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February 16, 2023 | Tom Ballard

Here’s your chance to provide input on new “Tech Hubs” program

There's $500 million in federal money ready to establish innovation centers across the U.S. Public input about the design, structure, and evaluation of the program is needed.

Have you ever heard the saying, “everyone complains about the weather but no one does anything about it”? That’s something we hear frequently about various federal programs, so this opportunity is one readers might want to carefully consider, particularly if you have your eyes on this new pot of federal dollars.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is seeking public input on its new “Tech Hubs” program that was approved by Congress as part of the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022” and for which EDA was appropriated $500 million in the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The program seeks to: (1) build and evolve innovation centers in key U.S. regions; (2) accelerate the evolution of awarded regions into global leaders in an industry of the future; and (3) strengthen U.S. global competitiveness within critical technologies.

“With the ‘Tech Hubs’ program, we can better ensure America remains at the leading edge of developing and delivering critical, emerging technologies,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This also means we can ensure more Americans have the tools they need to get into the high-paying, quality jobs of the future. This is imperative not just for our economic security, but for our national security.”

Earlier this week, EDA published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register soliciting public input about the design, structure, and evaluation of the program. Specifically, the federal agency is seeking input in several areas, including but not limited to information on:

  • Structuring a “Tech Hubs” program that will accelerate the region’s evolution into a global leader in an industry of the future that strengthens the region and U.S. economic and national security;
  • Identifying metrics for assessment of successful ‘Tech Hubs”;
  • Designing a competitive, inclusive, and accessible selection process for ‘Tech Hub’ designations that would both support critical technology and innovation sectors, as well as geographic diversity; and
  • Identifying how federal designations and federal grants can be structured to maximize the desired impacts of the “Tech Hubs” program.

Responses are due by 5 p.m. EDT on March 16, and they can be submitted via email to TechHubs@eda.gov with “Tech Hubs RFI” in the subject line. Full details on responding can be found in the Federal Register. In addition, more information can be found on the Tech Hubs website.


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