The i6 Challenge is a multi-agency grant that encourages and rewards innovative, groundbreaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization, new venture formation, job creation, and economic growth across the United States. The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) was created in 2009 to spearhead the federal government's efforts to promote innovation-based, high-growth entrepreneurship in pursuit of job creation and economic growth. OIE plays a lead role in developing policy recommendations and implementing initiatives to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts to commercialize technology developed through university and federally funded research.