LANSING ? Politics are not behind the delay in getting about $100 million into the hands of promising Michigan technology companies courtesy Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s 21st Century Jobs Fund.
Michael Shore, spokesman for the Michigan Economic Development Corp., said the process has just taken longer than was expected earlier, when his boss, James Epolito, promised to have the first round of funding done no later than July 31.
Some critics had contended the delay in announcing the winners until after Labor Day was timed to coincide with the final critical stages of the Michigan gubernatorial race, which pits Granholm against billionaire businessman Dick DeVos, the son of Amway co-founder Rich DeVos. Shore said that is not the case.
?The issue is the huge response we had and the difficulty of tackling 505 applications,?? he said Monday. ?Now scheduling 179 interviews for the finalists is no small task.?
Those interviews will be done in August with the winners named in early September, Shore said. He said about $100 million will be awarded in the first round, but said he could no speculate on how many projects would get funded. He said say those applications that did not make the cut this time, would be encouraged to apply again when the second round of funding is made available.
The $100 million fund, a centerpiece of the Granholm Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow economic stimulus plan, attracted 505 applicants, of which the Strategic Economic Investment and Commercialization board certified all but 40 as eligible candidates. See related story at MITechNews.Com
