Innovative entrepreneurs, researchers, and company members participating in the April 18 SBIR Road Tour at UA Little Rock are encouraged to plan ahead in order to maximize your one-on-one time with agency program managers.
The Road Tour is a rare opportunity for entrepreneurs with next-generation ideas to connect face-to-face with agency decision makers. Program managers from several federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, will meet one-on-one with attendees and share insights into how their agencies make funding decisions.
Below are tips to help you prepare.
Learn about SBIR/STTR
If you are new to the Small Business Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, start with these SBIR.gov courses, available in video, PDF, and multimedia formats:
- Course 1: Program Basics
- Course 2: Agency Introductions
- Course 3: Agency Solicitations
- Course 4: Finding Topics
Draft a Quad Chart
A quad chart is a one-page document used to quickly introduce your team and technology to agency representatives. As the name implies, the chart has four components: 1) Technology Development; 2) Company Introduction; 3) Research Need; and 4) Opportunity.
One is required to book appointments for one-on-one sessions with any agency program managers, and a high-quality quad chart will make a good impression on potential funding agencies.
To prepare a quad chart, refer to this quad chart template.
Contact ASBTDC
Once you’ve prepared your draft, reach out to Rebecca Todd (rctodd@ualr.edu) or Martial Trigeaud (mxtrigeaud@ualr.edu) of the ASBTDC. We are available to help you complete your quad chart and address any questions you may have about the SBIR Road Tour.
Contact us by email to schedule a meeting or call.
Prepare Questions
Agencies scheduled to participate in the SBIR Road Tour are listed below. In preparation for your one-on-one sessions, draft short lists of questions for each of the different agencies you anticipate meeting with.
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Homeland Security
- Missile Defense Agency
- Department of the Navy
- Department of Defense Special Operations Command
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Patent and Trademark Office
- Federal Laboratory Consortium
Preview the Agenda
The tentative Road Tour agenda can be found here.
Register
Space is limited for this event, so register now to guarantee your spot. Pre-registration is required to participate.
