SBA Awards Grants to Five Organization in Region 6 to Help Underserved Communities Succeed
The awards will provide specialized training, mentoring and technical assistant for Region 6 businesses
SBA Region 6 includes: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
WASHINGTON – The U.S.
Small Business Administration issued grant awards up to $125,000 to one organization in Region 6 for specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance for research and development (R&D)-focused small businesses under the Federal
and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program.
“We are excited that the SBA has awarded Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University (NMSU) the SBIR grant! This grant will help them provide small business owners the necessary technical assistance for research and development. Arrowhead Center, under
the leadership of Dr. Kathryn Hansen, is a valuable SBA partner for our small businesses and the state of New Mexico,” says John Garcia, New Mexico District Director.
“As President Biden often says, great ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. Supporting all our nation’s innovative startups and increasing equitable access to federal research funding is a priority for the SBA, not just because it’s the right thing to do,
but because it will build a stronger future for all of us,” said
SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman.
FAST seeks to improve outcomes in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs for underserved communities by increasing participation from women-owned, rural-based, and socially or economically disadvantaged small
businesses.
Region 6 recipients this year include state and local economic development organizations, Small Business Technology Development Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, colleges, and universities. All awardees will provide support to small businesses
developing advanced technologies.
“SBA’s FAST program has allowed Arrowhead Center to fill a critical gap in our regional innovation ecosystem,” said Dana Catron, Director of Strategic Operations and SBIR Program Director at Arrowhead. Catron adds, “Over the last six years, we have built a
SBIR/STTR support program that has provided significant impacts to regional businesses – in FY20, NM FAST clients had an economic impact of $327M. We are excited to continue expansion of programming and provide assistance to businesses – particularly underserved
and first-time applicants – throughout New Mexico.”
The FAST grantees in Region 6 are as follows:
About FAST
In FY 2021, $4 million total was appropriated as grants for entities to carry out targeted activities from September 30, 2021 through September 29, 2022. Entities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to receive funding to provide outreach, technical, and financial assistance in support of the SBIR/STTR programs. Additional information can be found at
www.sbir.gov/about-fast.
About SBIR/STTR
SBA coordinates the SBIR/STTR programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund. In FY 2021, eleven participating federal agencies will provide more than $4 billion in early-stage seed capital through over 7,000 awards to small businesses. Federal agencies
announce funding opportunities as either grants or contracts to address their research and development needs. Companies supported by the SBIR/STTR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S. Additional information
about the programs, as well as past and current topics can be found at
www.sbir.gov.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business
owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.
To learn more, visit
www.sba.gov.
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