Press Room May 2012

Comment Submission Period is Closed.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) publishes this notice regarding the petition received on January 11, 2012 from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) requesting formal designation of Arab-Americans as a minority group that is socially or economically disadvantaged pursuant to 15 CFR Part 1400.

The Obama Administration today announced a $26 million multi-agency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge to foster innovation-fueled job creation through public-private partnerships. These coordinated investments will help catalyze and leverage private capital, build an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and promote cluster-based development in regions across the United States. This is the third round of the Jobs Accelerator competition, which is being funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); the U.S. Department of Energy; the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration; the Small Business Administration; and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“This $26 million Accelerator Challenge is yet another example of the Obama Administration’s commitment to supporting American manufacturers in building things here and selling them everywhere,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson. “We are so pleased to join with our federal agency partners to further strengthen the American manufacturing sector, which creates high quality, good paying jobs. Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has a strong record of investing in regional innovation clusters that foster the job creation and business development crucial to an economy that is built to last. This Challenge further bolsters our efforts and builds on the momentum we have seen in the manufacturing sector in recent months, including the 489,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs that have been added since January 2010.”

Advanced manufacturing is critical to the health of the national economy and provides essential goods and equipment directly to consumers as well as to a wide range of industries, including the energy production, agriculture, medical and computing industries, and the security and intelligence sectors.

$26 Million Multi-Agency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge

The Obama Administration announces a $26 million Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, the Small Business Administration, and the National Science Foundation. This initiative will assist the development and implementation of regionally-driven economic development strategies that support advanced manufacturing and cluster development. In addition to the six partnering agencies, the initiative will leverage technical assistance from up to eight other Federal agencies.

The federal government issued on May 9 a solicitation for proposals from teams led by non-profit organizations or universities to establish an Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which would serve as a pilot—or proof-of-concept prototype—for President Obama's proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).

Agency Makes $7.9 Million Available for Six New MBDA Business Centers in States with Large Native American and Alaska Native Populations

Washington, DC  (May 11, 2012) - The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced a competitive solicitation for applications from prospective candidates to operate six new MBDA Business Centers in states with significant Native American or Alaska Native populations, including: Alaska, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and North Dakota or South Dakota. The successful applicants will join a network of more than 30 MBDA Business Centers across the United States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

“Today’s announcement is an example of the Obama Administration’s commitment to supporting business development and job creation in Indian country,” said David A. Hinson, National Director of MBDA. “The new MBDA Business Centers will help leverage the growth of Native American and Alaska Native owned firms to continue fueling our Nation’s economy.”