CalOSBA will designate and award a total of ten proposals to incubate and/or accelerate technology and science-based firms in underserved regions and communities. The official designation as an iHub2 will be a 5-year agreement with the State of California. CalOSBA will award each designated iHub2 $250,000 to build and expand programs during the first year of operation.
CalOSBA will designate and award a total of ten (10) proposals to serve as California’s as an iHub2 to incubate and/or accelerate technology and science-based firms in underserved regions and communities, including women and people of color. The official designation as an iHub2 will be a 5-year agreement with the State of California. CalOSBA will award each designated iHub2 $250,000 to build and expand programs during the first year of operation. These financial one-year awards for each iHub2 will total $2.5 Million.
Building on the strengths of the clustered regional model, CalOSBA launched the California Inclusive Innovation Hub program (iHub2) with a new focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. The iHub2 program will accelerate technology and science-based firms in key industry areas with a strong outreach focus on diverse founders, including women and people of color, and on underserved geographies and regions.
iHub2 will encourage regions to build upon their existing or emerging innovation resources and local industry concentrations to create activity hubs, promote technology transfer and assist nascent companies with layered support and partnerships. Additionally, iHub2 will serve as a bridge between local innovation ecosystems and state technical assistance, resources, and networks to support the success of the program. CalOSBA is available to provide technical application assistance via e-mail at osba@gobiz.ca.gov. The deadline to submit an application is November 15, 2021 at 12 PM PST.