This is the first day of our three-day series on the SBIR/STTR programs, or America’s Seed Fund!

Check-in - 8:30am

Introduction - 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - Get an introduction into these federal funding opportunities. You will learn about the programs, their purpose, and why they are a significant benefit to small businesses across the nation. If you have heard of the programs, but need more information, or have never heard of these programs, but want to find out more, this session will be your key resource into finding out if SBIR/STTR funding is a good pathway towards commercializing your innovative idea.

Getting Started - 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - We'll focus on how to get started with SBIR/STTR funding. You will learn about the required registration for these programs, agency differences and how to identify if that agency is right for your first foray into funding, and about the resources available to Hawaii businesses who want to seek these funding opportunities. This session will dive a bit deeper into the programs, so you want to have some knowledge on SBIR/STTR before attending; you can easily set yourself up for success by attending the first session of the day.

Lunch on your own - Options at SALT at our Kakaako

Research Institutions - 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. - This session will focus on working with Research Institutions (RIs) such as the University of Hawaii, or a federal lab. Under the SBIR/STTR programs, businesses that need additional testing capabilities to establish the feasibility of their idea have unique opportunities to work with RIs, but knowing the requirements to work with one of those subawards can be difficult. Participants will learn about navigating the intricacies of this process and about the benefits that RI partnership brings to the table.