WESTERVILLE, OH—SSTI celebrates the Department of Commerce announcement that it will award $15 million in new funding for Regional Innovation Grants via the 2014 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program. With this announcement, the Department will begin soliciting applications for three separate Regional Innovation Strategy funding opportunities, including the i6 challenge, Science and Research Park Development Grants and Cluster Grants to support the development of Seed Capital Funds.
Establishing funding for the first time through the RIS marks a great legislative victory for SSTI. Despite its creation by Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2010, the program had never been funded.
“We are thrilled to see the Department of Commerce begin soliciting applications for the Regional Innovation Strategy programs. These awards provide critical support to start-ups that ultimately translate into high growth companies that create jobs and spur regional economic growth,” said Dan Berglund, President and CEO of SSTI.
In 2011, SSTI united a group of organizations with goal of making the Regional Innovation Strategies program a viable funding stream for the tech-based economic development (TBED) community. Through sustained, strategic advocacy SSTI was able to bring together decision makers on the Hill to direct funding to this important program for the first time this year.
In coordination with the Economic Development Administration, SSTI will be hosting two informational webinars about the new program funding, which will be recorded and posted to the SSTI website. The webinars will be held on Monday, September 8th at 3:00 p.m. ET and Wednesday, September 10th at 2:00 p.m. ET.
For more information: http://ssti.org/blog/15m-solicitation-regional-innovation-released
Jill Allen Murray
Managing Director
The Sheridan Group
www.sheridangroupdc.com
Office: 202-628-7770 Cell: 202-997-9965
