LANSING ? Second time is the charm for 24 Michigan technology networking groups and companies that received word this week they will share in the $35 million just released from the 21st Century Jobs Fund.

High profile Michigan technology networking groups unexpectedly left out of the first round included: Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest, Automation Alley, Ann Arbor SPARK, NextEnergy, Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, and the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center. In round one and a half, all received funding pledges from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

Automation Alley will get $6 million to expand and further leverage the operations of its Automotive Technology Business Accelerator. Automation Alley will use the funding to encourage the development of competitive-edge technologies through the creation of early stage seed funds, support the outreach and growth of technology-based businesses and professionals, and support international business development.

SPARK will get $8 million to create the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, an equity fund that will invest in technology-based companies to support business formation and acceleration.

MI-SBTDC will get $2 million to expand its counseling efforts for Michigan tech businesses. Said Carol Lopucki, State Director: “The state’s commitment to growing the SBTDC allows us to add business consultants to expand both in business disciplines and geographically across the state.”

Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest will get $600,000 to expand its support network, which includes training fledgling entrepreneurs.

NextEnergy will get $2,932,165 to expand its support network.

Southwest Michigan Innovation Center will get $1,025,000 to finally expand its crowded life sciences incubator complex in Kalamazoo.

Word that these 21 proposals, among 82 that were rated as highly recommended by a peer-review process conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, had been leaked earlier in late September at a meeting of the Great Lakes Angels by Jim Epolito, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Now $135 will be pumped into Michigan technology co5mpanies in the life sciences, advanced manufacturing, homeland security and advanced automotive materials sectors to help them commercialize products and services that could create new high paying Michigan jobs.

?The awards will create the jobs we need to keep our children and grandchildren here in Michigan,? Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in the announcement this week. ?No state is doing more to diversify its economy than we are.?

The Governor announced the first 21st Century Jobs Fund awardees on September 6. The available funding, however, would only support 61 of the 85 highly-recommended proposals, leading the Governor to call on the Michigan Strategic Fund board to allocate more funds for the additional 24 top-tier projects.

The 24 additional awards shown by competitive-edge technology sector:

Alternative Energy ? 3 awards totaling $3,747,150

Homeland Security, Defense ? 3 awards totaling $2,994,488

Life Sciences ? 7 awards totaling $8,903,725.

To view a complete list, click on Michigan.Org/Medc