Description
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is announcing the availability of funding for the FY 2023 University Center Economic Development Program Competition. This program funds technical assistance provided by an accredited institution of higher education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher education that is focused on one or more of the following program focus areas: advancing regional commercialization efforts, advancing high-growth entrepreneurship, cultivating innovation, encouraging business expansion in a region’s innovation cluster(s), developing a high-skilled regional workforce, and increasing the resiliency of a region. The program aims to enable institutions of higher education and consortia of institutions of higher education to establish and operate University Centers specifically focused on using university assets to build regional economic ecosystems that support innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship, resiliency and inclusiveness. Some key aspects of the program include:
• Collaborating with other EDA partners, such as Economic Development Districts (EDDs), to provide expertise and technical assistance to develop, implement, and support regional strategies
• Fostering higher-skill, higher-wage private sector job creation and collaborating with the private sector and leveraging other sources of financial support
• Aligning with the DOC Strategic Plan, with a focus on advancing STEM skills and capabilities, supporting workforce training opportunities, and enhancing manufacturing capacities within the region
• Benefiting distressed communities, in particular small, rural, and underserved communities, by linking these communities to larger, more vibrant regional economies