| Idaho TechHelp was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant through the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s national 2020 Venture Challenge Competition to fund the South Idaho Design-Prototype Center (SIDPC). TechHelp was one of 29 organizations selected for this award from a pool of 417 applicants nationwide. The grant was matched by TechHelp collaborators for an additional $1.5 million to expand a much-needed talent pipeline to industries in Idaho, as well as provide a career on-ramp for student employees who manage the center’s projects and operations alongside engineering professionals and entrepreneurs. The funds will jumpstart theSouth Idaho Design-Prototype Center (SIDPC) project, a planned three-year collaboration with Boise State’s College of Engineering and College of Business and Economics, Southwest Idaho industry partners, and the Southwest Idaho Manufacturers’ Alliance. The center will scale up the New Product Development (NPD) Lab at the College of Engineering, which has fueled workforce development, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in Idaho since 2001. Read more here |