Office of Economic Initiatives

The Office of Economic Initiatives

The Office of Economic Initiatives acts as a catalyst in promoting research and demonstration projects to strengthen NH’s business environment.  The development of these projects from generating the idea to coalescing partners, designing the project, raising funds and establishing ongoing operations usually takes two to five years.

Once a program is established, OEI generally transfers program management to another nonprofit or state agency partner.  In this way, OEI’s minimal resources provide the initial impetus and coordination that result in projects with significant economic impact. 

OEI’s programs and research have assisted the NH SBDC in securing more than $1.6 million in Federal and private sector funding.  These monies have supported groundbreaking research at UNH demonstrating the key role of NH’s high tech manufacturing sector in building NH’s economy.  This research provided the impetus for the State’s first Manufacturing Summit and follow up initiatives including the present Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership series.  In addition, it enabled the NH SBDC and UNH’s Whittemore School of Business & Economics to successfully compete for a Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) grant.  FAST built an integrated outreach and delivery system for NH high tech companies.

Examples of OEI initiatives include:

► NH SBDC 2006 Financing Growth Guide published with Business NH Magazine to aid growing companies in gaining access to capital;

► Research on leading industries in NH and county forums for economic development practitioners;

► FastTrac Intensive Entrepreneurial Training Programs – FastTrac graduates are 85% more likely to succeed than the average business;

► Research on NH’s Livable Wage and the Availability of Livable Wage Jobs – 2000 – The first study to provide hard data on what it costs to live in the various NH regions;

► NH Furniture Studio Masters Program – Promotes the growth of fine furniture making businesses through public education and apprenticeship programs;

► Employee Benefit Surveys and Analysis – A service to companies seeking to develop employee friendly cultures;

► Made in NH, formerly NH Stories – the premier state association for promoting NH Made Products;

► North Country Study of Business Needs – A study to help build strong businesses in the North Country; and

► Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) workshops – Seminars to help NH businesses access Federal research and development funds.

OEI provided:

► The spark which helped make these projects possible;

► Strategic planning facilitation;

► Money and direction for critical research at UNH to support program development;

► The funds to incubate programs in their initial stages; and

► An outreach mechanism for UNH faculty and staff to influence economic development efforts in the State.