SBA Names FY 2004 FAST, ROP Winners

Earlier this week, 22 states and Puerto Rico were named recipients of more than $2.2 million in combined fiscal year 2004 Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) and Rural Outreach Program (ROP) awards. All but one of the 21 FAST awards distributed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) were worth $95,000 -- they totaled nearly $1.98 million. Five ROP awards of $49,470 also were made by SBA.

FAST, included in December 2000 legislation reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, provides matching funds to enable states to augment or expand their tech business assistance and SBIR outreach efforts. FAST winners include:

• Alaska ­ University of Alaska
• Arizona - Arizona Department
• Arkansas - Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Hawaii ­ High Technology Development Corp.
• Indiana - Advanced Research and Technology Institute
• Kentucky - Kentucky Science and Technology Corp.
• Louisiana ­ Louisiana State University
• Maine ­ Maine Technology Institute
• Maryland ­ Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO)
• Mississippi ­ Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Southern Mississippi
• New Mexico ­ Technology Ventures Corp.
• North Carolina ­ Office of Sponsored Research, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• North Dakota - University of North Dakota
• Oklahoma ­ Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology
• Pennsylvania - Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northern and Central PA
• Puerto Rico - Inter American University of Puerto Rico
• South Dakota - Dakota State University
• Washington ­ Washington Technology Center
• West Virginia - West Virginia Small Business Development Division
• Wisconsin ­ University of Wisconsin-Extnesion
• Wyoming ­ University of Wyoming

ROP awards help foster programs that enable small high tech businesses to increase their participation and success in the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. This is accomplished through training, counseling and outreach. The five FY 2004 SBIR ROP winners are:

• Idaho - Boise State University
• Indiana - Advanced Research and Technology Institute
• Maine - Maine Technology Institute
• Missouri - Office of Sponsored Programs, Curators of the University of Missouri for the University of Missouri-Rolla
• Wyoming - University of Wyoming

The FY 2005 budget for both FAST and ROP remain in question. The Administration's 2005 budget request for SBA did not include funds for either program and the House concurred. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, has approved continuation levels of $2 million for FAST and $250,000 for ROP. No further action on the federal budget is expected until mid-November.

For more information on the programs or to view success stories of past award winners, visit: http://www.sba.gov/sbir/indexfast.html