SBIR Workshop: Funding Your Innovations with Government Money
On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the DFW MIT Enterprise Forum and the DFW MIT Club presented a Workshop to help individuals and firms learn how to win SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contracts and grants.
The Workshop was co-sponsored by TECH Fort Worth, who provided the venue and some great assistance. Our thanks to them!
Here are the slides that were presented at the Workshop.
Nick Lawrence, who has personally written and won nearly a score of SBIR awards, presented the Workshop. He started with an overview of the SBIR program, what firms are eligible, the credentials needed to be Principal Investigator, and how to strategize and plan your SBIR effort.
The Workshop then focused on the proposal. We examined in detail how it should be structured and what each section should contain. We emphasized clear, simple communications in the technical portion of the proposal, concise language, and not wasting the reviewers’ time. The cost proposal should be as elaborate as necessary, but definitely as simple as possible.
Next, we turned to the “registration” process. Doing business with the Federal Government requires you to have obtained certain numbers and codes, such as a Taxpayer Identification Number, a DUNS code, a CAGE code, and both SIC and NAICS codes. You need to have online accounts with Central Contractor Registration, with ORCA (online reps and certs), with WAWF (Wide Area Work Flow, used for invoices and payments), and potentially several others. It is not hard to get all of this done, but it needs to be done in a certain order or you will encounter delays. And it needs to be done well ahead of the time when you submit your proposal.
Finally, we covered the substantial benefits for your firm to win an SBIR award. These benefits go beyond the financial support such an award provides. Under certain broad circumstances related to your SBIR project, your firm becomes entitled to “sole source” treatment by Federal Agencies. You retain principal “data rights” (data sets and software) and patent rights for work you do under such a sole source contract. These contracts can be for your products, production, services, R&D, or any combination.
The SBIR Workshop was very well received by the participants. The Workshop filled up and sold out early. We already have several people signed up for a repeat of the Workshop in the near future. Subscribe to our newsletter to be kept informed, or check back often with the front page of this website.
Interview With the Founder of the X Prize, Dr. Peter Diamandis
In this inspiring video Peter Zak of MIT Enterprise Forum interviews the founder of the X Prize, Dr. Peter Diamandis. Let us know what you think about this.
Winning Strategies: Talk by Dr. Schmalensee, Former Dean of MIT Sloan School of Management
Authors globe series brings another exciting talk: Winning Strategies: Secrets behind dynamic companies like Google, Amazon & eBay, by Dr. RICHARD SCHMALENSEE, former Dean of MIT Sloan School of Management. This is based on Dr. Schmalensee’s book Catalyst Code. Here’s what Bill Gates said about Catalyst Code: Catalyst Code is an important book for anyone interested in understanding how breakthrough businesses can be built in today’s economy.
The virtual event is on Monday, October 26th 12-1pm US EDT. Register here.
Learn in this interactive MasterClass how to:
Implement six strategic steps to become a dynamic catalyst company
Generate value by creating relationships among your different groups of customers
Create profitable and flexible business models by assembling audiences, cutting costs and connecting other companies
About the author:
Richard Schmalensee is the Howard W. Johnson Professor of Economics and Management at MIT and the Director of the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. He served as the Dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management from 1998 through 2007.
He, along with colleague David Evans, developed a new area in the field of economics and business strategy that explores the design of business models that unleash the hidden value associated by getting multiple customer groups together on the same platform. He shares his findings in the Harvard Business School book with David called “Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World’s Most Dynamic Companies”. He is a member of the National Commission on Energy Policy and a Director of the global Venture Capital firm IDG. He has served as a consultant to both corporations and government agencies.
Alcatel-Lucent Seeks Innovators: TechQuest Program by MTBC
Have you heard about Metroplex Technology Business Council’s TechQuest program where MTBC matches Innovation Seekers with Innovation Providers? Here’s the information from MTBC web site.
Through TechQuest, small tech companies, university researchers, and industry technologists, the Innovation Providers, have an opportunity to present their technology-based ideas and business plans to a major company, an Innovation Seeker, from the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. Those connections may result in technology licensing, funding, a customer/supplier relationship or a strategic partnership.
Innovation Providers are not required to be MTBC members nor do they need to have a location in DFW.
Here’s the information about the latest TechQuest program from Alcatel-Lucent. More information about the process is provided towards the end.
Problem Statement
The bandwidth of mobile uplinks and downlinks as well as data latency parameters promise to be much improved over currently available 3G services with the advent of LTE and 4G wireless broadband technologies. ALU is seeking applications and services that will benefit from this improved connectivity especially in these key areas:
- Public Safety
- Media and Entertainment
- eHealthcare
- eLearning
Background Information:
Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fourth Generation wireless networks (4G) will provide much higher data rates for mobile devices and applications than existing solutions. The LTE specification is defined and telecommunications equipment vendors are already executing contracts with carriers to deploy LTE gear. The definition of 4G is a bit more nebulous as standards are still being defined; however 4G has objectives of 100Mbits/s bandwidth between any two points in the world (although much higher rates have been lab tested) and support of IPv6.
More information on LTE specifications can be found at http://www.3gpp.org/article/lte.
To submit an application for the Alcatel-Lucent TechQuest, click here.
