State Program Launched to Help Vermont Tech Businesses Obtain Federal Innovation and Technology Grants
Vermont has announced the launch of the state’s first technology-based economic development program to help businesses expand access to federal technical and research funding. Called “Elevate Vermont,” the goal is to support early-stage technology companies as well as established small businesses by helping them apply for federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant programs.
These grant programs encourage small businesses to engage in research and development of their idea or innovation, in partnership with a nonprofit research institution, with the goal of creating marketable products. Every year, the federal government provides $3 billion in SBIR/STTR grants to small businesses through a highly competitive application process. Vermont organizations received 25 awards in 2020.
This new effort is the result of $800,000 that was appropriated in the 2021 legislative session; funding which was supported by the VTTA.
The funding covers the cost of using outside experts – North Carolina-based Eva Garland Consulting, LLC – to assist Vermont businesses in successfully applying for these grants. The application for this Technical Assistance is now open and accepting submissions on a rolling basis until funding is depleted.
Two additional applications will become available under the program: Matching grants to accelerate technology commercialization, offsetting costs such as sales and marketing expenses that cannot be supported with SBIR/STTR funds; and an Innovation Research Partnership Program to help small businesses strengthen connections with research institutions that can assist in solving product development issues.
VTTA Job Opportunity
Here’s an opportunity to be part of a great organization: VTTA. The VTTA is hiring for a part-time, remote position to support our members and to plan and organize events, including obtaining sponsorships to support those events. If you are energized by technology and Vermont’s growing tech sector, this is an exciting opportunity to use your financial, people, writing, marketing and other to enable our mission by working with our members and organizing events.
Find all the details here.
Networking Cruise Event
Come cruise aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen at our annual Lake Champlain sunset cruise networking event, sponsored by FirstLight. Join VTTA members, friends and supporters for spirits, food, and networking amid the spectacular setting of Lake Champlain.
As always, we’re proud to serve our members and appreciate their support. Find out more about becoming a member here.
Jeff Couture
Executive Director
Vermont Technology Alliance
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3D Product Renderings for Ecommerce
(Aug 25, 2022)
Scout Digital and the Vermont Technology Alliance present a webinar on using 3D renderings in your marketing efforts. Aaron Nevins, Senior Editor/Animator at Scout Digital, will discuss how 3D product renderings improve the user experience and drive higher conversions at checkout. He’ll walk through a few case studies and show how to incorporate this game-changing technology into your marketing and sales ecomm strategy.
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Vermont Technology Alliance Sunset Networking Cruise
(September 15, 2022)
Come cruise with the Vermont Technology Alliance aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen for our annual Lake Champlain sunset cruise networking event, sponsored by FirstLight. Join VTTA members, friends and supporters for spirits, food, and networking amid the spectacular setting of Lake Champlain.
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2022 Manufacturing Summit: A Virtual Supply Chain Event for Advanced Manufacturing
(September 21, 2022)
The Vermont Chamber has reinvented the format of the Annual Manufacturing Summit offering an engaging, interactive, and content rich virtual edition with a theme of “Rebuilding Supply Chains and Workforce through Content, Collaboration, and Contacts.” This B2B program offers participants the opportunity to meet with OEMs, prime contractors, suppliers, partners from throughout New England and lower Québec,
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Vermont Code Camp
(September 24, 2022)
The Vermont Code Camp will hold its 12th session on Sept. 24 at Champlain College. For this first post-COVID event, this will be a half-day session and speakers and attendees are limited to Vermont residents.
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MindEdge & VTTA Professional Development Offering |
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Career Building Learning Opportunity |
From resume writing to personal finances, these courses, including offerings from Fast Company, teach young professionals the skills they’ll need to succeed in their careers.
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Why Career Building Training?
From resume writing to interviewing, networking to managing personal finances, these courses teach professionals the life skills that a traditional education may have left behind.
Develop a more effective resume and cover letter, prepare for an interview, improve your networking skills, employ a written goal-setting process, connect your interests and priorities to related careers and many more.
VTTA members receive 10% off all courses
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Sample Course List
1: Ace Your Job Search!
