OpportunityTitle: i6 Challenge
CategoryExplanation: The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is focused on promoting innovation and entrepreneurship to increase America&apos;s competitiveness.  The i6 Challenge is a new $12 million competition, which will reward the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in regions around the country.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: In accordance with the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA), only the following types of entities are eligible to receive funding assistance from EDA:      1.  District Organization (as defined in 13 C.F.R. &#167; 304.2);   2.  Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes;   3.  State, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;   4.  Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or   5.  Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State.     See section 3 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. &#167; 3122) and 13 C.F.R. &#167; 300.3.      In addition to satisfying these statutory requirements, in order to be eligible for the i6 Challenge (and as stated in the Definitions section), an Applicant must be either:    (i) a non-profit organization that is formed by a team of more than one individual or entity, including, but not limited to, entrepreneurs, universities, SBIR Grantees, foundations, or other private or non-profit organizations, or     (ii) a combination of otherwise eligible entities that apply jointly as co-applicants to EDA for a single award.      EDA is not authorized to provide grants directly to individuals or to for-profit entities.  However, individuals or for-profit entities may form an Applicant or be Partners with Applicants.    Applicants (including eligible entities that form part of an Applicant) may submit more than one application to EDA in response to this competitive solicitation.    Please also see section III. of the federal funding opportunity (FFO) announcement for more information.
Description: The i6 Challenge is a new, multi-agency innovation competition led by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and its Economic Development Administration (EDA). The DOC and EDA will coordinate this funding opportunity with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to leverage federal resources and maximize available funding to i6 Challenge winners. The i6 Challenge is designed to encourage and reward innovative, ground-breaking ideas that will accelerate technology commercialization and new venture formation across the United States, for the ultimate purpose of helping to drive economic growth and job creation.To accomplish this, the i6 Challenge targets sections of the research-to-deployment continuum that are in need of additional support, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Applicants to the i6 Challenge are expected to propose mechanisms to fill in existing gaps in the continuum or leverage existing infrastructure and institutions, such as economic development organizations, academic institutions, or other non-profit organizations, in new and innovative ways to achieve the i6 objectives.Applicants are also expected to leverage regional strengths, capabilities, and competitive advantages. Furthermore, they are expected to identify a real or persistent problem or an unaddressed opportunity with a sense of urgency, cultivate strong public-private partnerships, provide a credible plan to access resources, demonstrate how the effort will be sustained, and bring together a well-qualified team and partners. EDA intends to fund implementation grants for technical assistance through its Economic Adjustment Assistance Program under the i6 Challenge. Please note that EDA will hold an additional informational meeting via conference call at 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on Monday, June 21, 2010 to answer questions about the i6 Challenge. More details on the meeting and any updates will be posted at the i6 Challenge Web site at http://www.eda.gov/i6. To participate in the informational meeting, please call 1&#150;800&#150;779&#150;5194. Please give the operator the passcode &#145;&#145;EDA.&#146;&#146; Because of the anticipated number of callers, callers should plan to dial-in 10 minutes early. Notice of this call has also been published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 32911.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: For i6 Challenge Questions
GrantorContactText: i6@doc.gov