Opportunity Information: Apply for I62012
Apply for I62012
- The Economic Development Administration in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2012 i6 CHALLENGE" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.307 Economic Adjustment Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2012 and posted on Jun 12, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 20, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Pursuant to section 3 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3122) (PWEDA) (42 U.S.C. 3122) and EDA s regulation at 13 C.F.R. 300.3, only the following types of entities are eligible to receive funding assistance from EDA 1. District Organizations (as defined in 13 C.F.R. 300.3) 2. Indian Tribes or a consortium of Indian Tribes 3. States, cities, or other political subdivisions 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. Institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education or 5. Public or private non profit organizations or associations acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state. EDA cannot provide grants directly or indirectly to individuals or to for profit entities.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2012 i6 Challenge (Funding Opportunity Number I62012) was a competitive federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to spur innovation-led economic development. The program was designed to encourage bold, practical strategies that could measurably expand innovation, speed up commercialization, and increase new enterprise formation across the United States. Rather than funding general research or isolated startup activity, the focus was on building durable regional capacity: applicants were asked to propose strong, scalable approaches that connect ideas to market outcomes and translate innovation into local job creation and economic growth.
At the core of the 2012 i6 Challenge was the creation of Proof of Concept Centers. These centers were envisioned as structured programs inside eligible organizations that help promising technologies, inventions, or innovative concepts move from early-stage development toward real-world application. In practice, a Proof of Concept Center typically provides a mix of targeted resources such as technical validation, prototyping support, market assessment, customer discovery, early-stage commercialization planning, and mentorship. The goal EDA emphasized was not just producing inventions, but building repeatable processes that routinely identify innovations, de-risk them, and push them toward adoption or commercialization. Proposals were also expected to strengthen networks that link universities, government, industry, investors, and entrepreneurship support organizations so that regional stakeholders can reliably turn innovation into companies, products, services, or implemented solutions that benefit the local economy.
This opportunity was discretionary and offered funding through grants and cooperative agreements, reflecting EDA's interest in both funding strong proposals and remaining actively engaged with awardees where appropriate. The funding activity category was framed around regional development, specifically "innovative economic development through Proof of Concept Centers." EDA anticipated making about six awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $6,000,000 and an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning applicants needed to bring non-federal resources to the table as part of their overall project financing plan, consistent with EDA's standard approach of leveraging federal dollars to attract additional investment and ensure local commitment.
Eligibility was limited to specific entity types authorized under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA) and EDA regulations at 13 C.F.R. 300.3. Eligible applicants included EDA District Organizations; federally recognized Indian Tribes (or consortia of Tribes); states, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions (including special purpose units engaged in economic or infrastructure development); institutions of higher education (public or private, including consortia); and public or private nonprofit organizations or associations, provided they act in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state. The announcement also listed common categories such as city or township governments, county governments, state governments, tribal governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits, with the latter excluding institutions of higher education). EDA explicitly noted that it could not provide grants directly or indirectly to individuals or to for-profit entities, reinforcing that the program was intended to fund public-purpose or nonprofit-led regional economic development initiatives rather than private companies.
Key dates for the solicitation show that the opportunity was posted on June 12, 2012, originally due July 13, 2012, and later extended to a current closing date of July 20, 2012, with an archive date of August 12, 2012. The program was associated with CFDA number 11.307 (Economic Adjustment Assistance), which is EDA's broader umbrella for investments that help regions adjust to economic disruptions and build new competitive advantages, including through innovation and entrepreneurship.
For applicant support, EDA provided an email contact (i6@eda.gov) for questions or for assistance accessing the full announcement. Overall, the 2012 i6 Challenge can be understood as a targeted federal investment meant to reward the strongest regional strategies for building Proof of Concept capacity and the surrounding commercialization and entrepreneurship networks needed to convert innovation into sustained local economic development.
2012 i6 Challenge (Funding Opportunity Number I62012) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2012 i6 Challenge (I62012)?
The 2012 i6 Challenge was a competitive federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to spur innovation-led economic development. It focused on practical, scalable regional strategies that could expand innovation, speed up commercialization, and increase new enterprise formation across the United States.
What was the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The main goal was to build durable regional capacity that reliably connects ideas to market outcomes, translating innovation into local job creation and economic growth. The program emphasized repeatable processes and strong networks rather than isolated research projects or standalone startup activity.
