Well, welcome to the halfway point of 2008.  That went quick, didn’t it?  What started out as a slow month, ended on a high note with lots of positive announcements throughout the region.  We’ve summarized a nice selection after the break.

June also saw one of the blogs we follow “going dark”, as they say.  Chris Varley’s Tech Futures blog, which grew out of a NorTech study around technology-based economic development, signed off this month with the following note:

The TechFutures site will remain up for some time to come, but this will be the last blog post in this forum.  As NorTech adapts to the changes around it, new priorities are emerging and new initiatives are being launched.  We invite you to revisit the stories and history of this project here on this site, but even more than that we encourage you to get and stay involved in the new projects NorTech and other economic development groups in the region pursue in the months and years to come.

Continued

With nighttime lows that have dipped into the 30’s recently, it’s hard to believe we are making the turn into Summer, but here we are in June already.  The temperatures are quickly on the rise (if only the Indian’s bats were heating up as well), and the Summer Solstice is only a couple weeks away.

Lot’s of good economic development news hit in May.  Selfishly, we here at NEOinc are most proud of Mike LeHere’s award by the National Business Incubation Association as the top incubator innovator of 2008.  Mike is the CEO of the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA) and the innovation was the Global Technology Commercialization Initiative in conjunction with the City of Akron.  Three links to separate articles are in the list below, but since we write this blog, we’re linking here too.  Follow this link to read our original article on Mike. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s May recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

 Innovation Fund Media Announcement 

Presenting awards to technology-based start up companies in Northeast Ohio
and announcing a generous contribution to the
Innovation Fund from First Place Bank!

 Wednesday, June 4, 2008
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Entrepreneurship Innovation Center on the
campus of Lorain County Community College.
(Lunch will be provided.)

The Innovation Fund, administered by the Lorain County Community College Foundation, cordially invites you to a media announcement where the newest recipients of the Innovation Fund will be presented.  In addition to these awards, we will be celebrating a significant contribution towards the Innovation Fund from one of our newest partners.

Please RSVP by visiting www.lorainccc.edu/ifund. 

For directions, please visit:  www.lorainccc.edu/map. 

For questions or more information please contact the LCCC Foundation at 440-366-4039.

 Funding support provided by Ohio’s Third Frontier ESP Program
as well as our newest partner, First Place Bank! 

Much of NEOinc’s management is in San Antonio this week at the National Business Incubation Association’s Spring conference.  In our absence, we leave you with April’s recap of positive regional change, and look forward to publishing next week. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s April recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

Ah, Spring.  The daffodils are pushing their way out of the dirt, the forecast shows nothing but 50’s and our Tribe opened with a win.  What’s not to like? 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s March recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day in our region.   Continued

These SBIR / STTR Workshops will show you how

The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) and TechLift are presenting a series of workshops on the Federal SBIR and STTR programs.  The Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR and STTR programs fund a billion dollars each year in early-stage R&D projects at small technology companies - projects that serve a DoD need and have commercial applications.

• The SBIR Program provides up to $850,000 in early-stage R&D funding directly to small technology companies (or individual entrepreneurs who form a company).
• The STTR Program provides up to $850,000 in early-stage R&D funding directly to small companies working cooperatively with researchers at universities and other research institutions.

Small companies retain the intellectual property rights to technologies they develop under these programs.  Funding is awarded competitively, but the process is streamlined and user-friendly.

Knowing the ins and outs of how the program works, how best to apply, and what you need to do in order to increase your odds of an award is the basis of the OAI/TechLift workshops.  In each of the workshops, you will learn:

• How to use SBIR and STTR as a business development tool in your company
• The basics of the DOD SBIR/STTR Program, its breadth and potential reward to you
• How to develop a DOD SBIR/STTR proposal that answers the need with logical flow
• What DOD SBIR reviewers look for, pitfalls to avoid & pointers to better your efforts
• How to access technical information about prior R&D awards
• Decide whether you can/should compete for SBIR/STTR or other government funds 

