BEMIDJI, Minn. — The Northwest Regional Small Business Development Center, housed at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation, will be hosting a course entitled “Utilizing Federal Grants to Fund Your High-Risk Innovative Technology From Concept to Commercialization” on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The course will be held from 9-11 a.m. at the CRI, an off-campus facility located at 3801 Bemidji Ave. North.

The course has a $20 fee.

The federal government invests $2.3 billion in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs designed to provide seed funding to move conceptual ideas through commercialization. This course covers what it takes to compete for a share of that $2.3 billion, which agencies to target, how to assemble a quality proposal and information on the new Offices of Science and Technology in the U.S. Department of Energy, which oversee the SBIR and STTR programs.

Grants of approximately $850,000 are awarded to take products from the proof-of-concept state to prototype development.

For more information on the course, please contact Lyle Wright at (651) 259-7419, or via e-mail at lyle.wright@state.mn.us; also, contact Joyce Pellow at joyce.pellow@state.mn.us.

For more information on the SBDC, please contact Shari Augustine at the Northwest Regional Small Business Development Center at (218) 755-4255.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Oct. 21 – 9-11 a.m. – Northwest Regional Small Business Development Center presents, “Protecting and Understanding Your Credit.” Location: Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N., Bemidji, Minn. Registration: $25 per person. Information: Shari Augustine; saugustine@bemidjistate.edu; (218) 755-4255.

About the Small Business Development Center
The Minnesota Small Business Development Centers (MnSBDC) provide no-cost, professional business consulting to small businesses on a variety of business needs. In the wake of a disaster, MnSBDCs work with small businesses to help them assess business and capital needs, including helping small business owners access federal disaster and other loans by assisting them with the required applications and supporting financial documents.

The Northwest Regional SBDC in Bemidji supports Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Polk, Pennington, Red Lake and Roseau counties and also has locations in Thief River Falls and Crookston.