# Presentation: 366122

## THEWYOMING SBIR/STTR  INITIATIVEEugene (Gene) WatsonOffice of ResearchUniversity of Wyoming

##  ...an example of a rural stateSBIR Outreach Program

## WYOMING IS RURAL

- Pronghorn Antelope Population – 500,000
- 		Highest of the 50 states
- Human Population – 500,000
- 		Least of the 50 states
- Geographical Area – 100,000 square mi. 	5 people per square mile
- No communities of >50,000
- 		90% are less than 10,000

## WYOMING SBIR OUTREACH CHALLENGES

- Economy dominated by oil, gas & mineral extraction + government & tourism
- Lack of tech-based support infrastructure -one major R&D asset – U. of Wyoming
- Small client base widely dispersed

## WYOMING’S 2003 $23B GROSS STATE PRODUCT                                                  % Mineral, Oil & Gas Extraction			23.5Government (Federal, State, Local & Military)	13.7 Transportation & Public Utilities			12.7Services (including Hospitality and Health)	11.7Finance, Insurance & Real Estate			11.5Wholesale & Retail Trade				11.4Manufacturing (0.3% tech-based)			 7.6Construction						 5.4Agriculture & Ranching			 	 2.5

## Historically, how has Wyoming performed in the national SBIR/STTR competition?

- During the first 17 years of the program ...
- Wyoming small businesses received SBIR grants and contracts averaging $320,000 per year...
- less than 15% of the national _per capita_ average

## In 1996, using funds provided by a National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant, Dr. Chris Busch, a technology entrepreneur and SBIR advocate, was retained to establish the innovativeWyoming SBIR Initiative

## The Initiative was so successful that when the two-year EPSCoR grant expired, the Wyoming Legislature authorized and funded theWyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative  

## TheWyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative(WSSI)a technology-based economic diversification program funded byThe Wyoming Business Counciland administered byThe University of Wyoming 

##  The WSSI MissionTo encourage and assist all eligible Wyoming residents to participate in theSBIR and STTR programs

## During the first 5 years of theWSSI program...

- Wyoming small businesses received an average of $3.1 million per year...
- >110% of the national _per capita_ average

## What does the WSSI do?

- Provides state-wide outreach on an individual basis to encourage small business SBIR & STTR participation
- Conducts state-wide conferences and workshops providing opportunities to  meet with federal agency program specialists and Wyoming award winners.

## The WSSI also...

- Provides one-on-one guidance in the preparation of competitive proposals.
- Publishes a bi-weekly e-newsletter with current information on agency solicitations, due dates, regional and national conferences and workshops, a listing of additional resources, and other SBIR/STTR news and topics of interest.

## But, most important...the WSSI administers thevery popular and successful...

## Phase 0 Program

##  Designed to ‘jump-start’ Wyoming small businesses into participation in the SBIR/STTR programs by providing the resources necessary to prepare competitive Phase I proposals

## PHASE 0 PROGRAM FEATURES

- 24 Contract Awards per year – 2/month
- Up to $5,000 per award
- Proposals due on the first day of each month
- Award notification on the 10th day
- Funds to be used to provide access to all resources needed to prepare competitive Phase I proposals.

## The Phase 0 Program also provides

- Reviewer feed-back giving guidance for subsequent proposal preparation
- Mentoring for Phase I proposal preparation from successful SBIR/STTR award winners

## What are THE  chances of winning a WSSI Phase 0 award?

- During 2004, an average of 4 proposals per month were submitted
- 2 proposals/month received awards
- 50%

## USDA 2004 SBIR PHASE I RESULTS

- Wyoming third in _total_ awards – 5 of 101
- Per-capita, Wyoming was first, three times higher than the runner-up and 30 times higher than the national average.
- Over the past 5 years, Wyoming’s USDA proposal conversion rate has been 42%, two and a half times the national rate of 17%

## The Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative is generously funded by the Wyoming state legislature at an annual level of nearly $0.50 per capita