Federal Programs
From tax advice to government contracting,
government-funded agencies like the Small Business Administration are increasing outreach to entrepreneurs. Recently, the SBA opened up one of its newer programs, the Business Gateway Program. The program involves the first government-sponsored online community built for the sole purpose of aiding entrepreneurs. It combines:
- discussion threads
- blogs
- resource articles
The
forum is designed to encourage interaction between business owners and government employees.
Traditionally, the SBA has offered a diverse wealth of advice for entrepreneurs, including:
- Technical Assistance (Training & Counseling)
- Financial Assistance
- Contracting Assistance
- Disaster Assistance Recovery
- Special Interests Groups Assistance
- Advocacy, Laws & Regulations
- Civil Rights Compliance
State Programs
In Texas,
state-funded programs like the Emerging Technology Fund provide the state with an advantage by expediting the development and commercialization of new technologies, and by recruiting the best research talent. Seven regions of the state have been established to administer the program through a “Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization.”
The RCICs act as the regional agent for the ETF Advisory Committee to identify, evaluate, and submit promising proposals from their respective regions to the ETF Advisory Committee. The ETF Advisory Committee makes final decisions on awards. RCICs work closely with applicants in assisting with:
- ETF proposal development
- Post-proposal debriefings
- Commercialization activities
In addition, RCICs are a strong focal point to increasing cooperation and spurning collaboration between industrial, financial, and academic entities.