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TechHelp’s Studio Blue seeks stable funding for director post as it expands manufacturer support
Summary
Boise State’s TechHelp updated the committee on services to small and medium manufacturers and asked for modest recurring state support to preserve its Studio Blue center director role after federal grants declined.
Brad McDonald, executive director of TechHelp at Boise State University, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 24 that TechHelp delivers engineering, design and commercialization support to small and medium manufacturers statewide and measures success through standardized impact metrics such as retained/new jobs, sales and client‑reported outcomes.
TechHelp’s Studio Blue (a new product development unit) benefited in recent years from federal grants that funded a director role; with that federal funding reduced, TechHelp requested modest state support to sustain the director post. The budget presentation noted small state enhancements in prior years (roughly $11,700 and $12,600 in earlier budgets) and a current request that would add roughly $5,000 in personnel funding toward the center director position; McDonald said the request is intended to help stabilize the role and preserve student workforce development opportunities that provide up to 2,000 hours of experience for students participating in projects.
McDonald described TechHelp’s performance reporting system and said the program ranks highly on client net promoter surveys and national impact metrics administered by the manufacturing extension partnership network. Committee members asked for the specific impact metrics and McDonald agreed to provide quarterly reports and impact‑metric details. Lawmakers also asked where TechHelp’s small personnel requests fit with federal grant declines; McDonald said TechHelp layers state appropriations, client revenue, and grant funds and is working to make the Studio Blue director position sustainable.
Why it matters: TechHelp provides technical assistance and workforce development that regional manufacturers say they need; the committee sought more complete impact data to evaluate whether the requested state support produces measurable economic gains and workforce outcomes.
