Regional Economic Development Corporation

PER YOUR APPLICATION REQUEST DATED JULY 28, 2003, THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS BEING AWARDED TO SUPPORT THE CLEANUP CONTAMINATED PROPERTIES SURROUND

PURPOSE: BRING TOGETHER PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND ACADEMIC PARTNERS INTO COLLABORATIVE REGIONAL CONSORTIA (?TECH HUB?) FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT BUILDS ON THEIR REGION?S ASSETS AND POTENTIAL. STRENGTHEN THE HUB REGION?S CAPACITY TO DELIVER CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND TO ENSURE THEY ARE MANUFACTURED AND DELIVERED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AS OUTLINED IN THE TECH HUB?S PHASE 2 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: --ENSURING CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP OF THE CONSORTIUM THROUGH THE APPOINTMENT OF A REGIONAL INNOVATION OFFICER --PURSUING ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT, AND BENEFITS OF DESIGNATION THAT ADVANCE THE HUB?S PLAN TO COMMERCIALIZE TECHNOLOGIES CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY --PARTICIPATING THE EDA TECH HUBS COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE --ESTABLISHING DATA COLLECTION AND METRICS TRACKING SYSTEMS TO REPORT ON PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES --EDUCATING PRIVATE INDUSTRY, LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT REGIONAL ASSETS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES WITHIN IN THEIR HUB?S SELECTED CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA EXPECTED OUTCOMES: --FULFILLING INVESTMENT AND POLICY COMMITMENTS IDENTIFIED IN THE PHASE 2 APPLICATION --ATTRACTING NEW PARTNERS AND CAPITAL PROVIDERS COMMITTED TO SUSTAINING THE CONSORTIA?S MOMENTUM --DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY-SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE REGION TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND MODERNIZATION OF U.S. MANUFACTURING AND IMPROVE COMMERCIALIZATION AND DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH.

THIS EDA INVESTMENT SUPPORTS THE BOLD NORTH BIOINNOVATION CLUSTER, LED BY THE MINNEAPOLIS SAINT PAUL REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, WITH THEIR PROPOSAL TO MAKE MINNESOTA THE PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPITAL OF THE NEW ECONOMY THROUGH A BIO-INNOVATION CLUSTER. MANY OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN BIO-INNOVATION WERE FOUNDED THERE DECADES AGO AND GREW TO BE GLOBAL LEADERS, INCLUDING CARGILL, THE MAYO CLINIC, GENERAL MILLS, ECOLAB, MEDTRONIC, AND LAND OLAKES. IF PROVIDED AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT, THE COALITION PROPOSES TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIO-INNOVATION BY INVESTING IN BIPOC WORKERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND EXISTING BUSINESSES TO NOT ONLY IMPROVE UPON EXISTING REGIONAL ASSETS BUT OVERCOME HISTORICAL BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT IN ONE OF THE REGIONS FASTEST GROWING SECTORS.

RURAL ACCELERATOR

SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY

THIS EDA INVESTMENT FUNDS THE FORGE NORTH ANGEL ACTIVATION CAMPAIGN PROJECT, TO HELP ESTABLISH A STARTUP COALITION FOR THE GREATER MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL REGION, WHICH WILL LEAD A PUBLIC CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT 200 HIGH-NET-WORTH MINNESOTANS TO BECOME ACTIVE ANGEL INVESTORS THROUGH A THREE TRACK APPROACH THAT INTENDS TO RECRUIT 1,000 PROSPECTS. THE PROJECT WILL HELP ALL NEW PROSPECTS TO ACCESS THE REGION'S NEW ANGEL ACTIVATION HUB ON-DEMAND, FEATURING VIDEO AND WRITTEN CONTENT, TESTIMONIALS, AND ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED ANGEL INVESTORS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. IN ADDITION, 500 PROSPECTS WILL ATTEND EVENTS SUCH AS "ANGEL FEST," THE STATE'S PREMIER EVENT FOR ANGEL INVESTORS, DESIGNED TO DEEPEN EDUCATION AND EXPAND NETWORKS. FINALLY, 50 PROSPECTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN ANGEL INVESTING - INCLUDING BLACK, LATINX, INDIGENOUS, AND WOMEN ANGELS - WILL HAVE ACCESS TO COHORT-BASED, PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT GO EVEN DEEPER TO ESTABLISH KNOWLEDGE AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS, ENABLING PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS TO MOVE AT AN INTENTIONAL PACE WITH A CULTURALLY SPECIFIC APPROACH. ONCE IMPLEMENTED, ABOUT 200 NEWLY TRAINED ANGEL INVESTORS WILL HELP TRANSFORM THE REGION'S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM, INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF EARLY-STAGE CAPITAL FOR SCALABLE STARTUPS WHILE ADVANCING RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY.

EDD INVESTMENT

BUSINESS INCUBATOR

BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

CEC PROGRAM EXPANSION

WORKFORCE ANALYSIS

RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANTS

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

PARTNERSHIP PLANNING

EDD INVESTMENT

FEASIBILITY STUDY AND BU

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP OPPORTUNITY GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANTS

RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANTS

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

SECD RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COOP RBEG GRANT

PER YOUR APPLICATION REQUEST DATED JULY 18, 2006, THIS GRANT AGREEMENT IS BEING AWARDED TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE REGIONAL GROWTH PARTNERSHIP. IT WILL

EARMARK