The Nevada Small Business Development Center is promoting the availability of federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
SBIR and the related Small Business Technology Transfer program represent the largest source of early-stage funding for hightech start-up companies in the United States.
They provide more than $2 billion annually to small, for-profit companies to carry out high-risk research and to grow their businesses.
The grants pay for research, innovation and general business needs.
They are not loans or equity investments.
Kathy Carrico, state training director with the small business development center, said more than 40 percent of the funds are awarded to companies with 10 or fewer employees, and much of the money goes to companies with one to three employees.
Nearly a third of the awards go to firsttime winners every year, Carrico said.
She said, however, that the programs are not wellused among by entrepreneurs in Nevada.
NSBDC is offering three workshops to provide an overview of the programs and how businesses can submit proposals.
Led by Dr.
Fritz Grupe, the workshops will be on Feb.
10 from 9 a.m.
to noon, on March 10 from 1- 4 p.m., and on April 19 from 5:45- 8:45 p.m.
Each of the workshops will be held on the University of Nevada, Reno campus in the William Raggio Education Building, Room 1003.
The fee is $25.
Pre-registration is required; call the NSBDC at 784-1717.
