Lehigh Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On May 12, Congresswoman Susan Wild held a press call announcing that the Regional Innovation Hubs program laid out in her Regional Innovation Act of 2021, and passed as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, has opened its first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and made the case for Pennsylvania’s Seventh Congressional being an ideal community to host one of the 20 Tech Hubs.  

“I am beyond ecstatic that after almost two years, I’m able to announce that the program outlined first in my Regional Innovation Act of 2021 bill—which was introduced in July of 2021, and then was merged into the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act last summer—is now in implementation,” said Congresswoman Susan Wild. “Since I introduced this legislation in 2021, I have been a polite but squeaky wheel with the Department of Commerce, because I think there is nowhere better for a Tech Hub to be located than in Pennsylvania’s Seventh Congressional District.” 

Congresswoman Wild continued, “Pennsylvania Seven is uniquely situated to be designated as such a Tech Hub thanks to the integration and collaboration already present between our academic sector—our many colleges and universities and technical schools and community colleges—our workforce development programs, our non-profit AND business community, and of course our geographic proximity to major metropolitan areas and ability to drive goods to most of the Eastern seaboard in a single day.” 

About the Regional Innovation Hubs Program 

The Regional Innovation Hub program, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and created by legislation championed by Rep. Wild—the Regional Innovation Act of 2021—was passed into law within the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.  

The Economic Development Agency (EDA) expects to designate 20+ Tech Hubs across the country to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments. Today’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by the Department of Commerce lays out guidance for Phase One of the application process.  

Overview of Today’s Tech Hub Notice of Funding 

Program Background 

The Tech Hubs program was authorized as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and will designate a minimum of 20 Tech Hubs, three or more in each of EDA’s 6 regions. The program will make place-based investments in regions with the assets, resources, and capacity to become globally competitive in critical technologies and industries. 

Application Phases 

Phase One of the application process, as announced in the May 12 Notice of Funding (NOFO), runs until August 15, 2023 and will have two types of applications: one for Tech Hub designation and one for strategy development, or both.   

Tech Hub designation applicants are consortia (definition below) that prove they’re prepared to apply for implementation funding; that is, they do not need a strategy development grant to further organize.   

Strategy development grant applicants are consortia in a region that has relevant assets, resources, capacity, and/or potential, but need significantly more coordination and planning to be ready to utilize implementation funding, and do not wish to apply for implementation funding this year.   

Designation and strategy development grant applicants are consortia ready to apply for implementation funding, however an additional strategy grant would strengthen coordination and Phase Two application development. 

Designated Tech Hubs will be invited to apply to Phase Two for implementation funding. Phase Two’s "Strategy Implementation” NOFO is expected to open Fall 2023. The EDA expects to make awards to 5-10 Tech Hub designated consortia, with each consortium receiving a total of approximately $50-75 million across multiple component projects.   

Eligibility 

Consortia are eligible to become a Tech Hub, and each consortium has certain required and optional entity types. Each consortium must include one of the following: an institute of higher education, a state or tribal government, relevant industry or firms, economic development organizations or similar organizations, or labor or workforce training organization.   

More information from the Department of Commerce on today’s Notice of Funding can be found HERE. 

A Fact Sheet on today’s the Tech Hubs program and today’s Notice of Funding can be found HERE.

View a complete recording of the call HERE and a transcript of Rep. Wild’s complete remarks below:  

“I am Congresswoman Susan Wild, for anyone who doesn’t know, representing Pennsylvania’s Seventh Congressional District, where we have a proud manufacturing and innovation legacy. And so I am beyond ecstatic that after almost two years I’m able to announce that the program outlined first in my Regional Innovation Act of 2021 bill, which was introduced in July of 2021, and then was merged into the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act last summer, is now in implementation! Finally! I’ve had roundtables in the district, I’ve met with chips manufactures as well as investors, and certainly many people who are affected in the supply chain—and boy do we need this. 

“Today—and we just found this out yesterday, hence the quick turnaround—today, the Department of Commerce announced Phase One of implementation of the Regional Tech Hubs program. Through the process, the Economic Development Agency expects to designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country to strengthen U.S. economic and national security through place-based investments. I was actually with Secretary Raimondo yesterday and that is where I learned it was going to just today be announced. 

“Phase One, as announced in today’s notice of funding opportunity is going to be open until August 15th, 2023, and it will have two types of applications: one for Tech Hub designation and one for strategy development.  

“I am going to focus on the Tech Hub designation, because I think PA-07 is uniquely situated to be designated as such a Tech Hub thanks to the integration and collaboration already present between our academic sector, our many colleges and universities and technical schools and community colleges, our workforce development programs, our non-profit AND business community, and of course our geographic proximity to major metropolitan areas and ability to drive goods to most of the Eastern seaboard in a single day. In fact, I believe we can reach two thirds of the United States consumer population in one day from the Lehigh Valley. 

“Tech Hub designation applicants will be “consortia,” that is a group of organizations that fulfill certain requirements. Consortia will be required to include one of the following: an institute of higher education, a state or tribal government, relevant industry or firms, economic development organizations or similar organizations, or labor or workforce training organization. 

… 

“They may include entities such as venture development organizations, labs, national or federal, and Manufacturing USA institutes.   

“Consortia that are applying for Tech Hub designation are going to have to prove that they are prepared to apply for implementation funding; that is, that they will not need a strategy development grant to further organize.  

“And that’s one of the reasons why I think we are so uniquely…in a perfect place to be one of these Tech Hubs. We already have in place a lot of the people and organizations that will be involved in the strategy for this, and we will be hopefully going right to implementation funding after we are designated. 

“Applicants that are designated as a Tech Hub in Phase One will then be invited to apply to Phase Two for implementation funding, what I just talked about. Phase Two will open in Fall of this year. And at the end of Phase Two, EDA will make awards to 5 to 10 Tech Hubs, with each Hub receiving a total of approximately $50 to $75 million across multiple projects, so this is a pretty big deal. That’s each hub, of these five to ten that will be awarded at the end of phase two, $50 to $75 million across projects. 

“Since I introduced this legislation in 2021, as I always say, I have been a polite but squeaky wheel with the Department of Commerce, because as I have said many times and have said at least twice on this call, I think there is nowhere better for a Tech Hub to be located than in Pennsylvania’s Seventh Congressional District. 

“We have a long, long proud history of manufacturing and innovation, most famously of course with Bethlehem Steel and Mack Trucks, and we have worked hard to come to a place where we are well positioned to take advantage of this program to propel us into a 21st century manufacturing, technology, and innovation revival. Which, by the way, I don’t want to suggest that we aren’t well on our way to that already in Pennsylvania Seven, thanks to our incredible manufacturers, our advanced manufacturing sector. We are already well into the 21st century revival but I think this would be an enormous boost to our district. And by the way, not just our district but to technological manufacturing across the United States. 

“I cannot tell you how many times people back home have asked me about the timeline for this program, because we have all been chomping at the bit to understand what’s going to be required to submit and we want to make sure we’ll be able to submit the strongest application possible. So, here it is! We’re announcing it! My office is going to work closely with applicants, and we will be providing more information as soon as we have it, and we’ll work closely moving forward…I hope the entire region will ultimately be designated a Tech Hub.” 

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Issues: Jobs and the Economy

Original source can be found here.