50 Organizations Awarded "Build to Scale" Program Grants Totaling $36.5 Million

Grantee Projects Fuel Innovation and Tech-Based Economic Development

Today, EDA announced that 50 organizations — including nonprofits, institutions of higher education, state government agencies, and other entrepreneurship-focused organizations — from 26 states will receive grants totaling $36.5 million to support programs that fuel innovation and tech-based economic development. (Read full press release)

The grants are part of the “Build to Scale” program, which is administered annually by EDA. The program aims to accelerate technology entrepreneurship by increasing inclusive access to business support and startup capital.

The 2021 awardees will leverage an additional $40 million in matching funds from a variety of private and public sector sources. These EDA investments support aerospace, agtech, blue economy, bioscience, advanced manufacturing and health technology clusters in regions throughout the U.S. and will lead to stronger, more resilient economies across the country.

The FY21 Build to Scale program was comprised of two competitions––the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge.

• The Venture Challenge seeks to leverage regional competitive strengths to accelerate innovation and job creation through high-growth technology entrepreneurship and fostering inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models.
• The Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, angel capital networks, or investor training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based models.

2021 VENTURE CHALLENGE GRANT RECIPIENTS

• 36 Degrees North Co., Tulsa, Oklahoma, $374,608
• Ada Jobs Foundation, Ada, Oklahoma, $583,153
• Arizona Commerce Authority, Phoenix, Arizona, $750,000
• Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, $657,622
• Automation Alley, Troy, Michigan, $1.3 million
• Bioscience & Technology Business Center, Lawrence, Kansas, $1.5 million
• Center for Advancing Innovation, Bethesda, Maryland, $944,730
• Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio, $1.5 million
• City University of New York, The City College, New York, New York, $750,000
• Discovery Partners Institute, Chicago, Illinois, $1.5 million
• Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, $1.5 million
• Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, $748,624
• FuzeHub, Albany, New York, $753,546
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, $1.3 million
• Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, Maine, $749,815
• Launch New York, Buffalo, New York, $750,000
• LaunchBio, Dallas, Texas, $750,000
• Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, $1.5 million
• Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, Louisville, Kentucky, $750,000
• Maryland Clean Energy Center, College Park, Maryland, $750,000
• MATTER, Chicago, Illinois, $1.3 million
• Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, $742,787
• Ohio Aerospace Institute, Brook Park, Ohio, $750,000
• Rev1 Ventures, Columbus, Ohio, $1.4 million
• Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, Staunton, Virginia, $750,000
• Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah, $749,334
• Texas Research and Technology Foundation, San Antonio, Texas, $715,479
• University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California, $929,492
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, $750,000
• University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, $1.5 million
• Washington Technology Industry Association, Issaquah, Washington, $315,005
• Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, $749,175
• Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, $750,000

2021 CAPITAL CHALLENGE GRANT RECIPIENTS

• Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Brattleboro, Vermont, $250,000
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, $400,000
• Dimension Mill, Bloomington, Indiana, $399,650
• Elevate Ventures, Indianapolis, Indiana, $400,000
• Emerging Prairie, Fargo, North Dakota, $224,628
• Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Erie, Pennsylvania, $325,320
• Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, Fresno, California, $400,000
• Idea Foundry, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, $250,000
• Innovation Marquette Enterprise Corporation, Marquette, Michigan, $305,465
• NOLA Business Alliance, New Orleans, Louisiana, $400,000
• NXTUS, Wichita, Kansas, $350,000
• Startup Tucson, Tucson, Arizona, $297,990
• TechTown Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, $400,000
• Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, $346,079
• Tulsa Community Foundation, Tulsa, Oklahoma, $266,805
• University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, $333,084
• University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, $400,000