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Boise State’s TechHelp details Studio Blue work; asks small ongoing funds for a director as federal grants decline
Summary
Boise State’s TechHelp described Studio Blue’s work with small and medium manufacturers and requested modest state support to sustain a Studio Blue center director after federal grant funding declined.
Boise State University’s TechHelp program and its Studio Blue product‑development arm briefed the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on services to Idaho manufacturers and requested modest ongoing state support to maintain a Studio Blue center director position after federal grant funding declined.
Kevin Campbell, LSO analyst, described TechHelp as a university‑based program that provides engineering and business assistance to Idaho industry. TechHelp is funded partly by state appropriations and partly by grants and client fees. The analyst noted that across recent years TechHelp’s appropriation has been stable near $450,000 aside from COVID‑era grant infusions.
Brad McDonald, TechHelp executive director, said Studio Blue provides hands‑on student experience and client services in design, prototyping and new‑product development and uses a standard set of national “impact metrics” (new and retained jobs, sales, cost savings, client counts, and net promoter metrics) to measure outcomes. "We have the second highest number [for net promoter] in the last 13 quarters," McDonald said, citing independent surveys of client satisfaction.
McDonald and committee members discussed a small FY2026 enhancement request for Studio Blue: according to TechHelp’s presentation the state share requested this year was modest (the packet listed a $5,000 personnel increase associated with supporting the Studio Blue director) as federal grant funding that had supported the director lapsed in September of the prior year. McDonald said the agency is cobbling together multiple funding layers (client revenue, state maintenance funding and competitive grants) and that a predictable state appropriation would help retain the director and scale student workforce experiences.
Why it matters: TechHelp and Studio Blue provide technical assistance and workforce development that community manufacturers cite as crucial to competitiveness. Lawmakers asked TechHelp to provide written impact metrics and quarterly reports showing jobs retained/created and revenue impacts tied to TechHelp projects.
(Reporting based on testimony from Kevin Campbell and Brad McDonald at the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee hearing.)
