SBIR/STTR Week 2022

Fund your startup or latest innovation
SBIR/STTR Week: June 27—July 1, 2022

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants make up one of the key ways that university spinouts and innovation firms fund early-development and commercialization of their technologies. To highlight the strategic use of this program, Venture Partners has partnered with CU Boulder's Center for Translational Research to host a dynamic, week-long conference featuring experts across the Colorado and national innovation ecosystem from June 27-July 1, 2022.

Review the schedule and register for talks

Monday June 27 — SBIR/STTR Expert Inspiration/Keynote by Elyse Blazevich
4—5 p.m.
Virtual

Description:

Introduction to SBIR/STTR week and learn about the power of SBIR/STTR grants through the numbers nationally and in Colorado.
Discussion on the types of SBIR/STTR awards from the typical SBIR/STTR grants to the directed SBIR/STTR contracts, and the advantages to each.
Present and clarify common misconceptions of SBIR/STTR grants.
Keynote address and inspiration from Elyse Blazevich on the importance and opportunity that SBIR/STTR funding provides. Elyse Blazevich is currently the President and CEO at Colorado BioScience Association. Previously, Blazevich co-founded Securisyn Medical, a medical device company dedicated to revolutionizing smooth tube securement so associated complications no longer exist. Elyse successfully led the company in raising both non-dilutive and dilutive funding.

Speakers: The Center for Translation Research (CU Boulder) and Elyse Blazevich

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Tuesday June 28—SBIR/STTR Proposal Writing—Tips and Tricks for a Winning Proposal
Noon—1 p.m.
Virtual

Description:

The practice of winning grants and especially SBIR/STTR is honed over time. We can jumpstart this process with wisdom and best practices from established winners of SBIR/STTR dollars. These experts have techniques, advice, and must do's which lead to higher funding rates, more efficient use of time and better outcomes from an awarded proposal.

Speakers: Ken Malone from Early Charm Capital and Lara Skwarek, Scientific Consultant with expertise in identifying and applying for non-dilutive funding and Founder of SciComm Clarity Consulting

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Wednesday June 29—SBIR/STTR Agency Details and Representatives—Ask the Source!
Noon—1 p.m.
Virtual

Description: At this virtual roundtable, representatives from various federal agencies that represent our campus's most common SBIR/STTR agencies will give a brief description of their programs and how they relate to the other federal agencies.We will discuss how best to engage with any given agency, find the best solicitations/topic areas and develop a research program in a new agency. The second half will be breakout rooms with each federal agency. Questions can be directed towards the program managers from preproposal to post award management.

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Thursday June 30—SBIR/STTR Budget and Funding Strategies—The Colors of Money
Noon—1 p.m.
Virtual

Description: In this session, we focus on how non-dilutive federal dollars mix with a company's finances including:

The different "colors" of money are defined including grant dollars (direct costs, indirect costs, fees), revenue dollars, and dilutive dollars.
Suggestions on how to manage money for the most efficient use of grant dollars as well as how to arrange finances to ensure minimal tax liability.
Strategies on how to arrange personnel costs, overhead for the company, distributions to founders and other details of a growing startup finances are discussed.
Example budgets for SBIR/STTR awards including how to manage subawards to the university.
Richtr experts will share about tools they use to help manage finances (Quickbooks, time tracking tools, etc.) as well as the best practices going forward.

Speaker: Richtr Financial

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Friday July 1—SBIR/STTR Winner Q&A—Winning and Using an SBIR to Accelerate your Company
Noon—2 p.m.
Hybrid
In-Person Format located Room 380 in Benson Earth Sciences, 2200 Colorado Ave. Boulder, CO

Description: A panel with a variety of campus founders who have used SBIR/STTR dollars to accelerate and grow their ventures will present their experiences including the trials and tribulations of meeting grant requirements while running their companies. We discuss the hard parts of non-dilutive funding as well as the benefits of structuring a company with these sources of funding.

Panel of Founders:

Mark Rentschler, Aspero Medical
Levin Sliker, Point Designs LLC
Kimberly Drennan, Hive Tech Solutions, Inc.
Murad Kablan, Stateless

Potential topics include:

Advice on winning a proposal
Post-award management
JIT documentation
Tracking grant efforts and funds
Reporting requirements
Strategy for follow on awards (Phase 2, etc.).

NOTE: The Panel will be in a hybrid format and following the panel we will have an in-person reception from 1-2 PM with refreshments and an opportunity to network with each other and successful founders.

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