FY24 RIC Solicitation Briefing Deck.pdf

Briefing on FY 2024 Regional Innovation

Cluster Solicitation April 8, 2024

1Draft // Deliberative // Pre-Decisional

Mission

Foster and facilitate a thriving national ecosystem that advances equitable investment in innovative high growth small businesses.

Building an inclusive public-private support ecosystem for all innovators.

SBA Strategic Plan 2022-2026: sba.gov/sp https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-strategic-plan

Regional Innovation Cluster Program & Solicitation

• The RIC program began in September 2010 to promote and support clusters-geographically concentrated groups of interconnected businesses, suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions in a particular industry or field across the United States.

• Clusters act as a networking hub to convene several resources to help navigate the funding, procurement, and supply-chain opportunities in a specific industry.

• The technology and industrial focuses are driven by the cluster organizations and typically build on competitive advantages within the region.

• FY 2024 solicitation will be a small business set aside; the size standard is $19 million under NAICS 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

Programming/ Services Provided by RICs

Small Business Support Services

• Accelerators

• Business plan development

• Contracting support

• Commercialization

• Customer discovery

• Exporting

• IP/ Patent support

• SBIR/ STTR grant writing support

Ecosystem Development

• Host and participate in local and national conferences

• Investor education + connections

• Develop and advise state technical advisory boards

• Shared lab space

• Partnership building with small businesses, large businesses, universities, foundations, and industry groups

Three Changes in FY24 Solicitation

Two Award Sizes Industries of

Interest Revised Metrics &

Reporting

Funding Tiers in FY24 Solicitation

$250,000 - $350,000 for emerging clusters and cluster administrators

$400,000 - $500,000 for mature clusters and cluster administrators

We anticipate obligating $5.8 million in new awards through this solicitation.

The number of new clusters will more than double.

RICs Funding To Be Obligated to Clusters in FY24 Cluster Name Amount

AgLaunch Engine, LLC $ 500,000.00

LSI Business Development $ 499,885.55

N Touch and BCT Strategies $ 569,701.02

Shadow Ridge Analytics $ 416,200.00

Acendian $ 292,760.00

AgLaunch Engine, LLC $ 300,000.00

AgLaunch Oregon $ 319,100.00

Development Capital Networks $ 300,000.00

Larta $ 225,000.00

Nvision Solutions $ 240,800.00

Startup Junkie $ 201,633.00

New Awards $ 5,817,867.93

Total $ 9,682,947.50

Industries Served by Current RICs

• Advanced robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) for climate-smart agriculture

• Cybersecurity

• Smart sensing systems, including quantum-based photonics, optics, and autonomous measurement

• Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Chain

• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility

(AAM)

• Bioscience & Healthcare

• Unmanned Maritime Systems

• Retail, Supply Chain, Food Processing, Ecommerce, Digital Transformation

• Defense technologies

Industries Included as Areas of Interest in Solicitation

• Advanced Computing

• Advanced Engineering

Materials

• Advanced Gas Turbine

Engine Technologies

• Advanced and Networked

Sensing and Signature Management

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Artificial Intelligence

• Biotechnologies

• Clean Energy Generation and

Storage

• Data Privacy, Data Security, and Cybersecurity Technologies

• Directed Energy

• Electric vehicles and the automotive supply chain

• Highly Automated, Autonomous, and Uncrewed Systems, and Robotics

• Human-Machine Interfaces

• Hypersonics

• Integrated Communication and Networking Technologies

• Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Technologies

• Quantum Information and Enabling Technologies

• Semiconductors and Microelectronics

• Space Technologies and Systems 9

Metrics + Reporting

Quarterly Metrics

• Collecting outputs

• # of small businesses served

• Growth in cluster size

• # of events hosted

• # of grants or other sources of capital applied for

• Contract assistance provided

Annual Metrics

• Identifying outcomes

• # of patents obtained

• Job growth

• Revenue growth

• Capital obtained through grants, private investment, or loans

• Contracts obtained

Program Evaluation

• RIC’s Effectiveness

• Small business satisfaction with RICs

• Partner organizations satisfaction with RICs

• Reason for joining a cluster

• Job and revenue growth across RICs

Regional Innovation Clusters

Solicitation Outreach

• Work with relevant SBA Regional Administrators and District Offices to encourage outreach in industries not currently covered by a RIC

• Regions 1, 3, 5, and 8 are specifically of interest

• Use weekly OFO management call to notify of upcoming solicitation release

• Advertise to ESOs on May Innovation Ecosystem Network call

• Communicate with relevant EDA, NSF, DOE, DOD, and NIST program managers and leadership

• Update membership of ICAC and IIEAC

• Notify private organization partners, like SSTI and Kauffman

2024 Regional Innovation Cluster Solicitation Timeline

Apr. 10 Week of May 27

Week of June 3

Week of June 17

Draft solicitation package to OCFO

Apr. 22 June 28

Solicitation published; outreach to private orgs

Begin coordination with OFO on outreach

OII hosts informational webinar

SBA posts answers to questions received from public

Solicitation closes

2024 Regional Innovation Cluster Solicitation Timeline

Week of August 5

Week of Sept. 2

Week of Sept. 16

Week of Sept. 23

Awardees Notified New contracts begin

Awardees recommended and go through vetting

SBA press release announcing winners

July

Evaluation process