Funding will enable collaborative projects for the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and equity for Indiana’s economy

The CICP Foundation, as the supporting foundation for the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), has received five inter-related grants totaling $34.6 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. for work by CICP and four of its sector initiatives, AgriNovus Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana and TechPoint. CICP and its related sector initiatives are focused on the development and implementation of collaborative strategies and programs to build upon Indiana’s prosperity.

Approximately one-fourth of the grant funding will be used to support CICP’s coordinated leadership across the organization’s initiative structure to deliver programs and projects that include:

• Accelerating and increasing innovation and the deployment of digital technologies across Indiana’s advanced industries to strengthen regional economic competitiveness.
• Increasing economic vitality by identifying and enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities for more Hoosiers; and
• Developing new opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion through Business Equity for Indy (BEI). BEI is a joint effort of CICP and Indy Chamber in collaboration with the Indianapolis Urban League to grow a more inclusive business climate and build greater equity and economic opportunity for the region’s Black residents and other people of color.

CICP identified these priorities based on the findings of the Indiana GPS Project. CICP commissioned scholars from the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute to produce this multi-dimensional study of Indiana’s economy to help spur growth across the state and to increase the number of good jobs in all types of industries.

Additional funds from these Lilly Endowment grants will enable CICP to continue to explore new collaborative platforms around some of the region’s most compelling opportunities, such as the emerging AnalytiXIN platform. Headquartered at 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis, AnalytiXIN is bringing together the state’s research universities and major corporations to deepen regional capacities in strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics. Grant funds will also be committed to the specific advancement of Indiana’s industry sector initiatives in the agbiosciences, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics and technology sectors.

“CICP is uniquely positioned to identify, understand and address many of our region’s greatest economic issues and challenges, thanks to the generous support of Lilly Endowment,” said David L. Johnson, president and CEO, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. “Through our broad network of stakeholders, including our CEO board members, CICP and its advanced industry sector initiatives will be able to bolster already strong efforts in talent and workforce development and programs such as AnalytiXIN and Business Equity for Indy.”

“Lilly Endowment is pleased to provide this funding because of the extraordinary abilities of the leaders of CICP and its initiatives and their commitment to building the prosperity of our region and state,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s Chairman and CEO. “Indiana needs CICP’s strategic leadership to thrive in this increasingly competitive and dynamic global economy.”