Office of Innovation - Economic Development

The I-CEED Innovation - Economic Development unit fosters innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurialism across campus and in the region. Our vision extends beyond the PVAMU three campuses located in Prairie View, Waller County, North-West Houston, and Downtown Houston, Harris County, into the Greater Houston Area and the State of Texas. Inventors and entrepreneurs of color predominantly drive our support for wealth and job creation.

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is an economic engine for the Greater Houston Region, Waller County, The City of Prairie View, and the State of Texas. As the primary agent for innovation-led economic development, the I-CEED team seeks partnerships that will enhance and empower PVAMU’s research and innovation enterprise. Our sustainable innovation and commercial ecosystem afford opportunities to identify problems and provide solutions to our local, regional, and global markets. PVAMU has a rich history of producing entrepreneurs that develop businesses and novel technological innovations that are impactful and disruptive.

TEXAS

$766M Economic Impact 5,300 Jobs Created $3.9B Long-term Impact

3 Campuses 8 Colleges 8,940 Students 1800 Faculty / Staff 45 States, 47 Countries 36BS, 35MS / PhD Programs NCAA Division 1, 16 Sports

GREATER HOUSTON

$586M Economic Impact 4,138 Jobs Created $2.3B Long-term Impact

WALLER COUNTY

$235M Economic Impact 1,925 Jobs Created $245M Long-term Impact

Prairie View A&M University ignites its entrepreneurial initiative with a commitment to design and develop an Innovation Corridor on a 50-Acre University-owned property. The project will strengthen the socio-economic well-being of the cities of Prairie View, Waller, and Hempstead, as well as the Highway 290 Corridor. The Innovation Corridor includes four Zones:

• Innovation and Commercialization • Entertainment • Residential Housing Zone for Faculty and Staff • Commercial Real Estate

The development will provide amenities that support the broader PVAMU community. The Innovation Corridor campus gateway development will facilitate and encourage connections between faculty, staff, students, and the community.

STATE LOOP 7098

NEIGHBORHOOD PROSPERITY INNOVATION DRIVEN STARTUPS

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS THE 7 SEEDS OF PVAMU’S INNOVATION COORIDOR

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

SOCIAL EQUALITY AND ACCESS

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS

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UNIVERSITY DR OWENS RD

PVAMU INNOVATION CORRIDOR

The Innovation and Commercialization Center for Entrepreneurs (ICCE) is currently underway. The ICCE initiative will cultivate the entrepreneurial landscape, support the Texas A&M University Systems’ Chancellor’s Research Initiative, and provide essential tools required by entrepreneurs and innovators to commercialize their technologies. The ICCE project is inclusive of but not limited to laboratory space designed for build-outs that feature energy-efficient systems, accelerator space with shared resources to maximize and leverage R&D capacities. The three-story building includes office condominiums, conference rooms, retail space, and D-Space for tenants. PVAMU’s goal is to be the leader in HBCU innovations by promoting its capacity as a revenue-generating institution employing the commercialization of technology as a key economic driver.

INNOVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION CENTER

Regional Economic Development Partners and Organizations

The I-CEED Innovation Economic Development unit partners with economic development drivers, facilitators, leaders and organization in the city, region and the state of Texas to further benefit the economic growth and impact of the university stakeholders and the community.

• Prairie View A&M University Small Business Development Center – Link • Prairie View A&M University CAHS – Cooperative Extension Program – Link • Prairie View A&M University CAHS – CEP – Community and Economic Development – Link • City of Prairie View Economic Development Corporation – Link • Prairie View Chamber of Commerce – Link • The City of Prairie View – Mayor’s Office – Link • City of Waller Economic Development Corporation – Link • Waller County Economic Development Partnership – Link • Waller Area Chamber of Commerce – Link • Hempstead Chamber of Commerce - Link • Katy Chamber of Commerce - Link • West I-10 Chamber of Commerce - Link • Greater Houston Partnership – Link

Chapter 380/381 Development Agreements

Chapter 381 of the Texas Local Government Code allows counties to provide incentives encouraging developers to build in their jurisdictions and allows counties to negotiate directly with developers and businesses. At the city level, Chapter 380 of the Texas Local Government Code authorizes municipalities to offer incentives in the form of loans or grants of city funds or services at little or no cost to stimulate business and commercial activity.

Enterprise Zone

Waller County meets the requirements to be considered an Enterprise Zone, which entitles businesses to apply for and receive financial aid to promote job creation within the Zone.

The Texas Capital Fund

Waller County and its cities are eligible to apply to the Texas Capital Fund program, based on their population size. The Texas Capital Fund (TCF) program is a federal grant program administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture with the primary goal of job creation and retention for low- and moderate-income persons

Type A and B Programs

In Waller County the cities of Brookshire, Hempstead, Prairie View and Waller offer incentives through the A or B programs which impose a special sales tax for economic development purposes set at 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 percent to finance a wide range of economic development activities.

Freeport Tax Exemption

The Freeport Tax Exemption is an inventory tax exemption applied to products shipped into and out of Texas within a six-month period.

Skills Development Fund

The Skills Development Fund is Texas’ premier job-training program providing local customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and workers to increase skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce. The Texas Workforce Commission administers funding for the program. Success is achieved through collaboration among businesses, public community and technical colleges, Workforce Development Boards and economic development partners.

PVAMU CAHS CED Services

• The Rural Workforce Academy (TRWA) • Businesses In Development (BID) Academy • Teaching Agricultural Sustainability Through Economics (TASTE) Program • Business planning assistance • Small Business lending assistance • Financial Literacy training • CED workshops