SBA Partners with National Science and Technology Council to award $25,000 Prize to Central Maine Growth Council in New Lab to Market Competition
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Small Business Administration partnered with the National Science and Technology Council’s Lab-to-Market subcommittee to award a total of $330,000 in prizes to the winners of the new Lab-to-Market (L2M) Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Prize Competition. From among over 160 submissions, Central Maine Growth Council was selected to receive a “Visionary” prize of $25,000 to expand the reach of their network and build opportunities for small businesses in Central Maine.
The L2M prize competition recognizes the most impactful organizations, programs and ideas that support the research and development (R&D) innovation ecosystems, particularly those focused on underrepresented communities and pandemic responses. The competition’s goal is to encourage entrepreneurship and inclusive, sustainable growth by developing and commercializing technology to improve access to resources.
“The selection of Central Maine Growth Council for this award is a recognition of the strong collaborations that happen among organizations here in Maine,” said Diane Sturgeon, Deputy District Director of SBA’s Maine District Office. “By investing in local organizations, the SBA is providing resources to those who understand their communities best, and are able to leverage their knowledge on behalf of Maine’s entrepreneurs.”
“We are honored to be recognized by the national Lab-to-Market competition for our commitments to Maine-based entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the state’s innovation landscape,” Said Garvan Donegan, Director of Planning, Innovation & Economic Development at CMGC. “As we emerge out of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding will be utilized to continue our trendline of resiliency and assist with launching our Dirigo Labs accelerator program and an associated network of resources for innovation fellows, entrepreneurs, and startup companies.”
Submissions were evaluated for quality and clarity by a panel of federal employees and non-federal partners with relevant expertise. Final selection was made by an interagency committee in coordination with the SBA’s Office of Innovation and Technology.
# # #
About Lab-to-Market (L2M)
The Lab-to-Market (L2M) subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on the Science and Technology Enterprise leads the federal government-wide implementation of the Lab-to-Market Cross Agency Priority (L2M CAP) goal to improve the transition of federally-funded R&D from the laboratory to the marketplace as part of the President’s Management Agenda. Key strategies include increasing engagement with private sector technology development experts and supporting innovative tools and services for technology transfer. To learn more, visit www.performance.gov/CAP/lab-to-market/.
About the SBA Office of Innovation and Technology
SBA coordinates the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund, which each year provide more than $4 billion in early stage seed capital totaling over 5,000 awards to small businesses. 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 makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. 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.
###
|
