Innovate Alabama is taking a major leap in strengthening the state’s innovation and entrepreneurial landscape. The public-private partnership announced the inaugural designees of the Innovate Alabama Network: 51 organizations across 17 Alabama counties will receive $9.3 million in supporting funds.

“By providing funding and resources to our local communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions, we are developing a statewide network for innovation programming and catalyzing entrepreneurship in all of our communities, both rural and urban,” said Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield. 

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“I’m encouraged and energized to see the overwhelming response to the Innovate Alabama Network,” said Innovate Alabama Board Chairman and Alabama State Director of Finance Bill Poole.

“We have a diverse ecosystem for innovation in Alabama, so to bring all of these partners together in one place to partner and collaborate together on moving our state forward is a move in the right direction for Alabama.”

Designees from the first round of the Innovate Alabama Network include the following communities, nonprofits and higher education institutions:

Communities:

• City of Auburn
• City of Bessemer
• City of Dothan
• City of Henagar
• City of Hoover
• City of Marion
• City of Mobile
• City of Pinson
• City of Talladega
• Shelby County
• Town of Pike Road

Nonprofits:

• Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence
• Alabama Trails Foundation
• Baldwin County Community and Economic Development Foundation
• BioAlabama
• Birmingham Bound
• Birmingham Business Alliance
• Bronze Valley Foundation
• Cordova Economic Industrial Development Authority
• Ed Farm
• Economic Development Partnership of Alabama
• Hardware Park
• HBCU Cares
• Higher Education Partnership
• Innovation Depot
• Innovation Portal
• Main Street Marion
• McWane Science Center
• Montgomery Tech Lab
• Prosper Foundation
• QIE Foundation
• REV Birmingham
• Singing River Trail
• Southern Research
• Teach2Lead
• The Alabama Collective
• The Arc of Madison County
• The E-Center
• The Overton Project
• United Way of Southwest Alabama
• Venture for America

Higher Education Institutions:

• Alabama A&M University
• Alabama State University
• Auburn Lowder Center for Family and Entrepreneurship
• Drake State Community and Technical College
• Talladega College
• Trenholm State University
• Troy University
• University of Alabama
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of South Alabama

Applications for the second round of the Innovate Alabama Network are already open.