TAP team assistance is free and can be utilized to help Mainers win a portion of $3.7B in available annual funding.
Each month in MTI’s eNews, we provide information on federal grant solicitations in the “SBIR/STTR Solicitations” section. SBIR and STTR are acronyms that stand for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. There are 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program and 5 agencies that participate in the STTR program. On an annual basis, approximately $3.7 billion is made available from the programs to support our nation’s innovators.
We apprise Maine innovators of these funding opportunities each month to educate and encourage them to seek the grants and to highlight the fact that MTI can assist them in securing the awards through our free Technical Assistance Program resource. Our TAP team has over 100 years of combined experience in business strategy, accounting, market research and government contract consulting. This vast and deep knowledge has helped numerous small businesses in Maine win SBIR/STTR awards and grow into thriving companies. In June alone, the TAP team helped Montalvo Corporation of Gorham secure a $250,000 Phase IIB award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Neuright, Inc. of Orono win a $225,000 Phase I award from the NSF.
The TAP team is skillfully led by Karen West Morgan, the winner of the 2006 Small Business Administration’s Tibbetts Award for exemplifying excellence in the SBIR/STTR program. She is arguably Maine’s leading expert in assisting companies with writing competitive SBIR/STTR proposals. Her team also includes the following specialists:
Stanton W. Gavitt, Jr., CPA – Stan has significant accounting experience as a government contractor, working with government systems and supporting Maine companies with federal contracts.
Suzanne Hamlin, Business Strategist – With a skill set that spans customer discovery, marketing and operations, Suzanne helps companies with product commercialization and applying emerging technology.
Jo Anne Goodnight, Biotech Consultant – Having spent decades as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator, Jo Anne brings valuable insights, knowledge and contacts to biotech proposals.
Jan Knight, Market Researcher – Jan has worked in nearly every industry segment — from seaweed to insulation to software to medical devices — and specializes in research-driven writing projects.
Jocelyn Sheppard, Market Researcher – With extensive experience with all aspects of the SBIR/STTR proposal preparation, Jocelyn assists startups and entrepreneurs with business planning and technology commercialization.
We are fortunate to have such an amazing team of professionals to help Maine entrepreneurs and companies secure a share of the available federal grant funds. Please do not hesitate to contact MTI if we can assist you with one of these amazing opportunities.
My best wishes to you for a happy and healthy Fourth of July!
Best,
Brian