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 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).

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.