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UTSA SBDC Technology Commercialization Center one of 21 FAST grant awardees nationwide; only Texas awardee

UTSA SBDC Technology Commercialization Center one of 21 FAST grant awardees nationwide; only Texas awardee

The SBDC Technology Commercialization Center is the first Center
within The UT System to earn a FAST grant award.

 

SAN ANTONIO, September 1, 2016 – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Innovation & Technology has awarded a Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program grant to the SBDC Technology Commercialization Center (SBDC TCC) of UTSA’s Institute for Economic Development. UTSA is the first University of Texas system institution, and one of only two institutions in the state of Texas to have ever received the award.

The Center’s Texas-FITT (Federal Innovation and Technology Transfer) program is focused on increasing the participation and award success for innovative entrepreneurs and small technology firms in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The awards greatly enhance market commercialization opportunities for new and advanced technologies. SBIR and STTR programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund™, provide approximately $2.5 billion annually through federal agencies with extramural research and development (R&D) programs to support scientific excellence and technological innovation, to build a technologically competitive and stronger national economy.

Institutional candidates for the competitive FAST award were submitted through the Office of the Governor; with only one proposal submission permitted per State. Proposals received were evaluated by a panel of SBIR program managers. Panel recommendations were jointly reviewed by the SBA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), who then determined FAST awards based upon the merits of each proposal. The FAST award’s project and budget period are to extend 12 months, beginning September 30, 2016.

“This award allows our Center to initiate a statewide effort involving all Texas SBDC Network partners to train business advisors in technology commercialization and to provide SBIR-STTR technical assistance to businesses, with an emphasis on underrepresented communities. We expect this effort to improve entrepreneur’s access to high risk capital, necessary to enhance market viability of advanced technology startups and businesses.  Growing and building the advanced technology ecosystem through innovation and entrepreneurship accelerates industry competiveness and ensures long-term economic prosperity for the Lone Star State.” said Bijo Mathew, Principal Investigator on the FAST grant and Director of the SBDC Technology Commercialization Center.

The SBDC TCC is also part of the UTSA South-West Texas Border SBDC Network, which works to increase technology based entrepreneurial capacity by providing outreach, management advisement and resource support services to enable small advanced technology firms to succeed across the South-West. The Center works with start-up entrepreneurs and advanced technology firms to increase capacity for innovation through applied research and development, access to research facilities, advanced technologies, university innovations, and technology transfer and deployment. The Center also provides networking, collaboration opportunities and technical assistance to enhance the success rate of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) applications and awards for technology firms.

For more information, contact
Jennilee Garza, Senior Communications Coordinator
Institute for Economic Development
Phone: 210-458-2958
Jennilee.Garza@utsa.edu

About UTSA’s Institute for Economic Development

The UTSA Institute for Economic Development (IED) is dedicated to growing businesses, creating jobs, and fostering economic development. The IED focuses on building the economy one business at a time. The IED consists of 11 centers and programs that provide professional business advising, technical training, research, and strategic planning for entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. These programs serve Greater San Antonio, the Texas-Mexico border area as well as regional, national and international stakeholders. Together with the federal, state and local governments, and private businesses, the UTSA Institute for Economic Development fosters economic and community development in support of UTSA’s community engagement mission. In 2015 the IED generated direct regional economic impact of 8,251 jobs, started 657 new businesses, $487 million in new financing, $41.5 million in new tax revenue and exceeded $2.1 billion in new sales, exports and contracts. For more information, visit www.iedtexas.org

About UTSA

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and one of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution, UTSA aims to be a national research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA serves more than 30,000 students in 134 degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond. For more information, visit www.utsa.edu/today.

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