WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s more than 33 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, kicked off America’s Seed Fund Week with remarks highlighting the upcoming 2024 Seed Fund Road Tour as well as the critical role small businesses play in expanding technological innovation across the nation.

America’s Seed Fund Week is a virtual three-day event series from Jan. 23-25 and will be followed by America’s Seed Fund Road Tour, traveling to 16 states and territories later in the year. These events connect innovators and entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early-stage technology funding opportunities, America’s Seed Fund. Fostering innovation and increasing our nation's global competitiveness while promoting small business growth are crucial pillars of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda. 

“America relies on ingenuity to develop critical technologies and create the industries of the future, and we need all great ideas and inventions to propel our global leadership. This is a remarkable time to start up in this country – under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are Investing in America, research and development, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and more, said Administrator Guzman in her remarks. “President Biden believes that America is about possibilities. And he's fighting to ensure American ingenuity and innovation can power our economy and our nation forward.” 

2024 America’s Seed Fund Week Highlights

• Connect with federal agency representatives during Meet the Program Director Sessions organized by technology areas, including artificial intelligence, health, energy, earth, climate, weather, cybersecurity, and space.
• Network nationwide with  for introductions and conversations.
• Meet the 2024 Road Tour in-person state hosts. America's Seed Fund Week is the virtual kickoff of SBA's 2024 Road Tours. There will be four in-person tours beginning in February. Meet the hosts and learn more about the regional stop nearest to you.
• Learn SBIR/STTR basics with SBA Core Content.

America’s Seed Fund Week is free and open to the public. Interested individuals may get event information and register to view the main stage events by visiting: www.americasseedfund.us/america-s-seed-fund-week. The main stage will be recorded for all three days and available on the SBA’s YouTube channel for viewing after the event.

America’s Seed Fund Road Tour is a national outreach effort that conveys the technology funding opportunities provided through America’s Seed Fund, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This year, each in-person Road Tour stop is hosted by SBA’s Federal And State Technology (FAST) Partners, who serve as navigators for America’s Seed Fund in their regions.

“America’s Seed Fund Road Tour plays an important role in educating and encouraging entrepreneurs, many of whom are historically underrepresented in America’s innovation economy, to access federal resources available through the SBIR/STTR programs and support the mission of scientific excellence and technological innovation to build a thriving and secure American economy,” said Associate Administrator for Investment and Innovation Bailey DeVries.

America’s Seed Fund Week will feature virtual panels, presentations, and breakout sessions that bring together program participants with federal agency SBIR/STTR program managers and resource providers to help navigate the funding opportunities through America’s Seed Fund.

2024 In-Person Road Tour Schedule

2024 Road Tour Coastal

• Feb. 7 - Orlando, Florida| Host: Florida High Tech Corridor
• Feb. 9 - San Juan, PR | Host: Puerto Rico Small Business, Technology and Development Centers

2024 Road Tour South

• April 2 – Little Rock, Arkansas | Host: Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center
• April 3 – Jackson, Mississippi | Host: Innovate Mississippi, Jackson State University and The University of Southern Mississippi
• April 4 – Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Host: Louisiana Technology Transfer Office
• April 5 – Houston, Texas | Host: University of Texas at San Antonio – Texas South-West SBDC Technology Commercialization Center

2024 Road Tour Southeast

• May 13 – Columbia, South Carolina | Host: University of South Carolina
• May 14 – Atlanta, Georgia | Host: Innovation Gateway-University of Georgia, Center for Black Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Center at Morehouse
• May 15 – Knoxville, Tennessee | Host: Launch Tennessee
• May 16 – Lexington, Kentucky | Host: Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation
• May 17 – Huntington, West Virginia | Host: TechConnect West Virginia and Marshall University

2024 Road Tour Great Lakes

• July 15 - East Lansing, Michigan | Host: BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting’s Michigan Catalyst Advantage Network
• July 16 - Indianapolis, Indiana | Host: Indiana Economic Development Corporation
• July 17 - Champaign-Urbana, Illinois | Host: Research Park at the University of Illinois
• July 18 - Madison, Wisconsin | Host: Center for Technology Commercialization
• July 19 - Minneapolis, Minnesota | Host: MNSBIR, Inc.

For details on each tour and stops, please visit www.americasseedfund.us/road-tour.

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About America’s Seed Fund
Known as America’s Seed Fund, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs serve as a springboard for providing over $4 billion in non-dilutive funding in the form of contracts and grants to early-stage startups and innovative small businesses each year, science and technology-focused entrepreneurs advance groundbreaking ideas from the research & development to commercialization. The SBA is committed to building a thriving innovation ecosystem and America’s Seed Fund Week 2024 will set the stage for an inclusive learning experience, welcoming attendees to deepen their understanding of the program and its competitive funding opportunities.

About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO. Learn more at sba.gov.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more at sba.gov.

Christine Saah Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
christine.saahnazer@sba.gov