On May 12, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Phase I of its Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) program. Counties may not apply as sole applicants but are eligible to apply within a consortia. Each consortium must include at least one state, territorial, local, or Tribal governments or other political subdivisions of a state, including state and local agencies.

In March, EDA published a Request for Information (RFI) to collect input on the design and implementation of the Tech Hubs program. NACo was one of 300 other respondents that submitted comments to the RFI, calling for EDA to give preference to consortia applicants that include county governments due to the critical role counties play in our nation’s infrastructure and transportation network, land use and zoning, local economic development and job training efforts.

Awards made under this NOFO will seek to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through strategic, place-based investments into regions with the assets, resources, capacity and potential to become globally competitive hubs within approximately ten years. Tech Hubs are inherently designed to focus on the technology and innovation sectors, along with other “industries of the future,” and for those industries, companies, and the good jobs they create to start, grow, and remain in the United States.

Within the Tech Hubs Phase l NOFO, there are separate application requirements based on whether an applicant is applying for a Strategy Development Grant, for a Tech Hub Designation, or both. The three categories can be broken down as follows:

• Designation Only: Consortia who will apply for Implementation Grants under the Tech Hubs Phase 2 NOFO must apply for a designation as a Tech Hub in Phase 1. Regions that do not need a Strategy Development Grant to further organize can apply solely for a designation. Designations do not come with any funding.
• Strategy Development Grants Only: Consortia that will need significantly more coordination, organization, planning and will not be ready to apply for Implementation Grants under Phase 2 later this year may apply solely for the Strategy Development Grant.
• Designation and Strategy Development Grant: Consortia that are ready to be designated as a Tech Hub and will apply for implementation funding in Phase 2, but need additional resources to organize should apply for a Designation and Strategy Development Grant. EDA anticipates to award $15 million in Strategy Development Grant awards ranging from $400,000 - $500,000.

The deadline for Phase 1 applications is 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 15, 2023. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE) at sfgrants.eda.gov. EDA anticipates to release the NOFO for Phase 2 in Fall 2023.

Additional Resources

• EDA: Tech Hubs Webpage
• EDA: Tech Hubs Phase l Overview
• Tech Hubs Phase l NOFO
• Brookings: What state and local leaders need to know about the federal government’s regional Tech Hubs competition