The SBIR/STTR Accelerator Project Pitch is used to evaluate whether the company and the proposed project(s) show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve a level of technical risk that is required to be competitive in the programs. Transitioning from the laboratory to the marketplace is a long and risky road. SBIR/STTR funding does help de-risk the technology; however, business and market risks still exist. Minnesota’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem is vibrant offering startups and existing companies a wide array of resources to gain traction in their technology commercialization efforts with many firms that take advantage of these resources to start and grow their business:
- SBA SBIR/STTR Tutorials: Learn more: https://www.sbir.gov/tutorials
- Minnesota Technology Association’s SciTech Internship Program enables small businesses to hire STEM interns with a wage match up to $2,500 per intern. Learn more: https://scitechmn.org/.
- The University of Minnesota’s Value Proposition Design Course is important to your business and a future SBIR/STTR application. Learn more: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mn-venture-builders/courses/value-proposition-design
- Launch Minnesota Business Operations Grant; up to $35,000; requires a 1:1 match. A Phase I award satisfies the match requirement. Learn more: https://mn.gov/launchmn/capital/launch-grants/
- Launch Minnesota SBIR/STTR Phase II Matching Program, up to $50,000; requires a 1:1 match; and only first-time Phase II award recipients are eligible. A Phase II award satisfies the match requirement. Learn more: https://mn.gov/launchmn/capital/launch-grants/