What types of projects did EDA want to fund?
EDA sought proposals centered on creating Proof of Concept Centers within eligible organizations. These centers were intended to help promising technologies, inventions, or innovative concepts move from early-stage development toward real-world application, adoption, or commercialization.
What is a Proof of Concept Center in the context of this program?
A Proof of Concept Center is a structured program designed to identify promising innovations, reduce technical and market risk, and move concepts closer to real-world use or commercialization. EDA described these centers as a way to build repeatable systems that routinely advance innovations toward market outcomes.
What kinds of activities could a Proof of Concept Center support?
Based on the opportunity description, typical activities included technical validation, prototyping support, market assessment, customer discovery, early-stage commercialization planning, and mentorship.
Was this program intended to fund general research?
No. The program was not described as funding general research. The emphasis was on building regional capacity and practical commercialization pathways that connect innovations to outcomes like companies, products, services, implemented solutions, job creation, and economic growth.
Was this program intended to fund individual startups or entrepreneurs directly?
No. EDA explicitly noted it could not provide grants directly or indirectly to individuals or to for-profit entities. The opportunity was designed to support public-purpose or nonprofit-led regional economic development initiatives.
What funding mechanisms were used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The opportunity offered funding through grants and cooperative agreements. This reflected EDA's interest in supporting strong proposals and, where appropriate, remaining actively engaged with awardees.
What was the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category was framed around regional development, specifically "innovative economic development through Proof of Concept Centers."
How many awards did EDA expect to make?
EDA anticipated making about six awards.
How much total funding was available under the program?
The estimated total program funding level was $6,000,000.
What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was $1,000,000 per award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning applicants needed to bring non-federal resources as part of the overall project financing plan. This aligns with EDA's approach of leveraging federal dollars to attract additional investment and demonstrate local commitment.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to entity types authorized under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA) and EDA regulations at 13 C.F.R. 300.3. Eligible applicants included:
- EDA District Organizations
- Federally recognized Indian Tribes (or consortia of Tribes)
- States, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions (including special purpose units engaged in economic or infrastructure development)
- Institutions of higher education (public or private, including consortia)
- Public or private nonprofit organizations or associations, provided they act in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state
Are universities and colleges eligible?
Yes. Institutions of higher education (public or private) were listed as eligible, including consortia of institutions.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Public or private nonprofit organizations or associations were eligible, as long as they act in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state. The announcement also referenced nonprofit categories including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits (with non-501(c)(3) eligibility excluding institutions of higher education).
Are city, county, and state governments eligible?
Yes. The eligible applicant types included states, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions, and the announcement listed common government categories such as city or township governments, county governments, and state governments.
Are Tribal governments eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Indian Tribes (or consortia of Tribes) were eligible applicants, and the opportunity also referenced tribal government categories.
Are for-profit companies eligible to apply?
No. EDA stated it could not provide grants directly or indirectly to for-profit entities under this opportunity.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. EDA stated it could not provide grants directly or indirectly to individuals.
What kinds of partnerships or networks were encouraged?
Proposals were expected to strengthen networks linking universities, government, industry, investors, and entrepreneurship support organizations so regional stakeholders could more reliably turn innovation into companies, products, services, or implemented solutions that benefit the local economy.
What were the key dates for this solicitation?
The opportunity was posted on June 12, 2012. The original due date was July 13, 2012, and it was extended to a closing date of July 20, 2012. The archive date was August 12, 2012.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The program was associated with CFDA number 11.307 (Economic Adjustment Assistance).
How does CFDA 11.307 relate to this opportunity?
CFDA 11.307 is EDA's broader umbrella for investments that help regions adjust to economic disruptions and build new competitive advantages, including through innovation and entrepreneurship. The 2012 i6 Challenge was positioned within this broader Economic Adjustment Assistance framework.
Who should applicants contact with questions?
EDA provided the email address i6@eda.gov for questions or for assistance accessing the full announcement.
What was EDA trying to achieve beyond individual project results?
EDA emphasized building durable, scalable, and repeatable regional processes and networks that can consistently identify innovations, reduce risk, and push them toward adoption or commercialization, resulting in sustained local economic development.
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