FYI

September 4, 2008

Southern economic development group seeks award nominees

The Southern Growth Policies Board is now accepting nominations for its 2009 Innovator Awards, which recognize initiatives that promote economic opportunities and quality of life in the American South. One award will be given to an organization in each of SGPB's member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

To be eligible for the 2009 awards, nominees must:

•  Foster economic opportunities in bio-products, alternative energy and/or energy efficiency
•  Encourage economic opportunities beyond commercialization of a single product
•  Be unique and innovative
•  Have a proven track record or reliable predictors of future success

Ideally, nominated initiatives also should include at least one of these characteristics:

•  Innovative use of technology for energy conservation and/or efficiency
•  Cross-industry collaboration
•  Technology transfer or commercialization
•  Preparation of workers for green-collar jobs
•  Replicability by other organizations or areas

Special consideration will be given to initiatives that include local, regional or global partnerships among public, private, government or nonprofit organizations, or colleges or other institutions of higher learning.

Nominations are due by Friday, Oct. 17. For more information or to fill out an online nomination form, visit http://southern.org/.

In the August NBIA Review:

	Weathering the storm In light of the recent economic downturn, many business incubator managers — particularly those who have guided programs through previous recessions — are taking steps to help their programs weather the storm. Learn how several experienced managers say incubators can (and should) prepare themselves for tough economic times.
	Tips for creating effective stakeholder reports It's important for incubators to communicate information about their challenges, successes and activities to those with a vested interest in the program. One of the best ways to do that is via a stakeholder report. See what other programs have done to create educational, inspirational reports.
	In the works: An update of Best Practices in Action NBIA is updating and expanding its landmark publication on outstanding business incubation practices.
	Enjoy laid-back learning in New Orleans at Fall Training Institute New Orleans is known for its laid-back approach to living. The same could be said for NBIA's annual Fall Training Institute, which offers a relaxed and intimate learning environment. So it's fitting that the 18th Fall Training Institute will march into New Orleans Oct. 13-15.
	NBIA welcomes new board members The NBIA Board of Directors will welcome several new members in October during the board's first meeting of the 2009 fiscal year. See who's new and who's returning.
	Presenting NBIA's 2008 Incubation Award Winners Be inspired by the outstanding programs, clients and graduates honored with the 2008 NBIA Incubation Awards.
	Members solution network How the local economy affects incubator applications The worst mistake I ever made "My star client became an alcoholic and a drug addict!"
	Spotlight on Practice A Florida university creates a network of incubation programs … a Texas program opens a new facility for clients in medicine, pharmaceuticals and life science
Coming soon: New industry impact data NBIA will be partnering with the University of Michigan, the University at Albany-SUNY and Cybergroup over the coming year to collect updated information about the economic impact of business incubation and business incubation best practices. In June, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the group $250,000 for a yearlong project to create tools to help incubator managers measure their program’s performance and evaluate their compliance with industry best practices. This effort marks our first examination of industry outcomes since the 1997 release of Business Incubation Works and our first attempt to demonstrate concretely whether adherence to best practices leads to better results. Watch for more details about the project in the October issue of NBIA Review. If you haven’t been collecting economic impact data on your program, it’s not too late to start: Visit www.nbia.org/impact/ to access Measuring Your Business Incubator’s Economic Impact: A Toolkit today!