Tech Hubs. Only Tech Hubs that EDA designates during Phase 1 are eligible to apply for Phase 2.
Acronyms
NOFO: A notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is a formal announcement inviting grant award applications from extramural investigators.
For years, NIH has referred to such a notice as a funding opportunity announcement (FOA); although in deference to HHS-wide practices, effective immediately, NIH is changing its nomenclature.
Each of the following is a type of NOFO:
- Program announcement (PA)
- Request for applications (RFA)
- PA with set-aside funds (PAS)
- PA with special receipt, referral, and/or review considerations (PAR)
