Montana Innovation Partnership

Technical Readiness Level What’s a TRL? Technical readiness levels represent a scale for estimating the development of technologies throughout the life of a project. This system was developed by NASA in the 1970s as a way to stimulate “consistent, uniform discussions” about the level of maturity for a range ofRead More

The Project Pitch and F.A.Q. The first step in the NSF SBIR program is submitting a project pitch. This three-page submission gives startups and small businesses quick feedback before applying for Phase I NSF funding. Program directors let applicants know within weeks whether or not they are a good fitRead More

Citations in SBIR/STTR Proposals by Christie Bell, CLP While citations are not required in SBIR and STTR proposals, application authors who choose not to cite the sources of their content significantly lower their chances of being funded. Appropriately cited applications help to assure agency reviewers that the principal investigator isRead More

Accounting Tips for SBIR/STTR Awardees Jameson & Company specializes in accounting for government grants and contracts. Ed Jameson recently presented three webinars on understanding indirect cost rates, how to set up your books for government awards, and how to survive the audits embedded in your federal funding award. Here areRead More

Hot off the presses! TechLink Economic Impact Study of DoD SBIR/STTR Programs Published In 2018, TechLink completed the first comprehensive analysis of the Department of Defense SBIR and STTR programs. TechLink’s goal was to quantify the DoD SBIR/STTR program’s overall contribution to the U.S. economy and defense mission. It examinedRead More

2020 Fast Micro-Grants are here! If you are planning to submit a Phase I or Phase II SBIR/STTR proposal in the coming months, you may be eligible to receive one of MTIP’s 2020 FAST micro-grants. Qualified applicants will be reimbursed up to $1,500.00 for costs related to the preparation ofRead More

Partner spotlight: Innovate Montana to host 2019 Symposium in Butte Butte, Montana holds a hub of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit and is an ideal location for Innovate Montana’s 2019 symposium. Innovate Montana is a program from the Montana Governor’s Office of Economic Development to help tech companies start, grow, or moveRead More

MTIP receives 2020 FAST Grant! MTIP is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $125,000 Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program grant to evolve our support for Montana’s technology-related businesses for the seventh time. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration for the 2020 year. Only 24 outRead More

Partner Spotlight: Congratulations to MSU, 406 Labs, and Early Stage Montana Shelby Morris, MTIP Program Specialist Montana State University isn’t just located in a beautiful part of the country, it’s also situated in an ecosystem with the potential for high tech companies to reach commercial success. Shelby Morris, MTIP’s programRead More

Trademark basics Guest post from MTIP senior advisor, Christie Bell It’s common for entrepreneurs to be overwhelmed and intimidated by the complexities of intellectual property concerns. The term intellectual property, often referred to as “IP,” includes patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets, and more. Today, we offer a briefRead More