Applications
accepted beginning July 7 to fund as many as 15 existing
clusters
***************
Release
Date: June 22, 2010
Contact: Dennis Byrne (202) 205-6567
Release Number:
10-36
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
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WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today the availability
of funding to support economic development and job creation through existing regional
clusters. As part of its Regional Cluster Initiative, SBA will accept proposals
from local and regional cluster initiatives beginning July 7 for funding of up
to $600,000 per cluster to support up to 15 projects across the country. Proposals
should be submitted by the cluster’s coordinating entity.
SBA’s
Regional Cluster Initiative focuses on accelerating small business growth
and
job creation through clusters that leverage and align a region’s economic,
business
and workforce assets. Regional clusters are networks of organizations and businesses
in a geographic area that grow through increased collaboration, efficiency and
innovation.
“Clusters bring together many businesses
and organizations in a region to maximize the economic strengths of that region,
enhancing its ability to compete on a national and global scale,” SBA Administrator
Karen Mills said. “SBA is committed to providing both financial and technical
assistance resources that can be a catalyst for accelerating a regional cluster’s
viability and lead to sustainable economic growth and job creation.”
SBA
is launching two programs within its Regional Cluster Initiative:
Regional
Innovation Clusters (RICs) and Advanced Defense Technologies (ADTs).
Prospective
offerors for both solicitations may find additional information through the Federal
Business Opportunities website (www.fedbizopps.gov).
Information on the RIC solicitation (SBAHQ-10-R-0021) is available at https://www.fbo.gov/index?
s=opportunity&mode=form&id=7e3fa820644db3b29f99bb14adec6b5b&tab=core&_cview=0
Information
on the ADT solicitation (SBAHQW-10-R-0022) is available at https://www.fbo.gov/index?
s=opportunity&mode=form&id=78cf4bab7dd00d2c2e4754d857ad59ab&tab=core
&_cview=0.
Clusters
may apply to only one program.
editor's note: URLs may be
too long to appeara on one line in your e-mail application. Please make sure to
copy and paste the entire address into your browser.
Regional
Innovation Clusters
Successful offerors will receive
a one-year contract with an option for an additional year to provide business
training, commercialization and technology transfer services, counseling, mentoring
and other services that support the growth and development of small businesses
in the cluster area and its industries.
SBA will select
clusters across the country that meet specified criteria. In each initiative,
interested offerors will be asked to demonstrate that they have the partnerships,
technical capacity and local assets to support their existing regional cluster.
Regional
Innovation Clusters will be assessed on the impact they will have on the region’s
economic growth, creation of sustainable jobs and the opportunities the cluster
provides for small businesses.
Advanced Defense Technologies
SBA
is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to identify areas around
the country where regional innovation clusters can help meet critical defense
technology needs. Successful offerors that meet specified criteria will receive
a one-year contract with an option for an additional year to provide business
training, counseling, mentoring, matchmaking, and other services to small businesses
that focus on critical DOD technologies.
Areas of high-growth
potential critical to DOD include, but are not limited to, advanced robotics,
advanced defense systems, power/energy innovations, cyber-security and applied
lightweight materials. In each project, interested offerors will be asked to demonstrate
that they have the partnerships, technical capacity, and local assets to support
developing or existing regional clusters.
Experience working
with DOD’s Small Business Innovative Research program and defense technology
development programs is preferred. Offerors with Defense Security Service Facility
Clearances who can hold security clearances and discuss classified material on
site are also preferred but not required.
