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FAST Grant Awards
(Federal and State Technology Partnership Program)
FAST and Rural Outreach Programs Success Stories
Federal and State Technology Partnership Program
FY 2004
Federal and State Technology Partnership Program Grant Recipients
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was reauthorized
in December of 2000 for a period of 8 years (September 30, 2008). The reauthorization
legislation included some significant enhancements to the program, one of
which will provide additional small business data rights protection, and
more a balanced program overall for small business concerns and the federal
government. Another significant enhancement to the program was the establishment
of the Federal and State Technology Partnership program or FAST. The legislation
states that the SBA shall establish FAST to strengthen the technological
competitiveness of small business concerns in states. All 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the American
Samoa are eligible to participate in the FAST program. FAST will be a competitive
grants program, that will allow each state to receive funding in the form
of a grant to provide an array of services in support of the SBIR program.
Any individual, organization, or entity in a state is eligible to participate
in the FAST program.
The following list includes suggested services that can be offered by
States who participate in the FAST program:
- technology research and development by small business concerns;
- technology transfer from university research to technology-based
small business concerns;
- technology deployment and diffusion benefiting small business concerns;
- enhance the technological capabilities of small business concerns
through the establishment or operation of consortia comprised of entities,
organizations or individuals;
- Provide outreach, financial and technical assistance to technology
based small business concerns participating in or interested in participating
in the SBIR program;
- Make grants or loans to companies to pay a portion or all of the
cost of developing SBIR proposals;
- Establish or operate a Mentoring Network within the FAST program
to provide business advice and counseling that will assist small business
concerns that have been identified by FAST program participants, SBIR
program Managers, the Administration (SBA) or other entities that are
knowledgeable about the SBIR and STTR programs as good candidates for
the SBIR and STTR programs and that would benefit from mentoring;
- Encourage the commercialization of technology developed through SBIR
funding;
The FAST legislation allows for only "ONE" proposal from each state
to be submitted to the SBA for funding. Proposals must address at a minimum
the following criteria;
- The Unmet Needs of the Small Innovative Business Community within
their state.
- A Measure Demonstration that a Need Exists to increase number or
success of small innovative firms in the State.
- FAST Plan
- FAST Annual Performance Indicators
- Organization and Staff Qualifications
- Cost
Proposals will be evaluated by a committee consisting of small business
owners, state level representatives, federal SBIR Program Managers and
representatives of the business and academic communities. The SBA, the
Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation will jointly
review the recommendations from the evaluation panel and make awards based
on proposal merit. A non-Federal share of the cost of an activity ( or
matching funds) shall be required from each participating state.
Matching funds requirements are as follows:
- 50 cents for each Federal dollar from each state located in one of
the 18 states receiving the fewest SBIR phase I awards.
- 1 dollar for each Federal dollar from each state located in one of
the 16 States receiving the greatest number of SBIR phase I awards.
- 75 cents for each Federal dollar from States that are "not" identified
in the two previous categories.
The SBA's latest statistics on SBIR awards to states shall be used to
establish a States ranking. The state rankings will be an attachment within
the FAST RFP. The legislation calls for the SBA to reevaluate the ranking
of a State once every two fiscal years. Grants will be issued for a period
not to exceed 5 years. The FAST program is authorized through Fiscal year
2005.
Small Business Innovation
Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Rural Outreach Program
FY
2004 Rural Outreach Program Grant Recipients
SBA was prompted by Public Law 105-135. § 501(b(1)©) to issue two program
announcements in FY 1999 and FY 2001 to provided federal financial assistance
to eligible states to implement the Rural Outreach Program, otherwise
known as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business
Technology Transfer Outreach Program (STTR). As a result of this competitive
process, SBA has issued SBIR/STTR Outreach grant awards to 25 entities
within the states that have been designated to participate in this initiative.
Historically, firms located in a relatively small number of States
have been highly successful in securing awards under the SBIR Program.
In accordance with the language contained in the Public Law, twenty-five
states including the District of Columbia were designated to compete
for federal financial assistance. This assistance is made available
to facilitate the development and execution of marketing programs that
will expand competition and stimulate greater participation from technology-based
firms in the government-wide SBIR/STTR award process.
The SBIR and STTR programs are two powerful tools for harnessing the
small business sector's technological creativity and ingenuity to meet
government's research and development needs. Under the SBIR program,
10 federal agencies having annual external research and development
requirements of more than $100 million, must reserve 2.5 percent of
these requirements for award to small businesses. Under the STTR program,
five agencies with annual external research and development budgets
of more than $1 billion, must reserve .15 percent of these requirements
for award to collaborative efforts between small businesses and non-profit
research institutions. A state's eligibility to receive Federal Assistance
under the SBIR/STTR Outreach Program is determined by the total value
of contracts awarded to small businesses (by state) under the SBIR and
STTR programs in FY 1995. The total value of contracts must be less
than $5 million in order for a state to be eligible for funding under
the SBIR/STTR Outreach Program.
Awards made under the two program announcements are helping states
to establish or expand programs to assist small high technology businesses
to increase their participation and success in SBIR and STTR programs
through training, counseling and outreach. Services that can be funded
with these awards include:
- Provision of information on the SBIR and STTR Programs and their
operation, in training activities or in one-on-one counseling, through
training activities and one-on-one counseling, identification and
explanation of the roles of SBA, participating agencies, and program
managers in SBIR and STTR Programs;
- Development and preparation of SBIR and STTR proposals in one-on-one
counseling;
- Development and maintenance of a publicly accessible databases
containing sources of technical assistance for small high technology
firms, small high technology firms within the State, and Federal,
State, local and commercial entities having research and development
requirement for small high technology firms;
- Compilation, publication, and dissemination of newsletters in electronic
and/or hard copy form;
- Expansion of the base of high-technology/economic development service
providers, consistent with the intent of this Announcement; and
- Establishment of performance goals with respect to SBIR.
See
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