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BACKGROUND The original purpose of the i-GATE Innovation Hub was to leverage the emerging partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to foster technology development and support the growth of innovative businesses across the region. After operating at its initial location for two years, i-GATE staff and stakeholders realized the difficulty of aligning startup activity with lab capabilities, and as a result refocused i-GATE efforts on supporting innovative technology startups irrespective of any potential association with LLNL and SNL, although both laboratories remain actively involved. Early regional activities included industry sector focused events held in the Tri-Valley cities such as a New Trends in Life Sciences forum and Start Up Weekend; collaboration with The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence and California Network for Manufacturing Innovation on advanced manufacturing forums; and development of an advisory group to foster startup companies. i-GATE staff has since been working to further develop a complementary set of events and programming to build innovation capacity in each of the member cities and more broadly across the region. These efforts have led to successful outcomes such as Tri- Valley TechConnect which brought together technology employers with more than 300 prospective Tri-Valley workers; the NextTech Speaker Series which connects Bay Area founders, investors, executives and technology developers with the life sciences community in the Tri-Valley and greater East Bay; and Startup Tri-Valley as a source for information on the Tri-Valley's growing startup community. Additionally, i-GATE operates The Switch, a shared incubation and coworking space for startups, entrepreneurs, tech developers and creatives along with Switch Labs which provides 9,000 square feet of industrial lab space for hard tech startups and entrepreneurs solving big, complex problems. Numerous i-GATE member companies have subsequently located in Pleasanton, including TerrAvion, SafeTraces and AEye. DISCUSSION As noted, since i-GATE's inception the Tri-Valley cities and national laboratories have been active in supporting and advising the development of programs and activities to build the region's entrepreneurial environment. While each i-GATE partner offers a unique set of assets requiring some specialization, all benefit from i-GATE's efforts to foster startups and shape the innovation climate in the Tri-Valley. Specific to Pleasanton, these activities are aligned with the strategies in the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan toward building and branding Pleasanton as an innovation center. i-GATE is seeking the continued support of its current Municipal Partner cities to be formalized through an Agreement for Program support (Attachment 1). The content of the agreement is designed to identify and agree to mutually beneficial participation in the following areas: Startup Incubation: i-GATE operates The Switch and Switch Labs, providing physical space and resources to support early-stage startups, entrepreneurs and professionals as they start and build businesses in the Tri-Valley. Toward this, i-GATE will: • Operate The Switch and Switch Labs in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws Page 2 of 3