The SBIR Road Tour is coming to Minneapolis, July 17, 2017, giving small businesses the coveted opportunity to learn more about America’s largest seed fund for research and development. This stop is part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 11-state, 15-city road tour and will allow entrepreneurs and small technology firms to connect directly with federal program managers. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs together are responsible for $2.5 billion annually in non-dilutive funding, primarily in the STEM fields.
Here in Minnesota, approximately 150 active companies have received SBIR/STTR assistance. Overall in Minnesota 2,270 SBIR/STTR grants have been awarded, totaling more than $600 million in research and development funding since the programs began.
Small technology firms, innovators, scientists and researchers interested in tapping into future funding are encouraged to attend the July 17 event at the MacNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota, 200 SE Oak St., Minneapolis, Minn 55455. Registration for the all-day event is required and costs $100.00 ahead of the event or $125.00 at the door. Visit https://www.mhta.org/event/sbir-road-tour/ to learn more and register.
The SBA is dedicated to supporting America’s entrepreneurs and this tour reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring innovators are aware of the resources that can help them turn a big idea into another great American success story. This year’s SBIR Road Tour, “Seeding America’s Future Innovations,” is a national outreach effort targeting advanced technology communities. This is the third year of the SBA-led National Road Tour.
“The last two years of the SBA Road Tour have been a huge success and we’ve engaged thousands of small innovative firms across the nation, so we are excited to bring back the tour for a third year,” said John Williams, SBA Director of Innovation and Technology.
The Minneapolis stop will be hosted by a MN-SBIR, which is involved in supporting technology-based entrepreneurship, and will give attendees a face-to-face opportunity to talk directly to federal agency program managers and decision makers. Federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health are participating in the tour.
“We’re looking forward to hosting the SBIR Road Tour in Minneapolis,” said Pat Dillon, MN-SBIR Director. “This is an outstanding chance for entrepreneurs to learn more about the funding opportunities available to them through the SBIR/STTR programs.”
The highly competitive SBIR/STTR programs together account for more than 160,000 awards totaling approximately $40 billion. These awards have helped U.S. innovators advance new technologies that help make the U.S. more globally competitive. The SBIR/STTR programs have provided seed funding to companies including Qualcomm, iRobot, Symantec and Genzyme.
For more information about SBIR/STTR programs, please visit www.sbir.gov.
The Small Business Administration was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The Minnesota District Office provides SBA programs and services to the state of Minnesota. Working with our resource partners across the state, we help businesses start, grow and achieve success. Visit www.sba.gov/mn to learn more.
