Small Business Center to Hold Training Seminars

NEWARK — The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC), headquartered at Rutgers Business School, has announced that together with longtime partners EisnerAmper, LLP and Lowenstein Sandler PC, it will step up and reintroduce SBIR/STTR training seminars this fall.
Three programs are planned beginning Oct. 15. For nearly 10 years, the New Jersey Commission on Science & Technology (CST) had collaborated and contracted with NJSBDC to provide specialized training in the writing of SBIR and STTR research and development grant proposals, as well as proposal preparation assistance. Regrettably funding for CST was eliminated from the 2011 state budget.
The closing of CST has resulted in the loss of state funding to continue SBIR training and proposal assistance. The most recent training seminar was held last November.
The closing of CST also has led to the loss of millions of dollars for its popular venture funding and fellowship programs, which have been eliminated. SBIR and STTR grants are consequently now more important than ever to New Jersey entrepreneurs as the best source of early stage risk capital to fund the development of promising new technologies.
According to NJSBDC State Director and Chief Executive Officer Brenda Hopper, “The SBIR/STTR training sessions have been very successful in helping New Jersey’s small science and technology businesses to win millions of dollars in federal grant awards to help develop their technology.“
During 2009, recent training participants brought more than $2.7 million in SBIR/STTR awards to New Jersey and by June 2010 that number had already been surpassed.
Through the SBIR program, entrepreneurs can receive more than $1,000,000, in two competitive phases over a period of three-four years, to develop their technology and reduce its technical risk.
The program begins with Phase I, which is typically a six-month project funded at up to $150,000 and sometimes more, to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of the proposed technology.
“Many entrepreneurs are intimidated by the thought of writing a competitive proposal,” notes Randy Harmon, lead NJSBDC technology commercialization consultant. “However, companies with a breakthrough or innovative technology that can solve a specified problem or address an interest area of one of the 11 participating federal R&D agencies should not be deterred.”
“Assisting small businesses with obtaining SBIR and STTR grants is a way to bring New Jersey taxpayer dollars back to the state that might otherwise might go to New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California or other states,” adds Deborah Smarth, NJSBDC associate state director and chief operating officer.
The fall training season will begin with a half-day Introduction to SBIR/ STTR and Proposal Writing seminar on Oct. 15 at the NJEDA Commercialization Center in North Brunswick. A two-day program will follow on Nov. 18 and 19 at the NJIT Enterprise Development Center in Newark.
The two-day program will feature the full-day Phase I Proposal Development and Cost Proposal Preparation seminars delivered by the nationally recognized Greenwood Consulting Group. For more information and online registration, visit www. njsbdc.com/sbir