Indiana Ag Connection - SBA Names Makerspace Training, Collaboration, Hiring Pilot Winners

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SBA Names Makerspace Training, Collaboration, Hiring Pilot Winners
Indiana Ag Connection - 08/21/2019

Tuesday, the U.S. Small Business Administration Acting Administrator Chris Pilkerton announced the winners of the Makerspace Training, Collaboration and Hiring (MaTCH) Pilot Competition. The SBA awarded $1 million in prize money to competition winners.

"It is my privilege to announce the 12 winners of the SBA' s MaTCH Pilot Competition. The MaTCH competition is a testament to the SBA's commitment to identifying employment opportunities and supporting small business' workforce recruitment and retention," said Pilkerton. "Makerspaces are uniquely positioned to help innovate training for the workforces of today and tomorrow, and spur economic development across the country. Through the MaTCH competition, the winners will be able to directly support vocational education, develop apprenticeships, and cultivate access to entrepreneurship. In addition, I am pleased to note that multiple winners are located in Opportunity Zones where job creation and investments are moving forward to revitalize communities."

The SBA's MaTCH Pilot Competition awarded grants according to the following tiers:

Seed: up to $25,000 will be awarded to seed small workforce development programs.

Proof of Principle: up to $100,000 will be awarded to grow programs with a proven history of training and/or workforce development.

Scale: up to $200,000 will be awarded for capacity building of successful existing programs with a strong history of training and/or workforce development. This winner would also have graduated participants in at least two training cycles.

One of the Proof of Principle winners was RUCKUS Makerspace in Indianapolis which received $100,000.

The RUCKUS Makerspace operates in the North Mass Ave Industrial Corridor in a designated Opportunity Zone, and serves as a place for artists, small manufacturers, and makers to utilize shared working space, individual working space, and shared tools and equipment. RUCKUS will use its award from SBA's MaTCH competition to provide dedicated training such as one-on-one professional coaching, interpersonal coaching, and job placement services to complement day-to-day job skills training.

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