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Commercialization Assistance Program

The Department of Defense (DOD) awards more than $1 billion a year through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants program. During the last 5 years more than $60 million of these grants in the form of SBIR Phase II awards went to Florida companies. The potential for these projects to generate economic impact is huge. That impact is further multiplied when these grantees are connected with private sector capital and the right government/industry contacts.

TRDA’s Commercialization Assistance Program supports DoD in realizing the goal of achieving commercial “wins” with their SBIR investments. The TRDA program identifies the most promising DoD SBIR Phase II technologies in Florida and provides:

• mentoring on business planning, marketing, sales, government contracting and capital acquisition
• connections to DoD acquisition managers accelerating technology into the warfighter
• introductions to industry customers such as prime contractors and private corporations
• opportunities to share their product, investment or licensing opportunity with an audience of potential investors and strategic partners

In addition, the TRDA Commercialization Assistance Program stimulates the creation of high-wage jobs, helping high-tech companies commercialize their technologies and grow.

In October 2008 an initial group of approximately 80 Florida-based businesses seeking a leg up in connecting their DoD supported technologies with potential government and industry-wide customers were identified by TRDA. Within this group 20 of these companies were selected to receive the program’s specialized business and technical assistance. Click here for the Tech Portal regarding information on DoD company technologies.

TRDA collaborates with the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce to mirror the Florida activities in New York. In October the Chamber identified 25 New York-based DoD SBIR recipients to help with company growth and technology commercialization needs.

For more information on the DoD program contact Bernie Zuzo, TRDA’s SBIR Commercialization Manager at 321-872-1050, ext. 108 or via e-mail at bzuzo@trda.org.

National Alliance for Small Business Opportunity

Through the NASA Alliance for Small Business Opportunity (NASBO) program the TRDA helps small technology-based companies that have already partnered with NASA on technology development projects, to transition their innovations towards commercialization.

NASBO is the third phase of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) grant program. Under NASBO, companies receive small grants to engage in specific activities to successfully move their innovations to the public/private sector. These activities include such things as market analysis, prototyping and certifications.

NASA SBIR Phase I or II companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are considered for this TRDA program. When funds are available a panel of NASBO chapter members, including technology business incubators and independent organizations, review applications and set grant award amounts. The first southeast NASBO grants were awarded to six companies in October 2008. Click here for the Tech Portal regarding information on NASBO company technologies. 

For more information on the NASBO program contact Bernie Zuzo, TRDA’s SBIR Commercialization Manager at 321-872-1050, ext. 108 or via e-mail at bzuzo@trda.org.