I know. I know. With more and more hard-earned money going to the government, it’s hard to comprehend that they could be giving any back, but it’s true. The fact is, each one of us “invests” in our country via federal taxes. Whether we like paying them is not the issue—let’s focus on what we can get back: that “ROI”, especially for small businesses. I mean, wouldn’t you really like to see part of that investment come back to you to either a) help launch your start-up business or b) enhance your small, but growing business?
Think SBIR and STTR. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are research awards (NOT loans) given to small companies to develop an innovative research idea into a commercial product. Each year Congress mandates that eleven federal agencies award over $2.2 Billion to small companies via SBIR and STTR Awards—that’s a lot of ROI! Yes, companies can get up to $850,000 for each award, but just because there is no loan to repay and there’s no loss of equity for the small company, it doesn’t mean it comes without effort or that everyone can qualify. Sure there are some requirements, but isn’t it worth looking into?
So how do you figure out if SBIR/STTR is the right avenue for your company? Contact the SBIR Assistance Program for the State of Georgia—you’re lucky, Georgia is one of the few states with a dedicated staff just to help with SBIR/STTR, and we’d be glad to help you at no cost.