b'INLs Technology-Based Economic Development grant program promoted entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.Technology-Based Economic DevelopmentINLs Technology-Based Economic Development grant programThe Idaho Technology Council also used grant funds to support awards funding for projects aimed at spurring technology-basedIdaho Codes, a program that enables students in grades seven economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation inthrough 12 to access Coding Foundations. Courses offer 120 the region. Projects that focus on connecting industry partnershours of self-paced professional grade curriculum that helps as well as universities, startups and economic developmentstudents learn to code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This organizations driving job growth can use this funding to developprogram came along just at the right moment when teachers business plans, identify opportunities and resources, supportacross Idaho were struggling to find ways to instruct students venture capital activities and more. as classes moved online following the first COVID-19 outbreaks. Through contributions from INL and others, the course fee of Idaho Womens Business Center $200 was covered for the first 1,200 students.The Idaho National Laboratory was able to partially fund aIdaho Defense Allianceposition that enabled the Idaho Womens Business Center to hire a full-time associate director for eastern Idaho. An EasternAttracting and maintaining a skilled workforce is crucial to INL and Idaho Womens Business Center office was opened, and a ribbon- many businesses throughout Idaho. Recognizing that workers with cutting was held to celebrate the occasion. The Idaho Falls officemilitary backgrounds have much to offer area businesses, the Idaho is co-located with the Small Business Development Center at theDefense Alliance worked diligently to create an online marketing Idaho Innovation Center. forum to recruit veterans from the armed forces to work in Idaho. The organization created a strategy to target military installations Idaho Manufacturing Database throughout the United States and market Idaho jobs. Using Geo In an effort to increase coordination between manufacturersfencing capabilities, they hope to match these service members across the state of Idaho, the University of Idaho partneredwith Idaho employers. While the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak with Southwest Idaho Manufacturers Alliance to create adelayed plans to roll out the website, the plan will be implemented manufacturing database for Idaho companies. The goal ofwhen timing permits.the database is to enable Idaho manufacturers to describeButte County Economic Developmenttheir capabilities and find ways to partner on large projects. The project also provided University of Idaho students anButte County benefitted from a technology-based economic opportunity to research Idahos manufacturing industry anddevelopment grant by working through Idaho State Universitys build the database. Bengals Solutions program. Bengal Solutions was picked to perform an economic study and feasibility report for the Idaho Technology Councilcounty. A university student team was able to explore business A technology-based economic development grant was usedopportunities surrounding construction of large facilities on to fund the SPARK series by the Idaho Technology Council. Theand around INL land. The goal was to create employment and biweekly series invites Idahos technology industry experts tobusiness opportunities in the Butte County area. A main topic of share best practices and elevate Idahos technology industries inthe report was the business plan development of a large logistics this unique format. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the series wasand staging area that would enable coordinated transportation presented via videoconference but still allowed participants toand staging for large construction projects in the region.engage in discussion and learn from each other. 18'