By Nikki Bowmar
Anne Barth, executive director of TechConnect West Virginia, addresses the crowd at the 2015 SBIR Road Tour.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2014 Small Business Profile, 116, 599 small businesses employed 297,588 workers in West Virginia that year. With 95 percent of Mountain State businesses falling in that category, the SBA’s West Virginia district office is working with state leaders and innovators to create a healthy environment for these companies to thrive.
The SBA coordinated with several companies to bring the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Road Tour, a highly competitive program that encourages small businesses to engage in federal research and research and development with commercial potential, back to West Virginia.
The SBIR Road Tour will stop in Morgantown on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, at the WVU Media Innovation Center. West Virginia innovators, entrepreneurs and technology-centric small businesses that want to learn more about the SBIR program are invited to attend the day-long event.
The SBIR program was created to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds in critical American priorities in order to build a strong national economy. Approximately $2.5 billion is awarded through the program each year with each agency administering its own individual program within the guidelines established by Congress.
SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants allow businesses to conduct feasibility studies in Phase I (up to $150,000) and development of a prototype in Phase II (up to $1,000,000) for eventual commercialization in Phase III using non-federal dollars.
The Morgantown SBIR Road Tour stop hosts several of the federal agencies that participate in the SBIR and STTR programs, including the National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards & Technology, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Navy, Air Force, Patent and Trademark Office and SBA. Representatives from these agencies will be on hand to talk one-on-one with individuals about their research goals for the coming year.
During the event, participants will hear from Brian Joseph, president Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd., a West Virginia small business. Touchstone has achieved success utilizing an SBIR grant to develop carbon foam to build walls for Navy ships. The product, CFOAM® carbon foam is a lightweight, fireproof, impact-absorbing structural material made from coal.
“This event is a great one-stop shop opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs to learn more about the SBIR program,” says Karen Friel, district director of the West Virginia SBA. “We hear of SBIR grantee success stories, like Sonicare toothbrushes and LASIK technology, but we have a real success story here in West Virginia to learn from with Touchstone Research Laboratory.”
This national event is being facilitated in West Virginia by a group of local co-sponsors, including: the SBA’s West Virginia district office, TechConnect West Virginia, West Virginia High Technology Foundation, INNOVA, the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, WV SCORE, West Virginia Regional Technology Park, the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing, the Chemical Alliance Zone, Marshall University, West Virginia University and the Charleston Area Alliance.
“Firms across the country are accessing thousands of dollars through the SBIR program, resulting in important research that can be converted into new products, technologies and services while also creating jobs,” says Anne Barth, executive director of TechConnect West Virginia. “Our state is in a transition period, and we need to explore every opportunity for assistance, including the SBIR program. I encourage all small businesses interested in federal research and development to come learn the ins and outs of the SBIR grant program.”
For more information about this event or to register, visit http://bit.ly/SBIR-WV.
About the Author
Nikki Bowmar is the public affairs specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) West Virginia district office. In her role she focuses on ensuring small businesses know and understand the programs and services offered by the SBA. Bowmar was born and raised in West Virginia and grew up in Barbour County. She attended West Virginia University and currently resides in Bridgeport with her husband and two children.
