SBA awards grant

The US Small Business Administration awarded $100,000 to the University of Missouri Extension’s Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center to promote small-business technology research around the state.
The stipend — one of only 20 grants the SBA awarded nationally through its Federal and State Technology program — covers a 12-month period that began Oct. 1.
The MO SBTDC will use the award to expand its MoFAST technology-development efforts. The program helps small high-tech businesses secure early-stage capital through federal SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grants to fund research and development efforts. Such research and development work is aimed at expanding small businesses, commercializing technology of interest to federal agencies and increasing the number of high-paying jobs in Missouri.
From April 2008 to June 2010, with funding from the state of Missouri through the Missouri Technology Corp., the MO SBTDC helped 21 businesses in the state collectively win 32 SBIR research awards totaling $4.6 million. Those companies added 48 jobs as a result of their grant successes.
MTC is a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to provide leadership and make strategic investments that help entrepreneurs create and grow technology-based Missouri businesses. MTC places its focus on 21st century bioscience industries building on Missouri’s rich history in agriculture. Visit www.missouritechnology.com for additional information.