Capital Opportunities for Small Businesses - sbtdc

C A P I T A L O P P O R T U N I T I E S F O R SMA L L B U S I N E S S E S
banks and accountants to accelerate the commercialization of promising technologies. BATON paves
the way for new company spinouts by staging many of the essential start-up activities such as
researching and creating business plans, identifying potential intellectual property and corporate law
firms, developing a banking relationship and presenting the company to local angel and venture
groups, thereby positioning the startups for future investment and growth.
Business Development Loan Program
The Business Development Loan Program provides financial assistance to North Carolina biotechnology
firms with low-interest matching loans for early stage business development-related activities. This
loan supports non-scientific activities critical to the future commercialization of a company's
technology. A company may request up to $25,000 (minimum $15,000) through the Business
Development Loan program and must provide a dollar-for-dollar match of these funds. The company
will be required to certify it can provide matching money. In-kind contributions cannot be considered
toward the company match.
Collaborative Funding Grant (CFG) Program
The Collaborative Funding Grant (CFG) supports a university-company partnership that will advance a
company’s technology toward the marketplace. This grant provides funds for a post-doctoral fellow or
technician in a university lab to conduct research on a project of commercial interest. University
investigators and companies first form the collaboration and then apply together through the
university. The CFG is jointly sponsored by the Biotechnology Center and the Kenan Institute for
Engineering, Technology and Science at North Carolina State University.
Any North Carolina company may submit a CFG proposal in conjunction with any public or private
North Carolina university. CFG Program awards are disbursed to the participating university. The award
amount from NCBC/Kenan is between $40,000 and $50,000 per year, depending on the size of the
participating company. The required matching amount from the participating company is between
$10,000 and $20,000 based on a sliding scale with smaller companies required to contribute fewer
funds. Regardless of company size, the total cash amount provided to the university, for research is
$60,000. The university must provide an in-kind match of $20,000, bringing the total package to
$80,000 per year.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Bridge Loan
The SBIR Bridge Loan program provides financial assistance in the form of low-interest loans as gap
funding to maintain the momentum of technology development begun as a Phase I project and
building toward Phase II funding.
North Carolina companies, who received Phase I SBIR grants for biotechnology-related product
development, processes, or services, are eligible for consideration for financial support. It is assumed
the candidate company has completed (or is nearing completion) of a successful Phase I SBIR project
and intends to apply for SBIR Phase II grant funding (there is no requirement to eventually receive the
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