Since its inception in 1953, SBA has served to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small businesses. While SBA is best known for its financial support of small businesses through its many lending programs, the Agency also plays a critical role in providing funding to organizations that deliver technical assistance in the form of counseling and training to small business concerns and nascent entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement.
The mission of SBA’s Office of Innovation & Technology, which bears responsibility for administering the FAST Program, is to strengthen the technological competitiveness of small businesses across the country through coordination and oversight of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The primary mission of the FAST program is to help underrepresented entrepreneurs successfully compete for SBIR/STTR awards.
The FAST program provides one-year funding to organizations to execute state/regional programs that increase the number of SBIR/STTR proposals leading to an increase in the number of SBIR/STTR awards from women, socially/economically disadvantaged individuals, and small businesses in underrepresented areas - typically rural states.
An organization may submit only one proposal in response to this Announcement. Any additional applications from the same organization will automatically be rejected without being evaluated. Interested applicants from within Duke should contact dukeiln@duke.edu as early as possible.
Deadline: June 27, 2022
In order to be eligible for this funding opportunity an Applicant must:
A total amount of $1,000,000 in FY 2021 funding is available for this program. SBA expects to make approximately 8 awards with a maximum amount of up to $125,000. Only qualified recipients will be funded. There is a matching fund requirement.
