Small-business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to register for the upcoming SBIR Road Tour, which arrives online for Oklahoma businesses Nov. 2-6. As part of a 17-stop tour, the virtual event connects entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s national SBIR Road Tour connects business owners with federal SBIR program managers, who fund more than $3.7 billion in a wide spectrum of innovative technology-based ideas, while interacting and learning about state and local innovation support infrastructure and resources available to the SBIR/STTR community. Online registration is available at www.okcatalyst.com/events and information about the tour is available at www.sbirroadtour.com.
Also known as America’s Seed Fund, the SBIR/STTR programs focus on next-generation research and development and are led by the SBA with 11 participating federal agencies. The SBIR Road Tour is open to small businesses, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs and technology companies.
“Every year, we meet entrepreneurs from around the country looking to turn their big idea into another great American innovation story,” said John Williams, SBA director of innovation. “We are committed to supporting America’s small-businesses owners, wherever they are. This tour reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that these innovators are aware of SBA’s resources to help them reach that goal.”
The Oklahoma stop will be hosted by OK Catalyst, a local organization involved in supporting entrepreneurs in next-generation R&D. Program managers from the participating federal agencies will conduct one-on-one meetings with small businesses,
take part in targeted panels, discuss technology areas, and share insights into how the agencies make funding decisions. OK Catalyst is part of the Tom Love Innovation Hub on the University of Oklahoma Norman research campus and is under the umbrella of the Michael F. Price College of Business.
“We are so excited to bring the SBIR Road Tour to Oklahoma,” said Tom Wavering, executive director of the Tom Love Innovation Hub and OK Catalyst. “New for this year, we’ve also partnered with the Air Force Sustainment Center to host a special Innovation Day open only to researchers, entrepreneurs and startups who participate in the SBIR Road Tour. There is no better source of early-stage capital to launch and grow your technology-based business than SBIR funding, and our award-winning OK Catalyst programs are here to help you every step of the way.”
The OK Catalyst website is www.okcatalyst.com.
