The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced its 2018 road tour connecting entrepreneurs with next generation R&D ideas to early stage funding led by the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Each stop in the 18-state road tour will be hosted by a local organization, and program managers from the 11 participating federal agencies will conduct one-on-one meetings with attendees, take part in targeted panels, and share insights into how their agencies make funding decisions. The SBIR/STTR programs provide $2.5 billion in early stage funding to small businesses each year in a wide variety of technology areas such as unmanned systems, advanced materials, health, cybersecurity and defense. The SBIR/STTR programs execute over 4,000 new awards annually.
The national road tour schedule for 2018:
- The Southern Tour will run from April 16-20, with stops in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Huntsville, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- The Eastern Tour will run from June 18-22, with stops in Rochester, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Charleston, West Virginia; and Durham, North Carolina.
- The Pacific Northwest Tour will run from July 17-19, with stops in Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Anchorage, Alaska.
- Finally, the New England Tour will run from August 20-24, with stops in Wilmington, Delaware; New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine.
Small technology firms, innovators, scientists or researchers seeking more information on the SBIR Road Tour, including a schedule of stops and participating agencies should visit: www.sbirroadtour.com.