The acronyms SBIR and STTR have been popping up all over the online business world recently, but maybe you didn’t know that they stand for Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer.
Also known as America’s Seed Fund, SBIR/ STTR are research and development federal funding sources for high-technology and innovation companies, with the end goal of strengthening the American economy through scientific excellence. In Arkansas, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, or ASBTDC, has been a huge asset to those applying for this specialized competitive funding.
In the 2019-2020 FAST (Federal and State Technology) project year alone, the ASBTDC supported 122 clients with 39 proposal submissions, winning 14 awards totaling $8,139,595 in federal funding.
The latest metrics for the 2020-2021 FAST project year (through Q3) total six awards of over $2.8 million and 33 proposal submissions, 10 training events, and 23 market research binders prepared for clients. The Arkansas SBIR/STTR efforts are led by Catherine Corley of UA Fayetteville and Rebecca Todd of the ASBTDC Lead Center at UA Little Rock, who share a passion for innovation and small business and together serve companies across the state. ASBTDC’s sophisticated market research and consulting services are available at no cost to Arkansas researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies pursuing SBIR/STTR funding.
AR Success Stories
Innovator Health – telemedicine company in Little Rock, AR
The company received a $900,000 contract through the Department of Defense Air Force SBIR Phase II program. The award is being used to develop SurvivorSM, the most lightweight and simple-to-operate telemedicine system to date. The company is veteran-owned by Dr. Darren Sommer and Dennis Kopp.
“The ASBTDC has been instrumental in assisting us with covering gaps in our knowledge base. There are so many elements to working with the military that can be frustrating. Having a knowledgeable partner like the ASBTDC made the process run much smoother. Additionally, they are very easy to work with and super accessible,” says Sommer.
GSS Group – horticulture company in Fayetteville, AR
GSS stands for Grow, Supply, Sustain, which is the central idea around Danielle Dozier’s business. She graduated from UA Fayetteville with a degree in horticulture and is continuing to explore sustainable food production through development of a vertical hydroponic system which maximizes growing space. Danielle received a $700,000 total in USDA SBIR Phase I and II grants in addition to a $50,000 Technology Development Program Award and $75,000 SBIR Matching Grant award, both from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
“The ASBTDC was a big help in securing this award,” she said. “They have held my hand through writing SBIR and state-level applications and have never left me alone to face challenges with this R&D process. This organization gave me the confidence that my dream technology could actually become a reality!”
These are just two of the many clients who have applied for and received funding through SBIR and STTR while working with ASBTDC. If you are interested in learning more, contact Catherine Corley or Rebecca Todd, or consider attending virtual events during National SBIR Week (July 19- 23).
SBIR Week is coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a fully virtual showcase for the mission and goals of the SBIR and STTR programs. It’s open to innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and small technology businesses.
From National SBIR Week:
“The 2021 National SBIR Week is a virtual event connecting entrepreneurs working on advanced technologies to the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Also known as America’s Seed Fund, the SBIR/STTR programs provide over $4 billion in funding to small businesses each year in a wide variety of technology areas.
This event provides you with an opportunity to participate in live streaming panels and presentations with participating federal agencies that administer over 7,000 new awards annually and to meet virtually One-on-One with program decision makers. In collaboration with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), the MBDA InVision Tour will take place during National SBIR Week to foster inclusive innovation by empowering minority entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to the marketplace.
Between 2015 and 2019, the SBIR Road Tour visited every state and Puerto Rico – mostly traveling by bus between stops. For 2021, National SBIR Week brings federal agencies to the whole country at once through virtual programming.”
ASBTDC Programming
In conjunction with National SBIR Week, ASBTDC is offering two programs (both free and virtual):
July 20 @10:00 – 11:30 AM
Event: Behind the Scenes: What SBIR Reviewers Discuss
Registration link: https://asbtdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/70371113
July 22 @10:00 – 11:30 AM
Event: Seed Funding Lessons from Innovative Arkansas Companies
Registration link: https://asbtdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/70371114