Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
TechHelp seeks to stabilize Studio Blue director funding; executive says program shows measurable industry impact
Summary
TechHelp at Boise State requested a small state appropriation increase to make a partially grant‑funded Studio Blue director position more sustainable. The director said the program tracks ‘impact metrics’ (new and retained jobs, sales, cost savings, client reach) and reported strong client satisfaction in quarterly network surveys. Committee
Brad McDonald, executive director of TechHelp at Boise State University, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee the TechHelp program and its Studio Blue new‑product development arm provide engineering, design and manufacturing assistance to small and medium‑sized Idaho businesses and requested modest state funding to support a director position that has been largely grant funded.
Kevin Campbell, Legislative Services Office analyst, said TechHelp’s appropriation has been stable, that nearly all of TechHelp’s core spending goes to personnel and that recent federal grant funding that supported Studio Blue has declined. McDonald said TechHelp measures outcomes through the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership impact metrics: new and retained jobs, sales gains, cost savings, client investments and client satisfaction (net promoter scores). He said TechHelp’s quarterly reports show strong client outcomes and that an independent third party collects survey results.
TechHelp requested a modest personnel increase (the packet described small dollar enhancements, including a $5,000 partial‑funding request for the Studio Blue director in this budget book). McDonald said the Studio Blue director position has provided substantial student experience (projects with up to 2,000 student hours) and statewide reach; he advocated for a predictable, fully funded director position to scale services and workforce training.
Committee members asked for TechHelp to provide written impact metrics and independent survey results. No formal committee action on TechHelp’s FY2026 requests was recorded during the hearing.
