History: In 1996 the University of Wyoming (UW) Research and Economic Development Division launched the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI) to encourage participation of Wyoming individuals and small businesses in the SBIR and STTR programs. Initially funded by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program as a model for other rural states to emulate, WSSI was immediately successful - Wyoming small businesses received more SBIR awards in 1996/1997 than in the previous thirteen years combined.

As a result of this outstanding performance, the 1998 Wyoming legislature authorized the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) to continue funding the program.  At the same time, the WBC also sponsored the creation of the unique Wyoming Phase 0 Program providing up to 24 awards annually of $5,000 each to assist Wyoming small businesses in the preparation of competitive Phase I SBIR/STTR proposals. While the number of Phase 0/00 awards may change, the commitment to assist high risk, high tech companies does not change.  In 2016 WSSI became part of the Wyoming SBDC Network.  Currently, this work is also support with a Federal and State Technology Partnership grant from the Small Business Administraiton (SBA).

The WSSI is a program of statewide outreach through webinars, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring.  We work collabortively with our partners Wyoming Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), Wyoming Business Council (WBC), Manufacturing-Works (a manufacturing extension partnership), the UW Technology Transfer Office (TTO), Impact 307, the UW Research & Economic Development Division, and UW faculty and staff.

For information on how to participate in the Wyoming Phase 0/00 and the SBIR/STTR programs, go to Start with a Phase 0.