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(b) The corporation may solicit applications for financial assistance from and
15provide financial assistance to businesses headquartered in this state, or coalitions
16of such businesses or of such businesses and institutions of higher education, for the
17development or deployment of a new technology, component, system, or process to
18solve or significantly improve upon a problem identified under par. (a).
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(c) The financial assistance under par. (b) shall be provided from the
20appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t). In providing the financial assistance, the
21corporation shall give priority to applicants that, in the corporation's opinion,
22present the most compelling potential solution to the problem and the most credible
23business case for eventually marketing a solution that solves or significantly
24improves upon the problem and that demonstrates a potential to increase jobs in this
25state or reduce costs to the state or a political subdivision of the state.
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1(3) Maximizing the impact of financial assistance. Using available and
2feasible mechanisms, such as matching funds, the corporation shall undertake to
3maximize the impact of financial assistance provided under this section with the
4understanding that financial assistance provided under this section might not
5immediately result in the development of a marketable technology, component,
6system, or process but that the financial assistance is an important contribution to
7future innovation and manufacturing growth in this state and an important method
8of fostering a culture of private sector collaboration and innovation.
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9238.43 New product research and development. (1)
Definition. In this
10section, “early stage business” means a business that satisfies s. 238.15 (1) (a) to (g),
11(k), (kn), and (L), and for which all of the following are true at the time the business
12receives financial assistance under this section, as determined by the corporation:
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(a) The business has less than 100 employees.
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(b) The business has been in operation in this state for not more than 10
15consecutive years.
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(c) The business has not received aggregate private equity investment in cash
17of more than $10,000,000.
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18(2) Financial assistance. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t),
19the corporation may provide financial assistance to early stage businesses for the
20purpose of facilitating rapid prototype development and pilot testing of potentially
21marketable new technologies, components, or products.
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(b) The corporation may provide financial assistance to an early stage business
23under this section only if the early stage business is a member of an industry cluster
24partnership and agrees to consult with the industry cluster partnership concerning
25the early stage business's use of the financial assistance provided.
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1(3) Maximizing the impact of financial assistance. Using available and
2feasible mechanisms, such as matching funds, the corporation shall undertake to
3maximize the impact of financial assistance provided under this section with the
4understanding that financial assistance provided under this section might not
5immediately result in the development of a marketable technology, component, or
6product but that the financial assistance is an important contribution to future
7innovation and manufacturing and technology growth in this state and an important
8method of fostering a culture of private sector collaboration and innovation.
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9238.44 Capacity building through industry cluster partnerships. (1) 10Contract application. Any industry cluster partnership in this state may apply for
11a contract under this section. In addition to any other information the corporation
12requires, the application shall include a business plan for the applicant that sets
13forth measurable economic development and business-related goals and the specific
14programming the applicant intends to implement to achieve those goals. The
15business plan shall demonstrate to the corporation's satisfaction how the applicant
16plans to be without need of corporation assistance within 10 years after first
17receiving financial assistance under a contract under this section.
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18(2) Financial assistance. From the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t), the
19corporation may provide financial assistance to industry cluster partnerships
20subject to contracts under this section. The corporation may not enter into more than
21one contract per industry under this section each year.
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22(3) Award of contract; termination. (a) Subject to pars. (b) to (f), the
23corporation may award a contract under this section only to an industry cluster
24partnership that submits an application under sub. (1) and for which the corporation
25has evaluated all of the following:
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11. Evidence that the industry cluster partnership will strongly support the
2further development of existing regional concentrations of industry-specific
3businesses in this state.
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2. Evidence that the industry cluster partnership has raised funding or funding
5commitments from sources other than the corporation and the state that equal at
6least 10 percent of the annual amount of financial assistance the industry cluster
7partnership is requesting from the corporation, as determined by the corporation.
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(b) The corporation may not contract under this section with an industry
9cluster partnership unless the industry cluster partnership is headquartered in this
10state.
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(c) The corporation may not contract under this section with an industry cluster
12partnership unless the industry cluster partnership is governed by a board of
13directors with members from the public and private sectors who represent the
14businesses within the applicable industry, including businesses in the industry
15cluster partnership, and who represent the interests necessary to ensure a
16collaborative, strategic approach to supporting economic development, job growth,
17and the development of marketable products and services in the applicable industry.
