Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, UW-Extension: SBIR Advance second round open for high-tech small businesses

Contact:

WEDC: Mark Maley, mark.maley@wedc.org, 608-210-6767

UW-Extension: Sandra Kallio, sandra.kallio@uwex.uwc.edu, 608-890-3558

SBIR Advance second round open for high-tech small businesses

WEDC and UW-Extension’s Center for Technology Commercialization partnership provides matching funds and business counseling

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) encourage high-tech small businesses to apply for grants through the second round of the SBIR Advance state-matching fund. Grants are available to recipients of federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

The U.S. government created the SBIR/STTR programs to stimulate domestic high-tech innovation, providing $2 billion of federal research funding each year that companies can use for research and development.

WEDC provided $1 million to fund SBIR Advance grants, which can be used for areas in which the federal grants can’t be used, such as commercialization, customer validation and market analysis. UW-Extension’s Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) manages the program. In the first SBIR Advance round announced in July, seven Wisconsin companies received matching grants of up to $75,000 each.

Applications for the second round – again up to $75,000 – are open. A brief online pre-submission at wisconsinsbir.org/sbir-advance is due Nov. 14, with the full application due Nov. 24.

“Wisconsin’s early-stage companies that receive federal SBIR and STTR funds are on a path toward commercialization and the creation of high-wage jobs,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Reed Hall. “SBIR Advance will fill critical funding gaps for activities such as market research and patent development restricted under federal awards that applicants already hold. Unlike programs in some other states, SBIR Advance will provide funding upon completion of key milestones, including Lean Startup training, which significantly accelerate business development.”

CTC currently helps companies with SBIR/STTR grant funding acquisition and will apply that expertise as they guide companies through SBIR Advance’s business development goals.

“Recipients of the first round of match grants are already benefitting from the Lean Startup Training,” said CTC Interim Director Dave Linz. “And one company has already accelerated the pace of development and is leveraging the state match to secure additional federal funding.”

Program information can be found at www.wisconsinsbir.org. Applicants also can contact Todd Strother, CTC commercialization consultant, todd.strother@uwex.edu or (608) 890-1015.

SBIR Advance is part of a new Start-Seed-Scale (S3) initiative WEDC is pursuing with the help of the UW System and other business leaders throughout the state to remove barriers to high-tech commercialization. Under the S3 umbrella WEDC and its economic development partners are implementing financial and operational assistance programs designed specifically to address Wisconsin’s business startup and seed-funding challenges.