The national Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) tour is coming to Wichita State, and students, innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and small technology firms will get a unique opportunity to talk with federal representatives about their ideas.
SBIR's Road Tour hosted by WSU Ventures, is from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, on the second floor of the Rhatigan Student Center.
The national outreach is an effort to convey the nondilutive technology funding opportunity provided through the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Federal and state program managers representing $2.5 billion in early-stage funding have been invited to present at a series of events to technology entrepreneurs and innovation supporters from across the country.
Connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs
Last year, the SBIR Road Tour event in Wichita was attended by more than 160 people and companies – the largest road tour attendance to date.
Often students will have to travel to meet face-to-face with representatives to discuss possible SBIR/STTR grants for their ideas. But this brings representatives right to Wichita State.
The tour will also help connect people with local resources, such as WSU Ventures, the Kansas Small Business Development Center and other like-minded entrepreneurs.
Agencies represented at the event include:
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Navy
- U.S Air Force
- Missile Defense Agency
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Registration for the SBIR Road Tour at Wichita State is available at www.wichita.edu/sbirroadtour. Cost is $25 for the general public and $5 for WSU students.
Following registration, attendees will be contacted with a web link to sign up for one-on-one meetings with the federal agency program managers.
Those attending the SBIR Road Tour should also consider attending a free prep session co-sponsored by WSU Ventures and the Kansas Small Business Development Center.
The session is 1:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at WSU’s Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Register at http://bit.ly/1rtGmP4.