FAQ & Strategic Plan
View HSSA's Strategic Plan Here.
HSSA is evolving and has grown substantially over the years. Our continued
development has made it necessary to update our strategies as we as we work
to accomplish the mission and goals established for us in the Washington State
RCW and Spokane County Resolutions that created HSSA. Learn more about
what's coming in the next few years.
How is a grant approved?
HSSA is committed to an accountable process for the review of grant applications, and has worked to make scoring criteria as transparent as possible. Please visit the grants tab, and select the grant you would like to learn more about to find scoring rubrics for all grants.
Grants are reviewed by our Grants Committee. The Grants Committee is made up of Board Members. The Grants Committee reviews, scores and discusses each application with each other. They make a recommendation to the full Board of Directors. The Board then discusses the application and makes the final decision as a group by vote. These discussions and votes are held at open public meetings and documented in the Board Meeting minutes.
What happens when one of your Board Trustees is an applicant or knows an applicant or has a conflict of interest?
When HSSA was formed the Board of Trustees developed a policy that ensures that our Board is in compliance with the Washington State Ethics in Public Service Act's provisions addressing conflicts of interest, compensation, employment after service, and activities compatible with public duties. It is still in use today.
If a Board Trustee identifies a conflict, they are to notify the Board of Directors, and complete a form recusing themself from discussion or voting on the application. The Policy identifies two types of conflicts of interest, an "interested party" or a person with a "beneficial interest", each has clear definitions too long to go into in our FAQ, along with procedures for how to proceed when a conflict is identified.
Can my business apply for a matching grant if we do not have a presence in Spokane County?
Yes, HSSA can approve an application contingent upon a move of all or part of your operations and staff to Spokane County. Our goals are to improve the bioscience economy in Spokane County and to create well-paying jobs. We will need to see evidence of your commitment to these principles and to improving Spokane County's health and healthcare system in your application.
For full details on our Research, Development and Commercialization in Businesses Relocating to Spokane County criteria, visit the grants tab and click RD&C Relocating.
How is HSSA funded?
HSSA's funds come entirely from Spokane County sales tax revenue that would otherwise go back to the State's General Fund. We take our responsibilities as stewards of these funds very seriously.
What do you require of your grant recipients?
All HSSA Grant Award Agreements take the form of cost reimbursement contracting. No lump sum will be provided. Grant Recipients can request reimbursement for funds spent in service to their objectives and milestones as stated in the grant application, and in keeping with the budget submitted with your application.
Grant Recipients populate the provided Reimbursement Request Form with their budget and submit a detailed account of their expenses along with documentation of those expenses in the form of paystubs or payroll reports, invoices and receipts.
A semi-annual report on your progress is also a requirement. The form will be included in the Grant Award Agreement. Topics include progress toward milestones, staff added and salaries, economic impact, as well as publications, collaborations, patents and presentations.
We strongly recommend reviewing HSSA's Grant Award Agreement template prior to applying to assure that you understand the terms.
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Research, Development and Commercialization in Spokane County's Bioscience Industry FAQ
What is the lifetime maximum per entity?
The lifetime maximum for this grant type is $1,000,000.
If we haven't completed the full twenty-four months of my current grant, are we eligible to apply for a Level 2 Grant?
HSSA has decided to allow existing grantees the opportunity to apply for a Level 2 grant, even if they have not completed the full twenty-four months of their current grant award or spent/been reimbursed for the entire amount awarded. However, this will not be true moving forward. This decision was made in fairness to current grantees who may have raised money in anticipation of needing match to apply for an HSSA Level 2 grant before knowing of the change in procedure. Future grantees must complete the full twenty-four months of their grant award agreement, spend/be reimbursed for the full amount awarded, and completed the work outlined in their application and grant award agreement.
What are the expected outcomes for grant recipients?
The desired outcomes are consistent with HSSA's mission and objectives: better health and healthcare in Spokane County, well-paying job creation in Spokane County, and powering future economic growth in Spokane County. These are the highest scoring sections on the scoring rubric for this grant. Please visit the grants tab and click on RD&C Spokane to view the scoring rubric for this grant.
HSSA promotes bioscience based economic development. How do you define what a bioscience entity is?
It is difficult to clearly define what a bioscience entity is. During Strategic Planning, we decided to determine if the applying entity aligned with HSSA's mission and goals (stated on our home page), and that they were working to improve health and healthcare in Spokane County.
For more details on Spokane County's top health priorities: reduce the housing cost burden, reduce substance use, and improve mental health, we recommend reading the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment. Further information on the health needs of Spokane County can be found in the Quality of Life Study, the State of Women and Children Report, and at Spokane Trends.
How does HSSA define what a well-paying job is?
One of HSSA's primary objectives is the creation of well-paying jobs. We worked closely with Economists to determine what this means in Spokane County's health and bioscience ecosystem. We define well-paying jobs as jobs in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services category with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in Spokane County.
In keeping with the practice of the Washington State Department of Commerce's Community Economic Revitalization Board, we've added a small percentage to the average salary/hourly wage in our scoring rubric to account for rising wages and cost of living over the course of the grant ($100,373-106,567 annually or $48.91-$51.24 annually). This requirement can be met through employees or professional services contractors/fractional employees who will be working for or on behalf of the entity if awarded.
HSSA is also interested in how your entity will use their HSSA award to create more well-paying jobs. There is room in your application and, if awarded, your progress reports to share how your matching dollars support jobs, as well as internships and other employment catalyzed by your award.
How does HSSA measure whether an applicant will power future economic growth?
The highest scoring item in this category is your commercialization plan. HSSA has proudly supported some phenomenal research, and wants to assure that awardees have analyzed the market for their problem and have a clear and well-reasoned plan to bring their product to market in a timely manner.
HSSA is also interested in local partnerships and collaborations. While we don't want you to share any confidential information, we want to know about how you will use your award to catalyze growth in the region. Some examples of this include leasing or purchasing local office or laboratory space, local clinical trials, local manufacturing, local professional services contractors, collaborations or projects with other local bioscience entities, bringing in partners from outside the area with relocation potential, etc.
Your website says you plan to interview finalists for Level 2 grant awards. When will this be, and what will the format be?
This is a new process, and the details haven't been finalized. We will update our website as soon as new information is available. We anticipate top scoring applicants will deliver a short pitch, and have a brief question and answer period with the Grants Committee.
Don't see your question here?
Email us at info@hssaspokane.org.