• How to partner with TechLift and OAI to increase your commercialization opportunities

Three workshop dates are being offered:

Fri., April 4th, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Akron Global Business Accelerator
526 S. Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44311

Thu., April 10th, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise (GLIDE)
Lorain County Community College
151 Innovation Drive, Suite 210
Elyria, Ohio 44035 Fri., April 11th, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI)
241 Federal Plaza West
Youngstown, Ohio 44503

EVENT INFO:

Lunch will be provided. Cost: $25 for OAI Members & TechLift Partners; $40 for Non-Members.  NEOinc is a TechLift partner.  If you are a tenant in one of our incubators, you are eligible for the reduced pricing.

Online registration will be available soon, please visit http://www.oai.org/ (networking and events)
By e-mail: patriciagrospiron@oai.org and monicadumitriu@oai.org
By phone: Patricia Grospiron, 440-962-3216 and Monica Dumitriu, 440-962-3141

Ready to take the next step?

OAI and TechLift are also offering an Intensive Workshop on SBIR / TTIR & Grant Funding Proposal Preparation.  This workshop is a day and a half and will focus on:

• Detailed instruction on proposal preparation

• Technical & commercialization plans
• Proposal submission procedures
• Overview of all agencies, including DOD, DOE, & NSF

This intensive workshop will take place April 28th and 29th at the OAI facility (click for directions).  Registration contacts are the same as above.  There are four options for this workshop:

• Option 1: One day of SBIR training, Mon., 12-5 p.m. or Tue., 9 a.m. – noon
  Cost: $125 for OAI Members & TechLift partners; $250 for Non-Members
• Option 2: One day of SBIR training + 1/2 day on commercialization
  Cost: $150 for Members & TechLift partners; $300 for Non-Members
• Option 3: One day of SBIR training + project summary review*
  Cost: $175 for Members & TechLift partners; $350 for Non-Members 
• Option 4: Same day + 1/2 day on commercialization + project summary review*
  Cost: $200 for Members & TechLift partners; $400 for Non-Members

*Note: The outline details for the project summary will be provided during the workshop.

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s February recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day in our region.   Continued

Reminder:   March 31, 2008 is the deadline for the next applicant cycle for the Lorain County Community College Innovation Fund.   

Successful applicants should expect to see awarded funds shortly after July 1, 2008.   As you know the application process is done via the web.

 If you have any questions, contact GLIDE at 440-366-4310.

Time sure does fly.  Here we are at the end of January and it seems like just last week we were opening presents and spending some well-deserved time with family and friends.  As this first month of the New Year winds down, it seems appropriate to take a look back at 2007.  

Normally we are focused on the tenants and clients we assist; in this post however, please bear with us as we toot our own horn a little bit. 

Continued

The Innovation Fund of the Lorain County Community College Foundation, established in 2007, is a regional fund focused on supporting technology-based entrepreneurial endeavors and emerging technology-based businesses.

The purpose of the Innovation Fund is to make grants to technology business “start-ups” (”B Grants”), while at the same time supporting an entrepreneurial educational opportunity for students, faculty or staff of Lorain County Community College or its University Partnership institutions across the region. In addition, the Innovation Fund will make a limited number of grant awards to validate technology concepts (”A Grants”).

Innovation Fund awards are available to technology-based businesses that are headquartered in Northeast Ohio, and to entrepreneurs who reside in the Northeast Ohio area and whose business concept involves innovative or cutting-edge technologies or new applications for existing technologies.

The application process that you are about to undertake involves three steps:

• Applicant Information
• Qualifications Form
• Business Opportunity and Use of Funds

Applications to the Fund are accepted during funding cycles periodically throughout the year. The number of qualified applications will be capped at 100 applications for each cycle.

The Innovation Fund grant application and review process involves the following steps:

• Application Submittal
• Staff Review of Application
• Qualified Applicants Meet with Screening Team
• Awards by Innovation Fund Committee

For more information, detailed supporting documents or to submit an application, please go to the Innovation Fund About page on the LCCC website.