More About TechQuest
Process - Click here to learn more.
Current Innovation Seeker – Click here to find out the current TechQuest Innovation Seeker company.
Previous Innovation Seekers – You can still apply to previous TechQuests. To learn more, click here.
Disclaimer – Important notice regarding participating in TechQuest. Click here to learn more.
Virtual Event: Social Media and How It’s Changing Your World
MIT Enterprise Forum has initiated a series of Virtual Live Conversations with leading thinkers in business and entrepreneurship. These virtual events are through a partnership with AuthorsGlobe, a MIT based startup.
Here are the details of this scheduled livecast:
- Social Media and How It’s Changing Your World
- John Blossom, author “Content Nation”
- Wednesday, September 30, 12 noon EDT, 17:00 GMT
- Investment: USD $25. Register here
“Content Nation is a must-read if you want to understand what it means to live online today and how you will be interacting in years to come” David M. Scott , bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR and World Wide Rave.
Learn in an interactive MasterClass how:
- Social media works and different ways it can benefit your business.
- Seven secrets to success that can help you to influence your customers, organization and business partners through social media.
- Key patterns, trends and strategies that business people can implement to increase revenue and lower marketing costs.
About The Author
John Blossom is president and founder of Shore Communications, Inc., and one of the most widely recognized content industry experts, providing thought leadership to executives seeking successful marketing strategies for publishing and technology products and services in enterprise and media markets. He is the author of the book “Content Nation: Surviving and Thriving as Social Media Changes Our Work, Our Lives and Our Future,” and manages the award winning ContentBlogger weblog.
John′s expert views on social media have been sought by The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and many others. He speaks frequently at industry and corporate events in the US, Europe and Asia. Shore was recognized as one of the 100 Content Industry Companies that Matter Most by EContent Magazine in 2004 and 2005.
The participants also stand a chance to win a 45-minute Coaching Session with John Blossom!
MIT EF DFW at the MedTech New Ventures Conference
On July 29, 2009 I attended the MedTech New Ventures Conference presented by NTEC, Inc. It was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel’s Frisco Conference Center in Frisco, TX. As the representative of the MIT Enterprise Forum, Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter, which was a sponsoring organization for the event. I staffed a table and met people interested in finding more about our activities. It was a great event! For example, did you know that Texas is 2nd or 3rd in the nation in annual patents filed, but only in the teens in businesses started? This was shared by Mike Lockerd, Executive Director of North Texas RCIC.
My report on this event is posted here. An excerpt of the Q&A is shared below.
Question: How do you protect Angel investors from later round Venture Capitalists?
Paddison: Angels, friends, and family need to keep expectations in control if VC round(s) are likely to follow.
Karleski: Keep it simple. DON’T follow multiple paths or opportunities. Pick one and focus.Question: How do VCs evaluate 8(a) status?
Karleski: 8(a) doesn’t enter in much. The evaluation is the same.Question: What are the conditions for startups getting early stage VC funding?
Gutch: We need to see technology results. We need to be VERY confident that these results will
actually get to the clinics.
Crawford: You need to show capital efficiency. You need to show that after the early stage funding, it is unlikely that you will need any new capital.
Paddison: Where are your competitors? What is your differentiation?
Paiva: We look for demonstrations of intellectual honesty. Do you have a good handle on your competitors and show your competitiveness? How are you going to create a new market or make life difficult for incumbents? Show some disruption.
Karleski: Most of our first round deals have already achieved $1M to $5M in revenue, but are not
necessarily making money yet, and show a clear path to a substantial market position.Question: Do Venture Capitalists compete?
Karleski: In general, no. We seldom meet each other as competitors. We do cooperate a lot.Question: Where is Medicare cutting costs?
Karleski: Ambulatory care. Look for radiology clinics and other nonhospital abulatory services to go back to hospitals. A “dirty little secret” is that such outpatient ambulatory care are huge profit centers for many doctors. Look for Medicare to no longer reimburse outpatient ambulatory care.Question: Are there regional entrepreneurial opportunities in North Texas?
Lalande: North Texas is tops in R&D and Technology. What’s been lacking is entrepreneurial activities. Look for strong entrepreneurial growth in North Texas. Note that North Texas is still lacking one key thing. There are still no large biotech employers to absorb entrepreneurs during an entrepreneurial down cycle, a place for entrepreneurs to go back into during down cycles, then pop back out in up cycles. But
the situation is changing.
MIT Forum DFW Email List
We hope that you found the updated website useful. We have also taken the initiative to refresh our mailing list. If you were already on the list, you will soon receive a message asking you to opt in. The email list will allow us to send you announcements about upcoming events.
If you were not our list before and would like to join our list then follow this link and sign up. Its quick and simple.
As you may have noticed we use multiple channels to stay in touch.
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Energy Entrepreneurship and Innovation
This was a global broadcast from MIT Enterprise Fourm. The event was held in Boston, May 2009. download podcast
Energy Entrepreneurship and Innovation:
Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunities
DFW Chapter is organizing a program on this topic as well – see more and register for it here.
MIT EF Chairman’s Interview
Please follow the first link to see an interview of MIT EF Chairman. The second one will take you to MIT EF Link, an online magazine from MIT Enterprise Forum.
