Ohio Third Frontier

Ohio Third Frontier, a ten-year, bipartisan economic development initiative, was created in 2002 in order to serve as a tech incubator to assist in developing Ohio’s technology and research fields.

The Ohio Third Frontier recently opened Request for Proposals in its Fuel Cell, Photovoltaic, and Advanced Energy Programs.  For information about how to apply for these and other programs, check out the Third Frontier website.

Prevailing wage ruling favorable to economic development

The Ohio Supreme Court wrapped up the month of June with a ruling that may impact many of Ohio’s businesses, particularly those with public-private partnerships.

In Ohio, “public improvement” projects must pay union wages to workers.  However, under the ruling, any projects receiving only partial public funding (such as grants from the Ohio Department of Development and local agencies) are not automatically subject to the prevailing wage laws.

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio argued that extending the prevailing wage laws in Ohio could harm economic development efforts in the state by raising construction costs by as much as 20%.

This decision came as good news to the Ohio economic development community, who increasingly look to partial public funding as an option for business expansion.

For more information about the prevailing wage ruling, visit the ruling’s page on Ohio Supreme Court’s website.