UW, Wyoming SBDC Network to Host Innovation Funding Workshop June 25

Innovators in Wyoming can learn about receiving funding to research and develop their inventions or ideas, thanks to the University of Wyoming Health and Bioscience Innovation Hub and the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network.

Innovation funding expert Shannon Bass will present a workshop Tuesday, June 25, to teach entrepreneurs how to take advantage of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The SBIR/STTR programs offer $2.5 billion annually to help small businesses develop their ideas into marketable products and services.

This no-cost event will cover small business funding opportunities from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Attendees will learn how the SBIR/STTR programs work at each agency, the commercialization plan requirements, budget basics and a step-by-step process to writing a compelling proposal.

The NIH and NSF SBIR/STTR Proposal Workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Room 293 of the UW Health Sciences Building. Lunch will be provided.

“This is a great opportunity to learn about two of the larger funding agencies,” says Kelly Haigler Cornish, program manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network’s Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative. “The National Science Foundation awards about 400 companies each year with a total of $200 million in funding, while the National Institutes of Health funds over 2,000 projects for over $999 million. If you are looking for product development funding, you need to be looking at NIH and NSF.”

Those who attend Tuesday’s workshop will have an opportunity to sign up for one-on-one time with Bass Wednesday, June 26. A limited number of appointments are available where innovators can consult with Bass and benefit from her vast expertise assisting startups in commercializing products.

To register for the workshop online, go to the training section of the Wyoming SBDC Network website at www.wyomingsbdc.org. In-person event registration also will be available at the workshop. For more information, email Haigler Cornish at haigler@uwyo.edu.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their businesses. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.