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TechHelp asks for small personnel increase to sustain Studio Blue workforce and manufacturing assistance
Summary
Boise State’s TechHelp described its work helping small and medium manufacturers, highlighted impact metrics and requested $5,000 for the Studio Blue director role to preserve operations as grant funding declined.
BOISE — TechHelp, a Boise State University program that provides engineering, design and manufacturing assistance to Idaho industry, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee it needs modest ongoing state support to sustain Studio Blue, its new-product-development arm.
Kevin Campbell, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, said TechHelp’s appropriation has been broadly stable around $450,000 outside of COVID-era grants. He reported TechHelp’s budget is nearly 100% personnel costs and that the program requested an additional $5,000 (0.03 FTP) in FY2026 for the Studio Blue director position as grant funding declines.
Brad McDonald, TechHelp’s executive director, described the program’s impact metrics used by the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership network: retained and new jobs, sales, cost savings, investment, client counts, and other standardized measures. McDonald said TechHelp serves small and medium manufacturers across Idaho through design, prototyping, testing and other services and partners with Idaho State University, University of Idaho and the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance.
McDonald said Studio Blue provides a workforce-development pipeline for students and practical design help for businesses. Asked how the $5,000 would be used, he said it would go toward the Studio Blue Center director’s salary; he and committee members described the ideal long-term solution as a fully funded, full-time position to provide predictable growth and student opportunities.
Committee members asked for TechHelp’s impact metrics and quarterly reports; McDonald said he will provide the standardized impact-metric data and recent quarterly performance results.
Ending — TechHelp will follow up with the committee by providing its impact metrics, quarterly reports and additional detail about the Studio Blue director funding plan and the program’s grant-match structure.
