Category Archives: Grow

Enhance your probability of receiving an SBIR/STTR award – June 13th, 2012 Seminar Register Now

 

Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Research Grant Funding Program Workshop

Need funding for your research that has teh potential to lead to a commercially viable innovative product or service?

This free workshop can help.

Whether you are a university researcher, a company with an idea for an innovative product, or an independent inventor, there is money out there to support you through to commercialization.  Eleven federal agencies provide SBIR/STTR grants with individual awards up to $1,150,000 in two phases.  This FREE workshop is designed for you to learn the sequence of steps needed to strategize and develop compelling proposals, plus how to uncover agency missions and R&D needs, and differences in their SBIR/STTR programs.

This class (normally $149) and lunch are provided free of charge through the sponsorship of Governors State University and Moraine Valley Community College – Corporate, Community and Continuing Education department.

Enhance your probability of receiving an SBIR/STTR award – register now.

Reservations required.
(708) 974-5690
ccce@morainevalley.edu
Wednesday, June 13, 10a.m. – 2p.m.
Moraine Valley Community college
Building M, Room M210

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement will take effect on May 15, 2012

On May 15th , over 80 percent of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial products to Colombia will become duty-free, including agricultural and construction equipment, building products, aircraft and parts, fertilizers, information technology equipment, medical scientific equipment, and wood. Also, immediately more than half of U.S. exports of agricultural commodities to Colombia will become duty-free, including wheat, barley, soybeans, high-quality beef, bacon, and almost all fruit and vegetable products. The Agreement also will provide significant new access to Colombia’s $180 billion services market, supporting increased opportunities for U.S. service providers. For details about the agreement, see: http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/april/united-states-colombia-set-date-entry-force-us-colom Info about U.S. Commercial Service export promotion programs for US exporters and Colombian market: http://export.gov/colombia/.

If you need more information, please contact IL International Trade Center at GSU- Mary Ma , at 708-534-6976, hma@govst.edu..

Letter from the SBA: Two Online Tools for greater access to markets

 U.S. Small Business Administration
Washington, D.C.

 Dear Small Business Owner,

Small businesses like yours are the engines of our nation’s economy, and the Small Business Administration exists to help you find opportunities to grow and create jobs.

I want to make sure you know about two online tools that give you greater access to markets for you to sell goods and services. Recent reports show that small suppliers can more than triple revenue growth and more than double job growth just a few years after becoming a large company supplier.

Supplier Connection: Connecting YOU to America’s leading companies

Created by the IBM Foundation, Supplier Connection is a free online common application that allows you to simultaneously send information about your products and services to fifteen private sector companies. These buyers include some of America’s most respected firms, with purchasing power of $300 billion each year – Facebook, AT&T, IBM, Pfizer, UPS, Caterpillar, AMD, Office Depot, Dell, JP Morgan, John Deere, Wells Fargo, Citi, Kellogg’s, and Bank of America. Over the coming months, we expect even more large companies will be added. To join Supplier Connection, please visit www.supplier-connection.net. For frequently asked questions, a user manual and a list of industries and commodities being requested, click on the “FAQs” tab on the top of the screen.

SUB-Net: Connecting YOU to Federal Government sub-contracting opportunities

SBA also helps small businesses become suppliers to the world’s largest buyer – the Federal Government. One way to break into Federal contracting is to become a sub-contractor to a large prime contractor. Each year, small businesses are awarded $70 billion in Federal sub-contracting opportunities. We maintain an online database that helps you search for Federal sub-contracting opportunities posted by large prime contractors and other non-federal agencies, which we call SUB-Net. To learn more about SUB-Net, please visit http://web.sba.gov/subnet/. To view a list of current solicitations, click “Search” on the top of the screen and then and click “View all solicitations” on the left side of the screen.

These databases break down barriers to make it easier for you to access Federal and commercial supply chains.  I hope you will take a look at them. And after you do, remember that SBA stands ready to help you get the contracting know-how, capital and counseling to be successful suppliers. As we discover more resources which may benefit your small business we may send you additional information. Visit www.sba.gov for more details on our small business programs and resources.

With warmest regards,

Karen G. Mills
Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

Need Funding for your research? April 18th, 2012 Workshop ~ Federal SBIR/STTR Research Funding Program

Need funding for your research that has the potential to lead to a commercially-viable product or service?

