FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 18, 2006
Eugene (Gene) Watson, Program Manager
Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative
Phone: 307.742.7162, 307.760.0456 cell

Media Advisory: Conference to help businesses obtain government contacts & grants for product ideas

CASPER– Wyoming technology innovators will have an opportunity to meet with federal agency representatives during a conference on Wednesday, September 13 in Casper, increasing the possibility of receiving contracts and grants.

The conference “SBIR/STTR Where Innovation Focuses Technology” will be held at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper, starting at 7 a.m. The conference is hosted by the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI), which stands for the Wyoming Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Initiative. For more information and to register, go to www.uwyo.edu/sbir/SWIFTconfinfo.html or call Kelly toll free at 866.703.3280. There is no charge for this event.

“Meeting with these federal agency managers will provide first-hand information on their needs and how the innovative concepts of Wyoming small businesses might best address these needs, thereby increasing the possibilities of receiving grants and contracts from these agencies,” said Gene Watson, WSSI Program Manager.

SBIR Program Managers from the following federal agencies will be available for one-on-one counseling: U.S. Department of Defense (Air Force, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Navy, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency); U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; U.S. Department of Transportation; NASA; National Institutes of Health; and the National Science Foundation. Space will be limited so register well in advance for this rare opportunity. Wyoming small businesses have received more than $25 million from these contracts and grants, currently averaging approximately $4 million a year.

The federal SBIR and STTR programs provide more than $2 billion annually in Research and Development (R&D) grants and contracts to qualified small businesses. Eleven federal agencies are required by law to provide these funds by setting aside 2.5 percent of their annual extra-mural R&D budgets for use exclusively by U.S. small businesses for new product R&D. Hence, these programs provide a unique source of start-up and seed capital for small businesses to develop new innovative product concepts.

The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.wyomingbusiness.org.

###