Boise State TechHelp seeks small state support to sustain Studio Blue directorship as federal grants decline

Kevin Campbell introduced the TechHelp budget and Brad McDonald, TechHelp’s executive director, described the Studio Blue new‑product development work that supports small and medium‑sized manufacturers statewide.

TechHelp is organized at Boise State University, reported 3.44 authorized FTP and said it historically spends nearly all of its appropriation on personnel. McDonald described Studio Blue as the unit focused on design, prototyping and workforce experience: students who complete Studio Blue projects may have substantial applied hours and clients report project outcomes. TechHelp uses nationally standardized impact metrics to measure results — including new and retained jobs, sales growth, cost savings and client satisfaction — and McDonald said recent quarterly measures ranked among the highest in the national network.

Federal grants that had funded part of the Studio Blue director position expired in the prior year, McDonald said, reducing grant match that helped pay the director. To sustain a director and make the position more predictable, TechHelp requested a $5,000 state appropriation in this cycle; McDonald said the smaller ask reflects available options within the current fiscal constraints and that fully funding a permanent, full‑time director position would be the preferred long‑term approach. He emphasized workforce development as a core outcome: "workforce, workforce, workforce," he said, and asked that the committee consider sustained state support to stabilize the program as grant funding varies.

Committee members asked for TechHelp impact data and McDonald agreed to provide quarterly impact reports and the national metrics used for evaluation. No formal action was taken on the request during this hearing.