TechConnect, in partnership with Marshall University and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, hosted an event on May 17 at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation at Marshall University to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and researchers learn how they can grow their businesses through the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Eighty people attended the day-long event, which was a stop on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 America’s Seed Fund Road Tour southeastern schedule.
The SBIR and STTR programs provide an incentive for domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development with the potential for commercialization. Nearly all 80 attendees at the May 17 event met one-on-one with representatives from various federal government agencies to learn about each agency’s’ research and development interests, discuss their individual company’s products and research, and explore whether there might be a match for the agency’s SBIR or STTR program.
TechConnect and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center host monthly workshops via Zoom to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and researchers understand the SBIR and STTR programs and how they might help them move their businesses forward. The next workshop, Developing Your SBIR/STTR Budget is scheduled for June 18 at 12 p.m. Registration for the free workshop is available by clicking here.
