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Colmena66, a program of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs and business owners with resources to start or grow their businesses sustainably, announced the launch of the second edition of the Acércate al Grant program call.
Acércate al Grant is a technical assistance program designed to bridge the gap to federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs, which provide nearly $4 billion annually through 12 federal agencies, target early-stage small businesses aiming to commercialize their technologies and engage in research and development.
“Acércate al Grant” offers participants access to experts, grant writers and resources during the SBIR/STTR proposal development process, including idea validation with I-Corps PR from Grupo Guayacán.
“The trust is committed to supporting more entrepreneurs and researchers in Puerto Rico to obtain SBIR/STTR funds, thus contributing to positioning the island as a globally recognized innovation hub,” stated the nonprofit, which is dedicated to fostering “innovation, technology commercialization and the creation of high-technology jobs.”
Participants will receive support and technical assistance from grant writers, specialists in federal proposal writing, as well as support resources including idea validation with I-Corps PR from Grupo Guayacan, grant writing, and compliance requirements. A major challenge for startups and research projects is proposal development due to lack of time, expertise or financial resources to hire experts. This call will cover the costs of hiring a professional grant writer. Non-formalized projects will also receive assistance in the incorporation process, a requirement for SBIR/STTR programs.
“In fiscal year 2023, our programs helped achieve four awarded SBIR contracts. These awards contributed a total of $3,155,995 to Puerto Rico’s economy. With matching funds of $600,000 provided by the Trust through its SBIR/STTR Matching Grant initiative, the total economic contribution reached $3,755,995,” stated the trust’s chief executive officer, Lucy Crespo.
“This success reflects the high quality of research and proposals in Puerto Rico,” she said, adding that the trust focuses on helping the “talent and ideas” on the island secure federal funds and elevate “innovations to another level.”
Acércate al Grant is funded by grants awarded to Colmena66, chosen as one of 40 winning organizations of the 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) among more than 300 applicants. Colmena66 received $200,000 to support entrepreneurs and researchers developing innovations and technologies.
By winning the national award, the Growth Accelerator Partnership was established, a multi-sector alliance comprising institutions in the innovation ecosystem including the University of Puerto Rico’s Central Administration, BioLeap – Parallel18, Carbono3, the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, the Center for Bioprospecting and Tropical Biodiversity, Ciencia Puerto Rico, Deca Analytics, and the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish), among others.
“With ‘Acércate al Grant,’ we aim to increase the number of SBIR/STTR grants won annually in Puerto Rico, supporting underserved communities in STEM and research and development,” said Denisse Rodríguez-Colón, executive director of Colmena66. “These efforts demonstrate how our innovation ecosystem works together to facilitate access to opportunities that advance Puerto Rico’s economy.”
Eligible participants include entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, independent research projects, established companies, researchers in private and state academic institutions, and research institutions. Initiatives in information and communications technology, biotechnology and life sciences, medical devices, aerospace, clean technology/renewable energy, agriculture, environmental sciences, and electronics, among other sectors aligned with the focus areas of participating federal agencies, will be considered, the entity stated.
Applications for the grant program can be submitted electronically until March 10. Evaluation will be based on criteria such as literature review, innovation, probability of commercial use, technical expertise, research objectives, and project or exploratory experiment progress.
As originally reported by: NimB
