AB640,10,10 6238.42 Innovation through competition. (1) Local challenges. (a) The
7corporation, in collaboration with the council, may identify local problems affecting
8one or more regions within the state that, in the corporation's opinion, are susceptible
9to being solved over time through private sector innovation and the development and
10use of new technologies, components, systems, or processes.
AB640,10,1511 (b) The corporation may solicit grant applications from and award grants to
12businesses headquartered in this state, or coalitions of such businesses or of such
13businesses and institutions of higher education, for the development or deployment
14of a new technology, component, system, or process to solve or significantly improve
15upon a local problem identified under par. (a).
AB640,10,2216 (c) Each grant under par. (b) shall be made from the appropriation under s.
1720.192 (1) (t). In awarding the grants, the corporation shall give priority to
18applicants that, in the corporation's opinion, present the most compelling potential
19solution to the problem and the most credible business case for eventually marketing
20a solution that solves or significantly improves upon the problem and that
21demonstrates a potential to increase jobs in this state or reduce costs to the state or
22a political subdivision of the state.
AB640,11,2 23(2) Grand challenges. (a) The corporation may identify problems affecting
24a significant portion of the state or nation that, in the corporation's opinion, are

1susceptible to being solved over time through private sector innovation and the
2development and use of new technologies, components, systems, or processes.
AB640,11,73 (b) The corporation may solicit grant applications from and award grants to
4businesses headquartered in this state, or coalitions of such businesses or of such
5businesses and institutions of higher education, for the development or deployment
6of a new technology, component, system, or process to solve or significantly improve
7upon a problem identified under par. (a).
AB640,11,148 (c) Each grant under par. (b) shall made be from the appropriation under s.
920.192 (1) (t). In awarding the grants, the corporation shall give priority to
10applicants that, in the corporation's opinion, present the most compelling potential
11solution to the problem and the most credible business case for eventually marketing
12a solution that solves or significantly improves upon the problem and that
13demonstrates a potential to increase jobs in this state or reduce costs to the state or
14a political subdivision of the state.
AB640,11,21 15(3) Maximizing grant funds. Using available and feasible mechanisms, such
16as matching funds, the corporation shall undertake to maximize the impact of grants
17awarded under this section with the understanding that many grants under this
18section might not immediately result in the development of a marketable technology,
19component, system, or process but that the grants are an important contribution to
20future innovation and manufacturing growth in this state and an important method
21of fostering a culture of private sector collaboration and innovation.
AB640,11,24 22238.43 New product research and development. (1) Definition. In this
23section, “early stage business” means a business that satisfies all of the following
24conditions:
AB640,11,2525 (a) The business satisfies s. 238.15 (1) (a) to (g), (k), (kn), and (L).
AB640,12,2
1(b) At the time it receives a grant under this section, the business has less than
2100 employees.
AB640,12,43 (c) At the time it receives a grant under this section, the business has been in
4operation in this state for not more than 10 consecutive years.
AB640,12,65 (d) The business has not received aggregate private equity investment in cash
6of more than $10,000,000 before it receives a grant under this section.
AB640,12,10 7(2) Grants. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t), the corporation
8may make grants to early stage businesses for the purpose of facilitating rapid
9prototype development and pilot testing of potentially marketable new technologies,
10components, or products.
AB640,12,1411 (b) The corporation may make a grant to an early stage business under this
12section only if the early stage business is a member of an industry cluster partnership
13and agrees to consult with the industry cluster partnership concerning expenditures
14of the grant moneys.
AB640,12,21 15(3) Maximizing grant funds. Using available and feasible mechanisms, such
16as matching funds, the corporation shall undertake to maximize the impact of grants
17awarded under this section with the understanding that many grants under this
18section might not immediately result in the development of a marketable technology,
19component, or product but that the grants are an important contribution to future
20innovation and manufacturing and technology growth in this state and an important
21method of fostering a culture of private sector collaboration and innovation.
AB640,13,5 22238.44 Capacity building through industry cluster partnerships. (1)
23Contract application. Any industry cluster partnership in this state may apply for
24a contract under this section. In addition to any other information the corporation
25requires, the application shall include a business plan for the applicant that sets

1forth measurable economic development and business-related goals and the specific
2programming the applicant intends to implement to achieve those goals. The
3business plan shall demonstrate to the corporation's satisfaction how the applicant
4plans to be without need of corporation funding within 10 years after first receiving
5a payment under a contract under this section.
AB640,13,9 6(2) Contract payments. From the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t), the
7corporation may make payments to industry cluster partnerships subject to
8contracts under this section. The corporation may not enter into more than one
9contract per industry under this section each year.
AB640,13,13 10(3) Award of contract; termination. (a) Subject to pars. (b) to (f), the
11corporation may award a contract under this section only to an industry cluster
12partnership that submits an application under sub. (1) and for which the corporation
13has evaluated all of the following:
AB640,13,1614 1. Evidence that the industry cluster partnership will strongly support the
15further development of existing regional concentrations of industry-specific
16businesses in this state.
AB640,13,2017 2. Evidence that the industry cluster partnership has raised funding or funding
18commitments from sources other than the corporation and the state that equal at
19least 10 percent of the annual amount the industry cluster partnership is requesting
20from the corporation.
AB640,13,2321 (b) The corporation may not contract under this section with an industry
22cluster partnership unless the industry cluster partnership is headquartered in this
23state.
AB640,14,524 (c) The corporation may not contract under this section with an industry cluster
25partnership unless the industry cluster partnership is governed by a board of

