LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen is announcing a boost in funding, and a new direction for an initiative that has provided funding to Nebraska businesses since it was enacted in 2011. Programs under the Business Innovation Act (BIA) were placed on a brief pause during the last quarter of 2025, so that it could undergo a thorough performance review by the Department of Economic Development (DED). Today, Gov. Pillen issued a memo directing that all funding and operations be restored and strengthened.