Blog Layout
Oct 16, 2020
U.S. Department of Commerce Launches $25 Million SPRINT Challenge to Address Coronavirus Pandemic Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the opening of the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) new Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge, which will enable organizations across the country to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the coronavirus pandemic through entrepreneurship and innovation.
The SPRINT Challenge is a $25 million national competition funded by the CARES Act. With the publication of the SPRINT Challenge Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
today, EDA seeks projects that aim to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic and future pandemics. The deadline to apply for the Challenge is December 3, 2020.
“Throughout our history, intrepid American innovators have solved problems and secured our economic competitiveness. The Trump Administration is counting on our Nation’s innovators to help our country through COVID-19 and beyond,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The SPRINT Challenge will harness America’s entrepreneurial potential to respond to challenges caused by the coronavirus.”
“With this challenge, we will tap into American ingenuity, creativity, and innovation to find unique solutions to the unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “Innovators and entrepreneurs are quickly pivoting in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The SPRINT Challenge will help communities support those entrepreneurs when we need them the most.”
Eligibility is open to cities, counties, states, other political subdivisions of states, and Indian Tribes; public or private nonprofits; institutions of higher education; and EDA-Economic Development Districts.
Individual grants will be awarded up to $500,000 over a 12-month period of performance or up to $750,000 over an 18-month period of performance. Project focuses may include, but are not limited to, scaling innovative biotechnology, health security, and supply chain technologies and solutions to market; increasing regional, national, and government connectivity across innovation clusters to support commercialization and entrepreneurship; developing new and unique investment capital models to address the financial needs of entrepreneurs; or developing and scaling innovative entrepreneurship support models to address the virtual and remote work environment of the pandemic.
The CARES Act, signed into law
by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
will administer the SPRINT Challenge, as authorized through the CARES Act.
For more information, please visit EDA’s SPRINT Challenge webpage.
ETCOG is proud to host the Texas Department of Agriculture on November 30th to hold a TxCDBG Kickoff Meeting. Join us to hear about grant allocations planned for our region and an overview of proposed changes to the application process.
The East Texas Council of Governments wants to ensure that our region is well-educated on recognizing housing discrimination and how to avoid and report it if encountered. Your voice matters! Take our Housing Survey.
In today's rapidly changing economic landscape, it has become evident that institutions of higher education play a crucial role in fostering vibrant economic ecosystems. These universities possess a wealth of economic development assets that can propel regional growth and innovation. Recognizing this immense potential, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has established the University Center program (PDF) to empower universities and consortia of institutions to establish and operate University Centers (UCs). The primary focus of these UCs is to harness the resources and capabilities of universities to build robust regional economic ecosystems that foster innovation, high-growth entrepreneurship, resiliency, and inclusiveness. Since as early as FY 1980, EDA-funded UCs have been actively responding to the needs of small- and medium-sized manufacturers and processors by providing crucial technology transfer and commercialization assistance. Today, these UCs continue to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of their regions. Some UCs are at the forefront of creating a digitally inclusive economy, offering valuable resources and guidance in this digital age. Others are addressing the economic impacts resulting from the closure of major plants by collaborating with stakeholders in their regions. The strength of University Centers lies in their collaborative approach. They work hand-in-hand with other EDA partners, such as Economic Development Districts (EDDs), to combine their expertise, applied research, and technical assistance. This collaboration is aimed at developing, implementing, and supporting regional strategies that lead to tangible outcomes like job creation, the cultivation of high-skilled regional talent pools, and business expansion within innovation clusters. University Centers focus on several key areas, each crucial for the growth and resilience of a region. One such area is regional commercialization efforts. By leveraging university assets and expertise, UCs help bridge the gap between innovative research and commercial viability. They facilitate the transfer of cutting-edge technologies and intellectual property into the market, propelling the growth of local businesses and industries. If you are a university or part of a consortium of institutions passionate about driving regional economic growth, innovation, and resiliency, the EDA's University Center program presents an incredible opportunity. Joining this program will enable you to leverage the vast resources, expertise, and collaborative network of UCs to make a lasting impact on your region. To learn more about applying for the University Centers funding opportunity, please visit https://bit.ly/3ot5EQn .
CONNECT & COLLABORATE!
CONTACT US
QUICK LINKS
ETEDD
Helping lead the locally-based, regionally driven economic development planning process that leverages
the involvement of the public, private and non-profit sectors to establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration.
