Helping startups and entrepreneurs access federal funding.

Federal Funding Assistance

Did you know that there are billions of non-dilutive dollars available to early-stage startups via Federal Government grant programs, including SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovation Research; Small Business Technology Transfer) and more? And while the process can be daunting, VertueLab leverages our extensive experience helping startups win federal grants to assist you in identifying, navigating, and applying for funding opportunities at no cost.

Oregon’s SBIR-STTR Assistance Program

The Oregon Federal and State Technology partnership program provides SBIR and STTR proposal development assistance to small businesses throughout Oregon. Securing federal funding for your innovative idea or technology is a critical step towards commercial success. The SBIR and STTR programs, often referred to as “America’s Seed Fund,” are an excellent source of undiluted funding, but are highly competitive. Oregon FAST provides the resources, support, and expertise necessary to submit a highly competitive proposal.

The Oregon FAST program is housed at VertueLab and is funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Business Oregon.  Since 2012, Oregon FAST has, at no cost, assisted over 200 small businesses across Oregon  pursuing SBIR/STTR funding to win over $26 M in funding.

What Services does Oregon FAST provide?

Oregon FAST offers a wide range of services to clients in their pursuit of SBIR/STTR funding. Over the life of the program, Oregon FAST has developed a workflow to assist clients in every aspect of SBIR/STTR proposal development. (This we can link to the proposal development page.) We can match you with the most appropriate agency and topic based on your innovation, help put you in contact with relevant program managers, provide you with tools and resources that guide you through agency requirements and proposal management, review and critique proposal packages before submission and provide some grant professional writing services. The only service Oregon FAST doesn’t provide is content creation. You know your operation and innovation best.

What are SBIR and STTR Grants?

Each year the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding programs award approximately $4.2 billion in non-dilutive funding to small, high-tech, innovative businesses. SBIR encourages small for-profit companies and research institutions to pursue risky but potentially rewarding endeavors to ensure the United States remains the world's innovation leader. The funding is awarded based on a competitive process that considers both the technical merit of the technology to be developed and the potential for successfully introducing it to the market. 

Who makes SBIR and STTR Grants?

SBIR/STTR grants are made by the following participating federal agencies:  

  • Department of Agriculture

  • Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology 

  • Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

  • Department of Defense 

  • Department of Education 

  • Department of Energy 

  • Department of Health and Human Services 

  • Department of Homeland Security 

  • Department of Transportation 

  • Environmental Protection Agency 

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

  • National Science Foundation

Supporting companies across sectors in the Pacific Northwest

The Impact

100+

companies assisted

$21M+

secured in federal grants

SBIR/STTR Training & Events

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