1directors with members from the public and private sectors who represent the
2businesses within the applicable industry, including businesses in the industry
3cluster partnership, and who represent the interests necessary to ensure a
4collaborative, strategic approach to supporting economic development, job growth,
5and the development of marketable products and services in the applicable industry.
AB640,14,106 (d) The corporation may not contract under this section with more than one
7industry cluster partnership per industry at one time, unless every other industry
8cluster partnership in that industry with which the corporation is under contract is
9materially underperforming and the corporation determines that the public interest
10requires contracting with another industry cluster partnership within that industry.
AB640,14,1811 (e) If the corporation has more than one application pending under this section
12from industry cluster partnerships in the same industry, the corporation shall
13contract with the industry cluster partnership that the corporation determines is
14likely to have the greatest overall impact on economic development in this state
15within the applicable industry. In making that determination, and in making all
16competitive funding decisions under this section, the corporation shall give
17preference to the industry cluster partnership that best satisfies all of the following
18conditions:
AB640,14,1919 1. Has demonstrated strength in academic and industry relationships.
AB640,14,2020 2. Has strong leadership from the applicable industry on its board of directors.
AB640,14,2321 3. Was previously subject to a contract under this subsection, provided the
22industry cluster partnership met the goals outlined in the business plan submitted
23under sub. (1) and otherwise completed the contract to the corporation's satisfaction.
AB640,15,524 (f) Each contract under this section shall provide, in addition to other bases for
25contract termination, that the corporation may terminate the contract if the industry

1cluster partnership fails to make satisfactory progress, as determined by the
2corporation, toward the goals outlined in the industry cluster partnership's business
3plan. Before terminating a contract for lack of such satisfactory progress, the
4corporation shall provide the industry cluster partnership notice of the pending
5termination and an opportunity to cure.
AB640,15,8 6238.45 Accelerators and small business innovation. The corporation may
7expend moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t) to partially fund any
8of the following:
AB640,15,10 9(1) Any grant that the corporation provides under a program the corporation
10administers to support business accelerators in this state.
AB640,15,13 11(2) Any grant that the corporation provides to match or partially match grants
12made by the federal small business administration or under the federal Small
13Business Technology Transfer Program.
AB640,15,19 14238.46 Prioritization of funds. If the corporation determines that the
15amounts appropriated under s. 20.192 (1) (t) are not sufficient to fund all program
16activities under ss. 238.42 to 238.45 to the extent the corporation believes is
17necessary to accomplish its strategic economic development objectives under this
18subchapter, the corporation shall give priority to the program activities under ss.
19238.43 to 238.45.
AB640,16,9 20238.47 Regulatory fast track. If an eligible regulatory applicant requires a
21permit or other approval of a state agency for activities related to the potential
22development and deployment of a new technology, component, product, system, or
23process, including field testing potentially marketable new technologies,
24implementing new technologies or products in a pilot project, or completing projects
25consistent with the economic development goals of the applicable industry cluster

1partnership, the state agency shall provide priority, expedited service to the eligible
2regulatory applicant to ensure that the agency's determination concerning the
3permit or approval is made as quickly as practicable and, in any event, no later than
490 days after a complete application or request for the permit or approval is received
5by the agency. The state agency shall appoint a single point of contact within the
6agency to receive communications from the applicant and manage the approval
7process. To the maximum extent possible under the state agency's authority with
8respect to the required approval, the agency shall seek to facilitate the rapid
9approval and successful execution of the requested activities.
AB640,16,13 10238.48 Operational or administrative costs. (1) The corporation shall
11cover its initial program operations and administrative expenses under this
12subchapter from the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (r). No moneys may be
13expended under this subsection after June 30, 2018.
AB640,17,4 14(2) If the corporation determines that the amount provided under s. 20.192 (1)
15(t) 1., 2., 3., or 4. is not sufficient to cover the corporation's actual general program
16operations and administrative expenses under this subchapter for a fiscal year, the
17corporation may notify the joint committee on finance in writing that the corporation
18proposes to exceed that amount for those purposes. That notice shall state the
19specific amount of additional moneys from the fund that the corporation proposes to
20use for general program operations and administrative expenses and the
21corporation's reasons supporting its determination that its expenditure of that
22additional amount is necessary for those purposes. If, within 14 working days after
23the date of that notice, the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the
24corporation that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's
25proposal, the corporation may expend the additional amount as proposed in the

1corporation's notice. If, within 14 working days after the date of that notice, the
2cochairpersons of the committee notify the corporation that the committee has
3scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's proposal, the corporation may
4expend the additional amount only upon approval of the committee.
AB640,17,55 (End)
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