By Mary Sell via Alabama Daily News lFifty-one communities, colleges and nonprofit groups recently received funding totaling $9.3 million from Innovate Alabama, the state’s relatively new public-private economic development organization aiming to support local entrepreneurs and innovators.
The awardees are inaugural members of the Innovate Alabama Network, meant to support and create economic growth in their local areas by increasing innovation-related activities and providing access to seed funding.
“The Innovate Alabama Network is a major step forward to growing the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in Alabama,” said Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield. “By providing funding and resources to our local communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions, we are developing a statewide network for innovation programming and catalyzing entrepreneurship in all of our communities, both rural and urban.”
The Alabama Innovation Corporation received $25 million in both the 2023 and 2024 education budgets. Entities can receive up to $250,000 for the network designation and can also apply for additional grant money.
“I’m encouraged and energized to see the overwhelming response to the Innovate Alabama Network,” said Innovate Alabama Board Chairman and Alabama State Director of Finance Bill Poole. “We have a diverse ecosystem for innovation in Alabama, so to bring all of these partners together in one place to partner and collaborate together on moving our state forward is a move in the right direction for Alabama.”
Applications for the second round of Innovate Alabama Network designees are open through Jan. 5. Any interested Alabama community, nonprofit or higher education institution can learn more here.
First-round designees include 30 nonprofits, 11 communities and municipalities and 10 colleges and universities.
Communities:
City of Auburn
City of Bessemer
City of Dothan
City of Henagar
City of Hoover
City of Marion
City of Mobile
City of Pinson
City of Talladega
Shelby County
Town of Pike Road
Nonprofit entities:
AL AI Center
Alabama Trails Foundation
Baldwin County Community and Economic Development Foundation
BioAlabama
Birmingham Bound
Birmingham Business Alliance
Bronze Valley Foundation
Cordova Economic Industrial Development Authority
Ed Farm
Economic Development Partnership of Alabama
Hardware Park
HBCU Cares
Higher Education Partnership
Innovation Depot
Innovation Portal
Main Street Marion
McWane Science Center
Montgomery Tech Lab
Prosper Foundation
QIE Foundation
REV Birmingham
Singing River Trail
Southern Research
Teach2Lead
The Alabama Collective
The Arc of Madison County
The E-Center
The Overton Project
United Way of Southwest Alabama
Venture for America
Higher Education Institutions:
Alabama A&M University
Alabama State University
Auburn Lowder Center for Family and Entrepreneurship
Drake State Community and Technical College
Talladega College
Trenholm State University
Troy University
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of South Alabama
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