Technical Assistance

Manufacturing Assistance
The Edc, through the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (FMEP), helps small-to-medium-size companies identify barriers to productivity and implement solutions and provide program management in a cost-effective manner.  The FMEP provides manufacturing engineering, technical and management assistance in numerous areas to help improve profitability, productivity, and competitiveness for the Florida manufacturing community.

USF Connect
USF Connect is your link to a wide range of small business development services available at the University of South Florida (USF).  It was created to provide a single point of contact for resources like technology, financing, marketing, management, partners and support services that can accelerate and support the growth of your business.  For more information contact the university at 813-866-3802 or visit www.research.usf.edu

Florida High Tech Corridor Council
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council's mission is to attract, retain and grow high tech industry, and to help develop the workforce to support those industries within the 23-county service areas of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF).  The primary focus of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) has been to foster applied research between Corridor universities and their high tech industry partners.  The majority of the Councils funding has been allocated to this effort.  Successful companies have obtained grants for applied research projects in a variety of disciplines including agritechnology; aviation and aerospace; digital media/interactive entertainment; financial services; information technology; life sciences/biotechnology; microelectronics/nanotechnology; modeling, simulation and training; optics and photonics; and sustainable energy.  For more information, call 407-562-1900 or visit www.floridahightech.com

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program encourages small business to engage in federal research and development with the potential to commercialize the resulting product.  SBIR eligibility criteria:  American-owned and independently operated, for-profit, principal researcher must be employed by business, and the business must have 500 or fewer employees.  Following submission of proposals, agencies make SBIR awards based on small business qualifications, degree of innovation, technical merit, and future market potential.  For more information, contact the EDC at 941.309.1200 or visit www.sba.gov/sbir.

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program facilitates cooperative research and development between small businesses and U.S. research institutions with the potential to commercialize the resulting product.  STTR eligibility criteria:  American-owned and independently operated, for-profit, principal researcher need not be employed by small business, company size limit is 500 employees (no size limit for nonprofit research institution).  Nonprofit research institutions must also meet certain eligibility criteria: must be located in the U.S.; and must be either nonprofit college or university, domestic nonprofit research organization, or federally funded research and development center.  For more information, contact the EDC at 941.309.1200 or visit www.sba.gov/sbir.

Your EDC staff is more than happy to assist with any challenges you may be facing in your business.  Please send us an email letting us know what the challenge is and we will contact you as quickly as possible to offer assistance.