Carl Sandburg College ag tech incubator gets $1.8M state grant

GALESBURG, Illinois – Carl Sandburg College’s plans for a new 518 Collective ag tech incubator to train students for tomorrow’s careers received a financial boost this week from the State of Illinois.  The 518 Collective incubator project, named in a nod to its college District No. 518, was awarded more than $1.8 million from Illinois’ […]

GALESBURG, Illinois – Carl Sandburg College's plans for a new 518 Collective ag tech incubator to train students for tomorrow’s careers received a financial boost this week from the State of Illinois.  The 518 Collective incubator project, named in a nod to its college District No. 518, was awarded more than $1.8 million from Illinois’ Tech Incubator Enhancement Grant (TIEG) program, state and college leaders announced. The Sandburg project – one of four incubators statewide splitting the $7 million state funding – was the only community college among the recipients.  The 518 Collective will be housed in Sandburg’s Annex in downtown Galesburg. There it will provide physical workspace, business development services, workforce training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help early-stage companies succeed.  The TIEG funding was announced in news releases from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island.  In partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the initiative aims to modernize and revitalize incubators across Illinois to meet the evolving needs of startups in the post-pandemic era. The TIEG capital grants support facilities and equipment to ensure existing incubators provide quality services and cutting-edge equipment as well as help new ones establish. “We are deeply grateful to the DCEO for recognizing the potential of this project to empower underserved communities, providing access to education and resources that will transform lives,” Carl Sandburg College President Seamus Reilly said in a news release shared Thursday, July 17, with the QCBJ.  “Sandburg exists to open doors of opportunity for every resident in District 518,” he added. “The 518 Collective builds on that mission – transforming a downtown space into a launchpad where local talent can invest, test and scale the technologies that will power the next generation of Illinois agriculture.”   

Boost for ag tech startups

According to the college, the Annex at 209 E. Main St. previously housed its dental hygiene program until it relocated last fall to the campus’ new Science & Technology Center. (The Galesburg community college district serves 10 surrounding counties including Knox, where it is located; two in the Quad Cities MSA, Mercer and Henry; as well as Warren, Henderson, Stark, Fulton, Hancock, Schuyler and McDonough counties). Under the proposed annex renovations, the 518 Collective will include work areas, private workspaces, meeting rooms, private communication booths and offices, a recording studio and a shared kitchen.  Renovations are expected to begin later this year with an anticipated opening in mid-2026. The Annex now houses Sandburg’s Workforce Development & Community Education Department. The proximity to that staff and the space’s centralized location, the college said,  will provide an ideal fit for the 518 Collective to serve as an innovation hub, where it will assist small businesses with the tools and collaboration to thrive.   “This funding will give Galesburg and the broader region a boost in competitiveness and create a pro-growth environment for agricultural tech startups,” State Sen. Halpin said in a Wednesday, July 16 news release. “This exciting ag tech incubator connects innovators, higher education and workforce development together to grow Western Illinois’ economy.”

Incubator revitalization

The other Illinois grantees awarded funding in the TIEG programs are: Chicago’s Deep Tech Innovation Lab, $590,200; EnterpriseWorks 2.0 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, $3 million; and Southern TECH High-Tech Food Incubator at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, $1.59 million.  "Illinois has an unmatched spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, and the Tech Incubator Enhancement Grants Program is helping channel that into world-changing advancements and sustainable economic growth," the governor said in the state release. "Our technology incubators and start-up ecosystem are positioning our state as a powerhouse in the economy of tomorrow, and I am proud to be strengthening our investment in that future." The TIEG program also will lean into key growth industries outlined in the future by the Illinois' Economic Growth Plan. They include:  life sciences; quantum, AI, and microelectronics; advanced manufacturing; and next generation agriculture, agriculture tech and food processing. “As the state works toward achieving the goals outlined in Illinois’ Economic Growth Plan, grantees in the TIEG Program will help us strengthen our growing technology network,” DCEO Director Kristin Richards said in the release. “Strategic incentivized investments in key sectors will provide critical support to both new and existing technology incubators throughout the state.”

Galesburg’s latest investment

The funding for Sandburg College is the second significant financial boost for Galesburg this year. In January, community leaders here celebrated news of a $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to install rail track and switching in the Galesburg Business Park.  The U.S. DOT grant will install rail track and switching in the business park to serve DeLong Co.’s large containerized agricultural terminal project. The federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) award will help finance a $54 million investment there. The federal government will fund 46% of the project, while DeLong Co. will pay the remaining costs for construction of the intermodal agriculture export facility, the City of Galesburg said in an earlier news release. That project is expected to move forward with design work in 2025 and construction is expected within two years, the city said.