Small Business Resource Guide - West Virginia Department of ...

Government Procurement
Assistance Centers
Regional Contracting Assistance
Centers (RCAC) offer a variety of
services and programs to assist small
businesses not familiar with government
purchasing procedures and processes,
including a bid network, computerized
information exchange and research,
electronic mail, technical assistance
and help with obtaining and completing
government contracts. For more
information on the West Virginia RCAC,
contact the following:
Regional Contracting Assistance Center
(RCAC)
1116 Smith St., Ste. 202
Charleston, WV 25301
304-344-2546 • 304-344-2574 Fax
www.rcacwv.com
Jessica Hudson, President
lynne7@rcacwv.com
Kendra Marker, Marketing Assist. Spec.
kmarker@rcacwv.com
Sommer Straight, Marketing Asst. Spec.
sstraight@rcacwv.com
RCAC - Eastern Panhandle
Kelly Cortright, Marketing Representative
304-596-9315
kcortright@rcacwv.com
RCAC – Northern Panhandle
Dave Berkey, Marketing Assist. Spec.
304-333-6823
dberkey@frontier.net
RCAC – Southeastern WV
Donna George, Director of Marketing
304-425-9438 ext. 130
starrling@frontier.net
RCAC – Southern WV Community &
Technical College
Jackie Whitley, Marketing Assist. Spec.
304-896-7440
jackiew@southern.wvnet.edu
SMALL BUSINESS
INNOVATION RESEARCH
PROGRAM
The Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) program encourages
small businesses to advance their
technical potential from funds
committed by federal agencies with
large extramural research and
development budgets. The SBIR
program serves to fund the critical
startup and development stages
for a technology and encourages
commercialization of the technology,
product or service. In turn, this
stimulates the U.S. economy.
SBIR Requirements
Small businesses must meet
the following eligibility criteria to
participate in the SBIR program.
• Be 51 percent owned and controlled by
one or more individuals who are U.S.
citizens or permanent resident aliens
in the U.S. or be a for-profit business
concern that is at least 51 percent
owned and controlled by another
for-profit business concern that is at
least 51 percent owned and controlled
by one or more individuals who are
citizens of, or permanent resident
aliens in, the U.S.
• Be for-profit.
• Principal researcher must be employed
by the small business.
• Company size cannot exceed 500
employees.
For more information on the SBIR
program visit www.sba.gov/sbir.
Participating Agencies
Each year, the following eleven
federal departments and agencies are
required to reserve 2.5 percent of their
extramural R&D funds for award to
small businesses through the SBIR
program: Departments of Agriculture;
Commerce; Defense; Education;
Energy; Health and Human Services;
Homeland Security; Transportation;
Environmental Protection Agency;
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration; and National Science
Foundation.
SMALL BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
PROGRAM
The Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) program reserves
a specific percentage of federal R&D
funding for award to small business and
non-profit research institution partners.
Central to the program is expansion
of public/private sector partnerships
to include joint venture opportunities
for small business and the nation’s
premier nonprofit research institutions.
Small business has long been where
innovation and innovators thrive, but
the risk and expense of conducting
serious R&D efforts can be beyond
the means of many small businesses.
Non-profit research laboratories
are also instrumental in developing
high-tech innovations, but frequently
innovation is confined to the theoretical.
STTR combines the strengths of both
entities by introducing entrepreneurial
skills to high-tech research efforts.
The technologies and products are
transferred from the laboratory to the
marketplace. The small business profits
from the commercialization, which, in
turn, stimulates the U.S. economy.
STTR Requirements
Small businesses must meet
the following eligibility criteria to
participate in the STTR program.
• Be 51 percent owned and controlled by
one or more individuals who are U.S.
citizens or permanent resident aliens
in the U.S.
• Be for-profit.
• Principal researcher need not be
employed by the small business.
• Company size cannot exceed 500
employees. (No size limit for nonprofit
research institution).
The nonprofit research institution
partner must also meet certain
eligibility criteria:
• Be located in the United States and be
one of the following:
• Nonprofit college or university.
• Domestic nonprofit research
organization.
• Federally funded R&D center.
Participating Agencies
Each year the following five Federal
departments and agencies are required
by STTR to reserve 0.3 percent of their
extramural R&D funds for award to
small business/nonprofit research
institution partnerships: Department
of Defense; Department of Energy;
Department of Health and Human
Services; National Aeronautics and
Space Administration; and National
Science Foundation.
SURETY BOND
GUARANTEE PROGRAM
The Surety Bond Guarantee program
is a public-private partnership between
the federal government and surety
companies to provide small businesses
with the bonding assistance necessary
for them to compete for public and
private contracting and subcontracting
opportunities. The guarantee provides
all incentive for sureties to bond small
businesses that would otherwise be
unable to obtain bonding. The program
is aimed at small businesses that lack
the working capital or performance
track record necessary to secure
bonding on a reasonable basis through
regular commercial channels.
Through this program, the SBA
guarantees bid, payment, performance
and ancillary bonds issued by surety
companies for individual contracts and
CAPITAL
Visit us online: www.sba.gov/wv West Virginia Small Business Resource — 29