Shawnee State University selected to receive highly competitive U.S. Economic Development Administration Build to Scale Venture Challenge grant
Shawnee State University awarded $1,498,981 in federal grants and matching dollars to support local entrepreneurship and innovation.
Today, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced Shawnee State University as one of the 51 awardees for the Build to Scale grant program. With the $1,498,981 provided by the grant and matching funds, the Hub plans to implement Project LEAP: Launching our Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program. This investment will enhance Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Kricker Innovation Hub programming and support entrepreneurs from ideation through commercialization by creating an intensive, place-based accelerator.
“This award makes it possible for the university to scale up several programs that anchor an emerging innovation district that will transform downtown Portsmouth,” described Eric Braun, Vice President for Advancement and Enrollment Management at Shawnee State. “We are building an innovation ecosystem and tech entrepreneurship infrastructure that is the pathway to a prosperous future for southern Ohio.”
With university resources and recent investments in the Hub, this project is uniquely positioned with physical, programmatic, and human assets to scale up quickly and serve as the leading center for a technology-based entrepreneurship ecosystem in southern Ohio. As a pioneer in applied motion capture research in the early 2000s, SSU has established itself a nationally ranked Game Design Program and also serves as a leading institution in digital and immersive technology.
Shawnee State University and the Hub are joined by several local partners in its grant application, including the ECDI Women’s Business Center, Scioto County Economic Development, Appalachian Investors Alliance, OhioX, the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, and EPIC Mission.
Shawnee State worked with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) to apply for this grant as part of CORI’s 2022 Rural Innovation Initiative, a technical assistance program empowering rural communities to create inclusive digital economies that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation. To date, this program has graduated 29 communities and helped rural organizations secure more than $29.9 million to develop strategies and build out programs that can accelerate their local digital economic development efforts.
“The work that goes into this process requires intense focus, unwavering optimism, and a clear vision for the future- which is why it’s been so exciting to watch these communities receive Build to Scale funding,” said Matt Dunne, Founder and Execuitive Director at CORI. “This is the third year we’ve run this program, and each year we grow more inspired by the commitment these rural leaders have to transform their local economies with new tech pathways that serve their community. We look forward to seeing what is next for them as our Network continues to grow.”
The 2022 Build to Scale program awarded 51 grants to applicants from 31 states. The grants represent a combined $47 million in federal investment. Portsmouth was one of just eight rural applicants to receive the award this year. Learn more here.