Feb
03
2010
President Obama Asking for Funding for Clusters
For the fiscal year 2011 budget, President Obama’s administration is requesting funding for several programs to support regional innovation clusters.
In previous years, US federal support for cluster development has traditionally been channeled through the Commerce Department’sEconomic Development Administration. This budget however, recognize the importance of “competitive, high-performing regional economies are essential to national growth”.
Also, by inflating the amount for regional cluster development, as well as engaging more federal delivery systems for funding , the Obama Administration increasingly is recognizing the importance of a bottoms-up approach. Some highlights to the FY2011 budget are:
- The EDA’s proposed $75 million Regional Innovation Clusters program would provide regional planning and matching grants focused on leveraging regions’ competitive strengths to boost job creation and economic growth.
- The Small Business Administration would support EDA’s cluster effort by directing a proposed $11 million toward promoting greater small business participation in regional clusters by better coordinating its resources for business counseling, training, and mentor-protégé partnerships
- The Department of Labor (DOL) would use its newly proposed Workforce Innovation Fund (of up to an estimated $108 million) to help ensure that the workforce development system also aligns with regional cluster growth by facilitating regional collaboration among training and employment services providers and stronger linkages with employers so that worker training leads to good jobs
- The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) budget request calls for a Regional Innovation Initiative to align federal resources to promote more economic opportunities in rural communities and have greater regional impact. To support this approach, USDA plans to set-aside roughly 5 percent of the funding from approximately 20 existing programs and allocate these funds competitively among regional pilot projects tailored to local needs and opportunities.
More information: The Brookings Institution
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03 2010
President Obama Asking for Funding for Clusters
For the fiscal year 2011 budget, President Obama’s administration is requesting funding for several programs to support regional innovation clusters.
In previous years, US federal support for cluster development has traditionally been channeled through the Commerce Department’sEconomic Development Administration. This budget however, recognize the importance of “competitive, high-performing regional economies are essential to national growth”.
Also, by inflating the amount for regional cluster development, as well as engaging more federal delivery systems for funding , the Obama Administration increasingly is recognizing the importance of a bottoms-up approach. Some highlights to the FY2011 budget are:
- The EDA’s proposed $75 million Regional Innovation Clusters program would provide regional planning and matching grants focused on leveraging regions’ competitive strengths to boost job creation and economic growth.
- The Small Business Administration would support EDA’s cluster effort by directing a proposed $11 million toward promoting greater small business participation in regional clusters by better coordinating its resources for business counseling, training, and mentor-protégé partnerships
- The Department of Labor (DOL) would use its newly proposed Workforce Innovation Fund (of up to an estimated $108 million) to help ensure that the workforce development system also aligns with regional cluster growth by facilitating regional collaboration among training and employment services providers and stronger linkages with employers so that worker training leads to good jobs
- The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) budget request calls for a Regional Innovation Initiative to align federal resources to promote more economic opportunities in rural communities and have greater regional impact. To support this approach, USDA plans to set-aside roughly 5 percent of the funding from approximately 20 existing programs and allocate these funds competitively among regional pilot projects tailored to local needs and opportunities.
More information: The Brookings Institution
