Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs

Awards made under this NOFO will seek to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to become globally competitive Tech Hubs, within approximately ten

Awards made under this NOFO will seek to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments in regions with the assets, resources, capacity, and potential to become globally competitive Tech Hubs, within approximately ten years, in the technologies and industries of the future, and for those industries, companies, and the good jobs they create to start, grow, and remain in the United States.

Only consortia are eligible to investment assistance under this NOFO. Each consortium must include at least one each of the following as a member, one of whom should serve as the lead institution to receive an award under this NOFO: (1) Institutions of higher education, which may include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions; (2) State, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions of a State, including State and local agencies, or a consortium thereof; (3) Industry or firms in relevant technology, innovation, or manufacturing sectors; (4) Economic development organizations or similar entities that are focused primarily on improving science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or access to capital; and (5) Labor organizations or workforce training organizations, which may include State and local workforce development boards as established under 29 U.S.C. §§ 3111 and 3122. Consortia may also include one or more of: (1) Economic development entities with relevant expertise, including a district organization (as defined in section 300.3 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation); (2) Organizations that contribute to increasing the participation of underserved populations in science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship; (3) Venture development organizations (as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 3722(a)); (4) Organizations that promote local economic stability, high-wage domestic jobs, and broad-based economic opportunities, such as employee ownership membership associations and State or local employee ownerships and cooperative development centers, financial institutions and investment funds, including community development financial institutions (see 12 U.S.C. § 4702(5)) and minority depository institutions (see 12 U.S.C. § 1463 note or considered a minority depository institution by the appropriate Federal banking agency or the National Credit Union Administration); (5) Elementary schools and secondary schools, including area career and technical education schools (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (29 2 U.S.C. § 2302)); (6) National Laboratories (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 15801); (7) Federal laboratories; (8) Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers; (9) Manufacturing USA Institutes; (10) Transportation planning organizations; (11) A cooperative extension services (as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103(6)); (12) Organizations that represent the perspectives of underserved communities in economic development initiatives; and (13) Institutions receiving an award under the National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines program (42 U.S.C. § 19108).

Only consortia are eligible to investment assistance under this NOFO. Each consortium must include at least one each of the following as a member, one of whom should serve as the lead institution to receive an award under this NOFO: (1) Institutions of higher education, which may include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions; (2) State, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions of a State, including State and local agencies, or a consortium thereof; (3) Industry or firms in relevant technology, innovation, or manufacturing sectors; (4) Economic development organizations or similar entities that are focused primarily on improving science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or access to capital; and (5) Labor organizations or workforce training organizations, which may include State and local workforce development boards as established under 29 U.S.C. §§ 3111 and 3122. Consortia may also include one or more of: (1) Economic development entities with relevant expertise, including a district organization (as defined in section 300.3 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation); (2) Organizations that contribute to increasing the participation of underserved populations in science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship; (3) Venture development organizations (as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 3722(a)); (4) Organizations that promote local economic stability, high-wage domestic jobs, and broad-based economic opportunities, such as employee ownership membership associations and State or local employee ownerships and cooperative development centers, financial institutions and investment funds, including community development financial institutions (see 12 U.S.C. § 4702(5)) and minority depository institutions (see 12 U.S.C. § 1463 note or considered a minority d

