SBA: Five New Regional Innovation Clusters Announced
Newly-designated Clusters Collectively Awarded $1.5M to Support Small Business Growth and Drive Innovation in Local Economies The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the addition of five new Regional Innovation Clusters (RIC) to the portfolio of communities the agency supports through the program. RICs are geographically-concentrated networking hubs of small businesses, suppliers, service providers, and…
FDIC: FDITECH Selects Three Teams in Sprint to Help Banks Measure and Test Resiliency
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced the selection of three teams in a ‘sprint’ designed to explore new technologies and techniques to help community banks, and the banking sector as a whole, evaluate how well they can withstand a major disruption of any type. The sprint’s evaluation panel selected the following organizations as…
ABA: New Accenture and ABA Report on State of Digital Lending Provides Roadmap for Digitial Transformation at Banks
A new report released today by the American Bankers Association and Accenture provides a roadmap to help bankers speed up their ongoing digital transformations to meet rising customer expectations for hybrid experiences, bridging online and person-to-person options. The report, titled “The State of Digital Lending,” includes key considerations for banks, including how to identify pain points, select…
FDIC: Six Teams Selected in Sprint for Banks to Measure and Test Resiliency
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced the selection of six teams to participate in a ‘tech sprint’ designed to explore new technologies and techniques to determine how well community banks, and the banking sector as a whole, can withstand a major disruption of any type. The FDIC’s tech lab, FDITECH, launched registration for From Hurricanes…
EDA: $3.8 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance Invested to Support Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Flint, MI
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, to construct the university’s new College of Innovation and Technology. This EDA grant, to be matched with $4.9 million in local funds,…
EDA: $2.4 Million Invested to Build Business Innovation Center to Support Coal Communities in Rosebud County, MT
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.4 million grant to the Southeastern Montana Development Corporation, Colstrip, Montana, to help build a Business Innovation Center to support economic and workforce development. This EDA grant, to be matched with $600,000 in local funds, is…
EDA: 50 Recipients of “Build to Scale” Program Announced
Grantee Projects Fuel Innovation and Tech-Based Economic Development to Enhance American Competitiveness on the Global Stage Today, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo 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…
SBA: $5.4 Million in Prizes Announced to Nearly 100 Awardees to Support Inclusive Entrepreneurship in the Innovation Ecosystem
Today, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced 84 winners for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and eight winners for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Catalyst competition, a new component aimed at spurring investment in underrepresented communities within the innovation economy at scale, receiving a combined total of $5.4 million in awards. This important…
SBA: National Small Business Week Virtual Summit Highlights Resiliency and Recovery
Prominent small business investors, entrepreneurs, and mentors address nearly 50,000 attendees The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that this year’s National Small Business Week (NSBW) Virtual Summit drew more than 47,000 participants for the three-day virtual summit. Attendees heard from celebrity business owners, investors, entrepreneurs, and lead advisors from across the small business community, and connected with fellow…
FDIC: Three Winning Teams Selected in FDITECH Tech Sprint to Reach the Unbanked
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced the selection of three winning teams in a ‘tech sprint’ designed to explore new technologies and techniques to help banks meet the needs of unbanked consumers. The tech sprint’s evaluation panel selected the following organizations as winners in the following categories: Category Team Name Organizations Creativity Goalsetter…