This is an edited (a lot of guff-filled quotes removed) press release from the U.S. Commerce Department:

Today (Friday, Sept. 2) President Biden will announce the BioFabrication Cluster as one of 21 winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the most impactful regional economic development competition in decades. Funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Regional Challenge is awarding approximately $44 million in grants to the BioFabrication Cluster, led by the City of Manchester, to establish a biofabrication cluster in Southern New Hampshire.

This project will create jobs in the biomedical manufacturing field while establishing Southern New Hampshire as the global epicenter for the production and distribution of regenerative tissues and organs. Coalition projects include developing a facility suitable for scaled production of cells, tissues, and organs, creating a business accelerator, establishing a cluster work-and-learn program, and building pilot stations for a logistics network to be used for future organ distribution. It will also ensure that the benefits from this program are directed to underserved communities in New Hampshire.

“The BioFabrication Cluster will enhance U.S. competitiveness, establish Southern New Hampshire as a global leader in the industry, and ensure a strong, regional economy for the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

The BioFabrication Cluster is one of 21 winners – each a regional coalition of partnering entities – that will receive awards between $25 million and $65 million to implement an average of six projects that together will enable each region’s economic transformation and competitiveness. 

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) is a competitive federal grant program that provides each regional coalition with significant investments to tackle a wide variety of projects – including entrepreneurial support, workforce development, infrastructure, and innovation – to drive inclusive economic growth. Projects span 24 states and include $87 million to two primarily Tribal coalitions and over $150 million for projects serving communities impacted by the declining use of coal. 

The 21 BBBRC awardees were chosen from 60 EDA-designated finalists that each received approximately $500,000 in funding and technical assistance to continue developing their cluster strategies. The funding for each coalition is approximate, with awards to be signed later in September. Those 60 finalists were chosen from a Phase 1 applicant pool of 529 applications, which exemplifies the tremendous demand for transformational economic development approaches. EDA will continue to support all 60 finalists with the creation of a Community of Practice that will provide technical support, foster connectedness with peer regions and build capacity.

. EDA was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding under the American Rescue Plan to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. Grantees for EDA’s full suite of American Rescue Plan programs will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.eda.gov/ARPA/.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.