Build Back Better

The Build Back Better Challenge provides transformational investments to develop and strengthen regional industry clusters, all while embracing equitable economic growth, creating good-paying jobs, and enhancing U.S. global competitiveness.

The Southern New Hampshire BioFabrication Cluster proposal, led by the City of Manchester, was selected from over 500 applicants and 60 finalists to be awarded a Phase 2 Build Back Better Grant. Coalition partners include the City of Manchester, the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, the University of New Hampshire, Southern New Hampshire University and Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission. The total award is $56,542,521, bringing $43,999,995 in federal funding from the Economic Development Administration [EDA] to the area with $12,542,521 in matching funds provided by coalition and industry partners.

The goal of this funding is to make Manchester the epicenter of the biofabrication industry, and it builds on previous federal investments in ARMI | BioFab USA. As the manufacturing base in biofabrication grows, a significant portion of the jobs created will be for non-degreed, biofabrication and quality technicians. The coalition’s efforts are estimated to create ~7,000 direct jobs and ~37,250 total jobs across Southern New Hampshire over the next seven years. To make sure residents are not left behind as the industry grows, the largest programmatic funding is allocated to removing barriers and providing pathways to good-paying jobs to local workers, especially those from low-income households, veterans, and other underrepresented or underemployed groups.