-
Save the date for SSTI's 2024 Annual Conference
Join us December 10-12 in Arizona to connect with and learn from your peers working around the country to strengthen their regional innovation economies. Visit ssticonference.org for more information and sign up to receive updates.
-
As the most comprehensive resource available for those involved in technology-based economic development, SSTI offers the services that are needed to help build tech-based economies. Learn more about membership...
-
Subscribe to the SSTI Weekly Digest
Each week, the SSTI Weekly Digest delivers the latest breaking news and expert analysis of critical issues affecting the tech-based economic development community. Subscribe today!
SBA announces first L2M winners, Tibbetts Awards
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the winners of two award programs. The Lab to Market (L2M) competition was launched in September and recognizes organizations, programs and ideas that support R&D innovation ecosytems, particularly those focused on underrepresented communities and pandemic responses. SBA also announced recipients of the annual Tibbetts Awards, which recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals for exceptional success achieved through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. SSTI is happy to note that several of our members were recognized in each of the awards.
The SBA partnered with the national Science and Technology Council’s Lab-to-Market subcommittee to award $330,000 in prizes to the winners of the new L2M Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Prize Competition. There were more than 160 submissions and SSTI members Arrowhead Center and BioGenerator (the investment arm of BioSTL) were both winners in the Visionary category, receiving $25,000 “for the most creative and actionable ideas for creating a more inclusive R&D innovation ecosystem for the future.” JumpStart Inc. was a winner of a $10,000 prize in the Ecosystem Responder category for “innovative and effective responses to support the R&D ecosystem amidst the pandemic environment.” Conductor (a public-private partnership between the University of Central Arkansas and Startup Junkie Consulting) won a Super Connector prize worth $10,000 for “current efforts to successfully attract and/or support networks of underrepresented communities in the R&D innovation ecosystem.”
The entire list of winners is available here.
The Tibbetts Awards recognize those who have supported tech entrepreneurs in underrepresented communities in creative and impactful ways. Among the awardees are three organizations with membership in SSTI and two individuals serving in leadership roles at SSTI member organizations: the Arrowhead Center, BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, and OK Catalyst (part of the Tom Love Innovation Hub at the University of Oklahoma); and, Abby Trotter of LaunchTN and Thomas Wavering of OK Catalyst at the University of Oklahoma were also recognized as individuals for their work in supporting SBIR/STTR.
A detailed list of all awardees can be found here.
awards, sba