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(d) The corporation may not contract under this section with more than one
19industry cluster partnership per industry at one time, unless every other industry
20cluster partnership in that industry with which the corporation is under contract is
21materially underperforming and the corporation determines that the public interest
22requires contracting with another industry cluster partnership within that industry.
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(e) If the corporation has more than one application pending under this section
24from industry cluster partnerships in the same industry, the corporation shall
25contract with the industry cluster partnership that the corporation determines is
1likely to have the greatest overall impact on economic development in this state
2within the applicable industry. In making that determination, and in making all
3competitive funding decisions under this section, the corporation shall give
4preference to the industry cluster partnership that best satisfies all of the following
5conditions:
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1. Has demonstrated strength in academic and industry relationships.
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2. Has strong leadership from the applicable industry on its board of directors.
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3. Was previously subject to a contract under this subsection, provided the
9industry cluster partnership met the goals outlined in the business plan submitted
10under sub. (1) and otherwise completed the contract to the corporation's satisfaction.
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(f) Each contract under this section shall provide, in addition to other bases for
12contract termination, that the corporation may terminate the contract if the industry
13cluster partnership fails to make satisfactory progress, as determined by the
14corporation, toward the goals outlined in the industry cluster partnership's business
15plan. Before terminating a contract for lack of such satisfactory progress, the
16corporation shall provide the industry cluster partnership notice of the pending
17termination and an opportunity to cure.
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18238.45 Accelerators and small business innovation. The corporation may
19expend moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (t) to partially fund any
20of the following:
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21(1) Any financial assistance that the corporation provides under a program the
22corporation administers to support business accelerators in this state.
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23(2) Any financial assistance that the corporation provides to match or partially
24match grants made by the federal small business administration or under the federal
25Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
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1238.46 Prioritization of funds. If the corporation determines that the
2amounts appropriated under s. 20.192 (1) (t) are not sufficient to fund all program
3activities under ss. 238.42 to 238.45 to the extent the corporation believes is
4necessary to accomplish its strategic economic development objectives under this
5subchapter, the corporation shall give priority to the program activities under ss.
6238.43 to 238.45.
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7238.47 Regulatory fast track. If an eligible regulatory applicant requires a
8permit or other approval of a state agency for activities related to the potential
9development and deployment of a new technology, component, product, system, or
10process, including field testing potentially marketable new technologies,
11implementing new technologies or products in a pilot project, or completing projects
12consistent with the economic development goals of the applicable industry cluster
13partnership, the state agency shall provide priority, expedited service to the eligible
14regulatory applicant to ensure that the agency's determination concerning the
15permit or approval is made as quickly as practicable and, in any event, no later than
1690 days after a complete application or request for the permit or approval is received
17by the agency. The state agency shall appoint a single point of contact within the
18agency to receive communications from the applicant and manage the approval
19process. To the maximum extent possible under the state agency's authority with
20respect to the required approval, the agency shall seek to facilitate the rapid
21approval and successful execution of the requested activities.
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22238.48 Operational or administrative costs. (1) The corporation shall
23cover its initial program operations and administrative expenses under this
24subchapter from the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (r).
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1(2) If the corporation determines that the amount provided under s. 20.192 (1)
2(t) 1., 2., 3., or 4. is not sufficient to cover the corporation's actual general program
3operations and administrative expenses under this subchapter for a fiscal year, the
4corporation may notify the joint committee on finance in writing that the corporation
5proposes to exceed that amount for those purposes. That notice shall state the
6specific amount of additional moneys from the fund that the corporation proposes to
7use for general program operations and administrative expenses and the
8corporation's reasons supporting its determination that its expenditure of that
9additional amount is necessary for those purposes. If, within 14 working days after
10the date of that notice, the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the
11corporation that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's
12proposal, the corporation may expend the additional amount as proposed in the
13corporation's notice. If, within 14 working days after the date of that notice, the
14cochairpersons of the committee notify the corporation that the committee has
15scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's proposal, the corporation may
16expend the additional amount only upon approval of the committee.