Whether you are a university researcher, a company with an idea for an innovative product, or an independent inventor, there is money out there to support you through to commercialization. Eleven federal agencies provide SBIR/STTR Grants with individual awards up to $1,150,000 in two phases.

Click here to view the PDF Flyer of the event

This free workshop is designed for you to learn the sequence of steps needed to strategize and develop compelling proposals. Course participants will learn how to uncover agency missions and R&D needs, and differences in their SBIR/STTR Programs. 

The workshop will enhance your probability of receiving an SBIR/STTR award.

 

 

This $149 Class and Lunch is Provided Free of Charge Through the Sponsorship of Governors State University & Joliet Junior College

Reservations required

Date:  April 18, 2012  10:00am to 3:00 pm

Location:   Joliet Junior College, Main Campus
                     1215 Houbolt Road, Joliet, IL

                    T-Building, Room T-1001,
                   Parking available in Lots E3 and E4

March 28th, 2012 – Basics of Government Contracting – City of Markham

This session will acquaint you with the government contracting market- how all the layers of government purchase, where the opportunities are, what you need to do to enter the market, rules of engagement, certification programs, and how to get help.

All Seminars are FREE (normally $50) due to the participation of the City of Markham.

Register Today

City of Markham 16313 South Kedzie Parkway, Markham, IL

Department of Defense STTR Solicitation Season Begins:

Last Thursday, the Department of Defense began the pre-release of first round of STTR Grant solicitations for 2012. Small business firms and research institutions are encouraged to jointly submit proposals under the STTR program. Each proposer must qualify as a small business for research or research and development purposes. In addition, a minimum of 40 percent of each STTR project must be carried out by the small business concern and a minimum of 30 percent of the effort performed by the research institution. A Research Institution is classified as any organization that is a university, a nonprofit institution, or a contractor-operated federally funded research and development center (FFRDC).

If you’d like more information about qualifying or with help to put a proposal together, please contact Don Brozek at (708) 235-7635 or dbrozek@govst.edu

Important Dates

January 26, 2012
Solicitation enters pre-release

February 28, 2012
Solicitation opens and DoD begins accepting proposals

March 28, 2012
Solicitation closes to receipt of proposals at 6:00 AM EST—plan ahead and submit early.

To download documents:

http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/solicitations/sttr2012A/index.shtml

To search topics included in this round:

http://www.dodsbir.net/Topics/Default.asp

January 25th, 2012 – 6:00pm – International Trade – City of Markham

Local residents are invited to an International Trade workshop scheduled on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012.  This evening program begins at 6 p.m. at the City of Markham, 16313 South Kedzie Parkway, Markham.  The program will be presented free to community members thanks to the sponsorship of the City of Markham.
This program will outline guidelines and resources available to help local businesses sell products and services to overseas markets.

Register Here

New International Trade Help at CenterPoint

University Park, Illinois, April 27, 2011 – Governors State University (GSU) recently announced its new Illinois International Trade Center and additional educational opportunities for regional businesses. The programs are designed to help firms that are already involved in exporting to expand their markets and introduce additional Illinois products and services to overseas markets.

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October 12th Seminars at CenterPoint

As part of Business Accelerator Week, CenteRPoint will be hosting two valuable seminars on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011, at Governors State University.

Intellectual Property Strategies will address patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

SBIR/STTR Grants will deal with how researchers and small business can access the federal program that helps them work together to commercialize innovations.

Find out more and register at the Business Accelerator Week site

Success Of The Week – CJS Trading Company

During his recent visit to China, Governor Quinn’s Office issued a press release on September 19th.   A portion of that press release is provided below.

BEIJING, CHINA – September 19, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn visited Beijing today during his business and economic trade mission in China, where he announced two business agreements that further strengthen the relationship between Illinois and China. The agreements involving Illinois-based ADM and Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co., LTD (Goldwind) advance Governor Quinn’s aggressive goal of doubling Illinois exports by 2014.

Governor Quinn announced that Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), a worldwide food production company based in Decatur, Illinois, has entered into a $100 million sales agreement with Jiusan Oils and Seeds. Under the agreement, ADM will supply Jiusan Oils and Seeds, a manufacturer of soy products based in Harbin, Helongjiang, China, with 180,000 metric tons of soybeans by December 2012.

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