MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 30, 2010) — Small businesses receive more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts each year through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs — but the road to receiving this funding is filled with competition.

Florida’s Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) understands that small business owners need this funding and works to help them receive it.  Continuing its assistance, TRDA has put together seven workshops around the state featuring the best SBIR trainers in the business.

The workshops will occur between April and September and will feature nationally renowned SBIR trainers: Mark Henry (president of Grow Emerging Companies in Colorado), Jim Greenwood (president of Greenwood Consulting Group in Sanibel Island) and Sharon Ballard (president of Enable Ventures in Arizona).

“Florida has some of the brightest entrepreneurs across the nation, and TRDA strongly believes in helping these companies get the funding they need to make a difference in their respective sectors,” said Chester Straub, TRDA executive director. “These workshops will be invaluable to small business owners working to achieve that goal.”

The schedule of events and locations is as follows:

April 29 — Melbourne (TRDA Business Innovation Center, 1050 West NASA Blvd.)
May 4 — Jacksonville (University of North Florida University Center, 12000 Alumni Dr.)
June 3 — Miami (University of Miami in Coral Gables)
June 10 — Tallahassee (National High Magnetic Field Lab at Innovation Park, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr.)
July 15 — Largo (Star Technology Enterprise Center, 7887 Bryan Dairy Rd.)
August 4 — Orlando (Disney Entrepreneur Center, 315 E. Robinson St., Suite 100)
September 16 — Boca Raton (Enterprise Development Corp. Technology Business Incubator at FAU, 3701 FAU Blvd., Suite 201)

The workshops are scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The cost is $49 per person, per workshop and includes lunch. Space is limited, so interested parties must register online at TRDA.org.  Contact Bonnie O’Regan at boregan@trda.org or 321.872.1050, Ext. 107 with questions or for more information.  

Support for this program was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.


About TRDA
The TRDA Business Innovation Center helps early-stage technology-based firms in Central Florida grow into financially viable, freestanding, high-growth companies. It offers clients access to modern office space, shared office resources, business services, professional development and training, investor networking and more for one monthly fee.
 
Launched in 1987, the TRDA develops and implements technology-based economic development initiatives in four target areas: business incubation, clean technology, education and technology commercialization and transfer. By infusing new technology into businesses and schools, the TRDA helps to strengthen the economy of the Space Coast, Florida and the nation.  For more information, visit www.trda.org.

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CONTACT:    
Bonnie O’Regan
TRDA Program Manager
321-872-1050 ext. 107
boregan@trda.org

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lindsey Levy
Push.
407-841-2299 ext. 1264
llevy@pushhere.com