Big Sky Times

FUNDING WILL COME FROM SENATOR’S BIPARTISAN CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT; OFFICIAL TECH HUB DESIGNATION WOULD OPEN PATH FOR MILLIONS IN IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS

As part of his continued push to bring a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub to Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) today announced Montana is now eligible to apply for the first Regional Tech Hub selection window, which opened today and runs through August 15. This funding will be awarded by the Department of Commerce and will come from the Senator’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.   

Successful applications in this first phase will lead to Montana’s designation as a Regional Tech Hub along with approximately $500,000 in development funds. The Tech Hub designation will also open the door for Montana to compete for tens of millions in implementation funds later this year.

“Too many people in Washington have no idea about the untapped potential of rural America,” said Tester. “We’ve got universities and small businesses in Montana working on cutting edge research and development who have the potential to move the needle when it comes to strengthening our position as the world’s leading military and economic power. That’s why I’m working with folks across Montana to bring a Regional Tech Hub to Big Sky Country.”

Information about the first phase of Tech Hub selection can be found HERE. Applications are open and are due by August 15th.

Tester has led the charge to bring a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub to Montana. In March, Tester urged the Biden Administration to consider feedback from Montanans on why the state should be selected for a rural Tech Hub. And in February, Tester hosted a roundtable at Missoula College to discuss next steps for securing a regional Montana Technology and Innovation Hub, and the innovation and economic growth it would bring to the state.

Last year, Congress passed the bipartisan CHIPS Act that will invest in high-tech manufacturing across the country, strengthen technology supply chains, and bolster development of cutting-edge research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Tester was the only member of the Montana congressional delegation to serve on the conference committee that negotiated the bill.

Among Tester’s key achievements in negotiating the legislation were provisions that establish Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs in key areas across the country. He championed an amendment to ensure that a rural state like Montana will have an opportunity to secure Tech Hub funding, which could ultimately bring hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal funding to the state.

Original source can be found here.