General

SBIR Logo
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Did you know over $4 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding each year supports innovative entrepreneurs building out high-risk, next generation technologies? America’s Seed Fund has become an important resource for a wide range of startups, researchers, and innovators working on big ideas but lacking access to capital.

Background- America’s Seed Fund, better known to some as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, has been around for almost 40 years. The programs span 11 federal agencies with significant external R&D budgets, a percentage of which provides early stage funding to roughly 5,000 small businesses a year.

The two programs are coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), who is charged with helping small businesses start and grow. SBA’s Office of Innovation and Technology sets the guiding policy across the SBIR/STTR agencies, provides training and outreach, and most notably, funds and supports organizations within the innovation ecosystem to build the SBIR/STTR pipeline. Potential applicants benefit from specialized assistance and mentoring, and we work with a variety of entities to ensure access regardless of geography.

How Does it Work - SBIR/STTR funding is designed to explore new, innovative ideas, not products currently ready to go to market. The programs provide rather broad opportunities for small businesses to access capital when they are not a fit for investment or financing due to the early nature of their technologies. The two programs have the same base structure and goals with a fundamental difference in eligibility, as the STTR program requires a specific level of participation from a nonprofit research institution. Both programs allow small businesses to compete for cash awards in a wide range of technology areas: from space exploration to biomedical products, advanced robotics to ag-tech, energy to artificial intelligence, national security, and more. Some of the big names (that started out small in the program) include Qualcomm, Symantec, 23&Me, iRobot, and Ilumina.

Why are we reaching out to WBCs
- Goal of the programs to increase participation from women and minority entrepreneurs
- Women’s Study: https://www.nwbc.gov/2020/08/12/womens-inclusion-in-small-business-innovation-research-small-business-technology-transfer-programs/

What can SBA provide?
- Training and funding for SBIR support organizations: www.sbir.gov/support-organizations
Organization Name
U.S. Small Business Administration
Point of Contact
technology@sba.gov
Hello Alice – small business grants, guides, and events
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Hello Alice enables business for all, connecting people of color, women, veterans, and everyone with an entrepreneurial spirit with relevant capital, networks, and tools to grow. We deploy grants of $10k+ to small business owners across the country, provide hundreds of online guides on topics ranging from choosing the right business structure to writing a business plan, and host events with experts who can share insights like growing a small business.
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Hello Alice
Point of Contact
Sophia Zisook, Director of Organizational Partnerships
IBISWorld Industry Research
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IBISWorld publishes Industry Research Reports and Risk Analysis on 1450 industries. Our reports cover the impacts of COVID; industry revenue growth, cost structure (including profit margins), import/export data, business closure rates, and employment and wages data going back 10+ years and forecast out 5 years. We also discuss industry trends, product/service segmentation, market segmentation (who buys from the industry), business locations, supply chain analysis, key macro level drivers that impact each industry, technology changes, and much more.
Phone
(201) 839-4882
Address
40 Wall Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10005 USA
65211
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IBISWorld Industry Research
Point of Contact
Troy Schulte
Kiva Hubs
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Kiva US provides direct loans at 0% interest and no fees from $1,000-$15,000 through crowdfunding, providing the first step on the often inaccessible capital ladder to financially excluded entrepreneurs. Hubs are local organizations that partner with Kiva to expand capital access within a specific geography and to promote collaboration among stakeholders using Kiva’s plug-and-play tool.
Phone
415-515-9417
Address
986 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
94103
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Kiva
Point of Contact
Anne Lufkin-Riaño, Kiva US Strategic Partnerships Manager
Money Smart for Small Business curriculum
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Money Smart for Small Business (MSSB) provides an introduction to topics related to starting and managing a business. MSSB was developed jointly by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The materials are available for immediate download. The instructor led curriculum consists of 13 modules in English and Spanish. The modules include Banking Services, Credit Reporting, Financial Management, Insurance, Organizational Types, Record Keeping, Risk Management, Selling a Business & Succession Planning, Tax Planning, Time Management, Is Small Business Ownership a Good Fit for You?, Planning for a Healthy Business and Managing Cash Flow.
Phone
1-877-275-3342
Address
550 17th St. NW, F-6000
Washington, D.C.
20429
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Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Point of Contact
CommunityAffairs@fdic.gov