The Tech Hubs Program seeks to invest in multiple, simultaneous, interconnected projects that accelerate regional economic development. The Tech Hubs Program is aggressively focused on investing in activities that will enable a region that already has R & D assets in a manner that catalyzes their emergence over the next decade as self-sustainably, globally economically competitive in its selected core technology area. For example, such an investment might be highly targeted within several interrelated projects that will leverage existing technical expertise to accelerate both the regional economy and American competitiveness, such as the following: • a "first of its kind", world-class demonstration facility or testbed that provides startups access to shared facilities to bring products and services in a consortium's selected core technology area to market faster; • a strategy to bring entrepreneurship- and industry-focused faculty researchers and innovators to the university and national lab that have a proven track record of creating new startups in a consortium's selected core technology area (researchers would have joint appointments at the lab, university, and private sector companies); • a program that ensures workers collaborate directly in the demonstration of new technologies to inform the design of those technologies-as well as their deployment, production, and delivery-with the perspective, experience, and input of workers; • the re-purposing of an existing site or facility (such as a former auto or coal plant or other brownfield) to promote the advance of the core technology; • a network of industry-focused workforce training programs via which workers would be trained on cutting edge technologies on the job or at the demonstration facility; • partnerships with organizations that support employer adoption of hiring and employment practices that tap into the talents of existing workers and remove barriers to good jobs, such as skills-based recruitment and hiring practices; • a technology supply chain program that helps existing small manufacturers throughout the region purchase the necessary equipment and hire workers that allow it to transition into domestic manufacturing in the supply chains of the consortium's selected core technology area (small businesses would have access to the demonstration facility to try out new machinery); • an "Office of Regional Innovation" led by the new RIO to spearhead the entire industry transition strategy, ensure common industry engagement between the labs and universities and oversee industry partnerships at the new demonstration facility and ensure they are well-staffed with industry-focused economic development and technology practitioners; • a region-wide strategy, specific to the consortium-selected core technology area, to blend and braid multiple funding sources and programs around industry's needs related to the consortium's selected core technology area; and • a capital networks strategy that crowds in and syndicates significant follow-on funding.

EDA can provide funding to support a wide range of non-construction and construction activities, broadly organized into workforce development, business and entrepreneur development, technology development and maturation, infrastructure (construction), and governance.

Period of Performance: The period of performance for a given Phase 1 Strategy Development project may vary depending on the scope of work. EDA expects that most projects will range from 18 to 36 months. EDA expects that all projects will proceed efficiently and expeditiously.

Each application will be reviewed by EDA for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. Most planning and technical assistance activities funded under this NOFO will not require an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA), as EDA's experience has shown such activities do not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. However, EDA will be alert to extraordinary circumstances that would require an EIS or an EA for activities funded under this NOFO, and EDA may require an applicant to submit additional information related to environmental review. Applications for Strategy Development Grants submitted under this Tech Hubs Phase 1 NOFO are subject to the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," if a State has adopted a process under EO 12372 to review and coordinate proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development (commonly referred to as the "single point of contact review process"). All applicants must give States and local governments a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Project, including review and comment from area-wide planning organizations in metropolitan areas. To find out more about a State's process under EO 12372, applicants may contact their State's Single Point of Contact (SPOC).

Criteria, Review, and Selection Process. All complete applications for Strategy Development Grants will undergo a two-step review. First, they will be reviewed by at least three individuals and scored against the criteria in the NOFO. EDA will sort the resultant scores into tiers of similarly scored applications, and top tiers will advance to a second level review by an investment review committee (IRC) of at least three reviewers who did not participate in the initial scoring. The IRC will review the applications collectively using the same criteria listed above as well as relevant selection criteria. Based on this group evaluation, the IRC will recommend to the Grants Officer which applications to fund and how to apply the selection factors. Designation Review. All complete Designation applications will undergo a two-step review. First, they will be evaluated by at least three reviewers and scored against the criteria in the NOFO. EDA will sort the resultant scores into tiers of similarly scored applications, and top tiers will advance to a second level review by an IRC of at least three reviewers who did not participate in the initial scoring. The IRC will review the applications collectively using the same criteria listed above and relevant selection criteria. Based on this group evaluation, the IRC will recommend a list for the Grants Officer of recommended applications and how to apply the selection factors. Only applicants Designated as Tech Hubs will be permitted to apply for Implementation funding under the forthcoming Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO. EDA's final decision on whether to fund a project in Phase 2 or Designate a Tech Hub is dependent upon the ability of the applicant to provide sufficient documentation of the project's compliance with applicable rules and regulations

Grants Officer's Decision - The most highly ranked applications will be forwarded to the Selection Official to make the final decision on whether to fund an application and may select a project for funding that differs from the most highly ranked applications based on any of the Selection Factors in the NOFO.

This is a two-phase competition. The deadline for Phase 1 applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June XXX, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Only those that are Designated as Technology Hubs in Phase 1 will be permitted to apply to Phase 2. It is anticipated that the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Phase 2 will be made available in July 2023.