§ 32-39g — Powers of the commissioner for certain purposes.

For the purposes enumerated in subsection (b) of section 32-39f, the commissioner may: (1) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of the commissioner's duties and the execution of the commissioner's powers under this section, including contracts and agreements for such professional services as the commissioner deems necessary, including, but not limited to, financial consultant and technical specialists; (2) Account for and audit funds of the department and funds of any recipients of funds from the department; (3) Establish advisory committees to provide counsel and advice on the discharge of the commissioner's duties under this section; (4) Serve as a resource to start-up and growth stage business entrepreneurs in this state by (A) providing counseling and technical assistance in the areas of entrepreneurial business planning and management, financing and marketing for start-up and growth stage businesses; and (B) conducting business workshops, seminars and conferences with local partners, including, but not limited to, in-state public and independent institutions of higher education, municipal governments, regional economic development districts, private industry, chambers of commerce, small business development organizations and economic development organizations; (5) Facilitate partnerships between innovative start-up and growth stage businesses, research institutions and venture capitalists or financial institutions; (6) Increase the quantity and availability of capital for start-up and growth stage businesses and entrepreneurs including, but not limited to, angel investors and venture capitalists; (7) Promote technology-based development in the state; (8) Encourage and promote the establishment of and, within available resources, provide financial aid to advanced technology centers; (9) Maintain an inventory of data and information concerning state and federal programs that are related to the purposes of this section and serve as a clearinghouse and referral service for such data and information; (10) Promote and encourage and, within available resources, provide financial aid for the establishment, maintenance and operation of incubator facilities and innovation places; (11) Promote and encourage the coordination of public and private resources and activities within the state in order to assist technology-based business entrepreneurs and business enterprises; (12) Promote science, engineering, mathematics and other disciplines that are essential to the development and application of technology; (13) Coordinate the department's efforts with existing business outreach centers, as described in section 32-9qq ; (14) Provide financial aid to persons developing smart buildings, as defined in section 32-23d , incubator facilities or other information technology intensive office and laboratory space; (15) Coordinate the development and implementation of strategies regarding technology-based talent and innovation among state and quasi-public agencies, including the creation and administration of the Connecticut Small Business Innovation Research Office to act as a centralized clearinghouse and provide technical assistance to applicants in developing small business innovation research programs in conformity with the federal program established pursuant to the Small Business Research and Development Enhancement Act of 1992, P.L. 102-564, as amended from time to time, and other proposals; (16) Encourage the retention of younger generation start-up entrepreneurs in the state; (17) Promote entrepreneurship among students, faculty and alumni of institutions of higher education; (18) Make planning grants to entities seeking to apply for innovation place designation pursuant to section 32-39 l , provided each such entity demonstrates that its proposed innovation place meets the purposes set forth in section 32-39k ; (19) Encourage and promote the establishment of business accelerators; (20) Make higher education entrepreneurship grants-in-aid recommended by the Higher Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee pursuant to section 32-39t ; (21) Implement the provisions of section 32-39x ; (22) Designate innovation places pursuant to sections 32-39k to 32-39m , inclusive; (23) Establish a program to provide growth grants-in-aid to businesses in this state for the purposes of facilitating the growth of start-up businesses that have transitioned to growth stage businesses. The department shall establish an application process for such grants-in-aid and shall prioritize such grants-in-aid for uses most likely to facilitate the growth of such businesses, including, but not limited to, sales assistance, marketing, strategy, organizational development, technology assistance, bid assistance, beta testing of products for new purchasers and prototype development. Such grants-in-aid shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per applicant and shall be conditioned upon a one-third match from the applicant; and (24) Do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this section and the powers expressly granted by this section.

Legislative History

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 2; P.A. 17-56, S. 4; P.A. 18-178, S. 47; P.A. 24-22, S. 43; 24-149, S. 6.) History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 17-56 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by replacing “Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective June 20, 2017; P.A. 18-178 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (24) re state-wide service hub, adding Subdiv. (25) re implementation of provisions of Sec. 32-39x, and redesignating existing Subdiv. (24) as Subdiv. (26), effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 24-22 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by replacing “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” with “chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 24-149 redesignated existing Subsec. (a)(3) as Subdiv. (1), existing Subsec. (a)(5) to (23) as Subdivs. (2) to (20), existing Subsec. (a)(25) as Subdiv. (21), existing Subsec. (b)(5) as Subdiv. (22) and existing Subsec. (b)(7) as Subdiv. (23), replaced reference to Sec. 32-39f(a) with reference to Sec. 32-39f(b) and “CTNext is authorized and empowered to” with “the commissioner may” in redesignated introductory language, deleted former Subsec. (a)(1)(A) re employees, personnel practices and policies and consultants, attorneys and appraisers, deleted former Subsec. (a)(2) re receiving and accepting grants and contributions, replaced “CTNext” with “the commissioner” in redesignated Subdiv. (1), deleted former Subsec. (a)(4) re procuring insurance, replaced references to “CTNext” with references to “the department” in redesignated Subdiv. (2), changed “to assist in accomplishing its” to “to provide counsel and advice on the discharge of the commissioner's” and deleted provision re members and persons other than members of CTNext board of directors in redesignated Subdiv. (3), changed “growth stage entrepreneurs” to “growth stage business entrepreneurs” in redesignated Subdiv. (4), added reference to innovation places in redesignated Subdiv. (10), replaced “its” with “the department's” in redesignated Subdiv. (13), deleted provision re establishment of satellite of major national business accelerator in redesignated Subdiv. (19), deleted former Subsec. (a)(24) re state-wide service hub, deleted former Subsec. (a)(26) re all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out purposes of and powers granted by the section, deleted former Subsec. (b)(1) to (4) re CTNext developing plan to facilitate certain relationships, creating and publicizing Internet web site and advising on certain matters, replaced “32-39j” with “32-39k” in redesignated Subdiv. (22), deleted former Subsec. (b)(6) re innovation and entrepreneurship marketing plan, replaced “CTNext” with “The department” in redesignated Subdiv. (23), added Subdiv. (24) re all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out purposes of and powers granted by the section, deleted former Subsec. (b)(8) re connecting certain entrepreneurs with certain resources, deleted former Subsec. (b)(9) re program evaluation and measurement process and made technical and conforming changes throughout, effective July 1, 2024.