SBA research and tech road tour to stop in Little Rock
by February 21, 2018 9:41 am 219 views
Little Rock is a planned stop on the 2018 U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Road Tour.
The 18-state road tour is intended to connect entrepreneurs with “next-generation research and development ideas” to a sources of early-stage funding through the SBA’s SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, according to the organization.
The Little Rock event will be April 17, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Reynolds Business Center, according to the tour website. It will be hosted locally by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at UA Little Rock.
In addition to building out entrepreneurial ecosystem networks, the Road Tour aims to use outreach to help advance participation in entrepreneurship among women, “the socially and economically disadvantaged,” as well as small business owners in “underrepresented states,” according to the SBA.
“We are dedicated to supporting America’s entrepreneurs wherever they are. American innovation is not restricted by geographic or cultural boundaries,” Linda McMahon, SBA administrator, said in a press release. “This tour reflects our commitment to ensuring that these innovators are aware of the resources that can help them turn a big idea into another great American innovation story.”
The Southern Tour runs April 16-20, and other stops are Chattanooga, Tenn., Huntsville, Ala., Jackson, Miss., and Baton Rouge.
The Eastern Tour is planned for June 18-22, with stops in Rochester, N.Y., Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, Charleston, W.Va., and Durham, N.C.
The Pacific Northwest Tour will run July 17-19, with stops in Portland, Ore., Seattle, and Anchorage, Alaska
The New England Tour is planned for Aug. 20-24, with stops in Wilmington, Del., New Haven, Conn., Providence, R.I., Manchester, N.H., and Portland, Maine.
The SBIR/STTR programs provide $2.5 billion in early stage funding to small businesses each year in a wide variety of technology areas, according to SBA. The SBIR/STTR programs execute more than 4,000 new awards annually.