Innovate Alabama awards $9.3 million to the inaugural designees of the Innovate Alabama Network

BIRMINGHAM, AL (October 26, 2023) – Innovate Alabama has announced the inaugural designees of the Innovate Alabama Network, a comprehensive resource to connect communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions across Alabama fostering innovation in their local footprint. Fifty-one designees in 17 Alabama counties make up the group, receiving $9.3 million in supporting funds from Innovate Alabama.

“The Innovate Alabama Network is a major step forward to growing the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in Alabama,” said Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield. “By providing funding and resources to our local communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions, we are developing a statewide network for innovation programming and catalyzing entrepreneurship in all of our communities, both rural and urban.”

By investing in these organizations who are shaping the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Innovate Alabama is driving innovation-related activities, encouraging collaboration across the state and providing vital seed funding to propel innovation forward at the community and regional level. In total, 30 nonprofit entities, 11 communities and municipalities and 10 colleges and universities received an Innovate Alabama Network Designation.

“I’m encouraged and energized to see the overwhelming response to the Innovate Alabama Network,” said Innovate Alabama Board Chairman and Alabama State Director of Finance Bill Poole. “We have a diverse ecosystem for innovation in Alabama, so to bring all of these partners together in one place to partner and collaborate together on moving our state forward is a move in the right direction for Alabama.”

Applications for the second round of the Innovate Alabama Network are now open. Any interested Alabama community, nonprofit or higher education institution can apply by 5 p.m. CT on Friday, January 5, 2024. Innovate Alabama will host a series of informational webinars and office hours through the end of the year for organizations that want to learn more about the program. To register for these sessions, visit this link.

Program guidelines have evolved since the Innovate Alabama Network was initially launched. For important key program updates and to apply to the second round of the Innovate Alabama Network, visit innovatealabama.org/innovate-alabama-network.

Designees from the first round of the Innovate Alabama Network include the following communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions:

Communities:

• City of Auburn
• City of Bessemer
• City of Dothan
• City of Henagar
• City of Hoover
• City of Marion
• City of Mobile
• City of Pinson
• City of Talladega
• Shelby County
• Town of Pike Road

Nonprofit entities:

• Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence
• Alabama Trails Foundation
• Baldwin County Community and Economic Development Foundation
• BioAlabama
• Birmingham Bound
• Birmingham Business Alliance
• Bronze Valley Foundation
• Cordova Economic Industrial Development Authority
• Ed Farm
• Economic Development Partnership of Alabama
• Hardware Park
• HBCU Cares
• Higher Education Partnership
• Innovation Depot
• Innovation Portal
• Main Street Marion
• McWane Science Center
• Montgomery Tech Lab
• Prosper Foundation
• QIE Foundation
• REV Birmingham
• Singing River Trail
• Southern Research
• Teach2Lead
• The Alabama Collective
• The Arc of Madison County
• The E-Center
• The Overton Project
• United Way of Southwest Alabama
• Venture for America

Higher Education Institutions:

• Alabama A&M University
• Alabama State University
• Auburn Lowder Center for Family and Entrepreneurship
• Drake State Community and Technical College
• Talladega College
• Trenholm State University
• Troy University
• University of Alabama
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of South Alabama

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About Innovate Alabama

Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at www.innovatealabama.org.