September 2021

Federal Grants: Understanding the Opportunity

Like most of the country, Northeast Ohio has struggled. Families across the region face economic insecurity. Students have been forced to adapt to changing classroom conditions. Businesses grapple with social distancing policies and the ever-present threat of future closures. And, as the Biden Administration has recognized, “Black and Latino Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and women have never been welcomed as full participants in the economy.”

In an effort to help all Americans cope with these new realities, the Biden Administration launched Build Back Better, a $1 billion agenda, an “ambitious plan to create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families.”

At our September 7, 2021, ecosystem-wide meeting, NeoSTEM partners, stakeholders, and participants learned how Northeast Ohio businesses and individuals can participate in Build Back Better’s recovery plan, and discussed how NeoSTEM can play a key role in this opportunity.

Chris Spence, founder of the Cleveland-based New Growth Group, offered an overview of the many federal grant opportunities available through Build Back Better, and how to apply for them. Build Back Better is designed to grow new regional industry clusters or escale existing ones through planning, infrastructure development, innovation and entrepreneurship, workforce development, and access to capital. Click here for more information and to review the complete presentation.

In other Ecosystem news:

• Tracy Francescone, a development officer at MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network), reported that MAGNET, along with Team NEO, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, and several other partners throughout Summit, Stark, and Mahoning Counties are taking a regional approach centered on advanced manufacturing in applying for a Build Back Better grant. Focus areas will include aerospace, energy storage, medical manufacturing, polymers, and clean water.
• Janine Kaiser, director of the Cleveland Innovation Project Talent Initiative at the Fund for Our Economic Future, discussed the Good Jobs Challenge, which focuses on strengthening and developing the regional workforce training system.
• STEMMAP.ORG is live! Organizations are encouraged to post their programming and contribute to our ever-growing list of STEM education opportunities throughout Northeast Ohio. Click here for more information.
• The “I am STEM” campaign is live! As part of our ongoing community outreach work, we are profiling STEM professionals in Northeast Ohio for a messaging campaign designed to increase the visibility of STEM careers in Northeast Ohio. If you or someone you know would like to be profiled, please contact John Roszczyk at john@neostem.org. 

To watch the complete webinar recording, click here.

The NeoSTEM Ecosystem holds a virtual, open forum at 4:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday each month, and encourages everyone to join in the conversation. Our next meeting is on October 5 2021, and you can register for the meeting here.

For more information, contact Dr. Alyssa Lenhoff-Briggs at alyssabriggs@tiesteach.org, or John Roszczyk at john@neostem.org. And please contact John if you’d like a list of regular meeting attendees, their organizations, and email addresses.