2: Finding Purpose in Your Career
3: Networking for Success
4: Personal Branding
5: Personal Finance
6: The First 30 Days
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UVM Research Funding Tops $250 Million
(August 18, 2022 – UVM)
The University of Vermont faculty and staff attracted over a quarter-billion dollars in research funding in the fiscal year ending June 30, reaching a new all-time high. In recent years, the university has focused its research activities on the health of the environment and societies, with increased emphasis on building a campus infrastructure to support researchers’ work.
UVM attracted $250.1 million for research last fiscal year, an 8.3% increase from the $231 million total of the previous fiscal year, marking a third consecutive year of robust research growth. For the first time, this year UVM ranks among the top 100 public research universities in the country, according to the most recent National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education
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GlobalFoundries to Seek CHIPS Act Funds for Vermont Chip Plant
(August, 2022 –Reuters)
GlobalFoundries, one of the world’s top chip manufacturers, plans to seek U.S. government funding from the recently approved CHIPS Act to update its chip factory in Vermont, CEO Tom Caulfield told Reuters.
The facility, located in Essex Junction, Vermont, produces 200 millimeter wafers and needs to be revamped, Caulfield said. “With partnership investments with the U.S. government, we can create a facility that has been around for 50, 60 years and give it its next 50, 60 years of longevity,” he said.
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Conservation Law Foundation Agrees to Allow GlobalFoundries to Create its Own Electric Utility
(August 17, 2022 – VTDigger)
GlobalFoundries and the Conservation Law Foundation told the Vermont Public Utility Commission they had reached an agreement that would allow GlobalFoundries to create its own electric utility.
“Today’s hearing was a big deal,” said Chase Whiting, an attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation.
The Conservation Law Foundation had opposed a previous proposal to let the semiconductor company with a large plant in Essex Junction become its own electric utility, in part because GlobalFoundries and the Scott administration had asked the Public Utility Commission to release the chip maker from several environmental and tax obligations, according to Whiting.
The Public Utility Commission will now decide whether to allow a new company formed by GlobalFoundries to become an electric utility. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, GlobalFoundries would promise to follow Vermont environmental laws and commit to building a solar facility in Essex Junction.
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UVM, Agilent Technologies Dedicate New Chemical Analysis Laboratory
(August 4, 2022 – UVM)
UVM and Agilent Technologies Inc. leaders recently dedicated the Agilent Laboratory for Chemical Analysis (ALCA) at UVM.
The facility, housed in renovated laboratory space in Discovery Hall, will serve as a hub for advanced instrumentation that will allow students, institutional colleagues, industrial partners, and regional high-tech start-ups to study the composition and structure of chemical samples. It is intended as a shared educational and research space that will play a central role in the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students at UVM, while also serving as a valuable technology resource to local and regional businesses.
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Chroma Technology Supports Local Schools with Science Grant and Scholarships
(August, 2022 – Chroma)
Bellows Falls Middle School received a more than $9,000 grant from VTTA member Chroma Technology this spring for hands-on science activities, providing a set of 15 microscopes, the associated slides, books, and other educational materials.
The Chroma Technology grant includes several phases to the program, with the first phase of the donation of a Swift Binocular Compound Microscope SW350B, with 40X-2500X magnification, camera, and software as well as Hayear 14MP digital LED microscopes that connect directly to the student’s computers.
This donation will give the students an understanding of how a microscope works and how light and optics are part of the operation of a microscope.
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Bristow Signs Order for Up to 55 BETA Technologies ALIA-250 eVTOL Aircraft
(August 9, 2022 – Press Release)
Bristow Group Inc., the world's leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions, has placed a firm order for five electrically powered vertical take-off and landing ALIA-250 aircraft from Vermont electric aviation company BETA Technologies, Inc. Bristow will also have the option to purchase an additional 50 ALIA aircraft.
The ALIA will have a maximum range of 250 nautical miles and is designed to carry 1,400 lbs. of payload, or can carry six people including a pilot.
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Nomad Launches Portfolio of Mobile Energy Storage Systems
(August 1, 2022 – Nomad)
Nomad Transportable Power Systems (“NOMAD”), a company founded by U.S.-based battery manufacturer KORE Power and based in Waterbury, VT, unveiled a portfolio of mobile energy storage systems. These mobile-focused, lithium-ion storage units can disrupt fossil-fuel dominated sectors by removing traditional barriers to energy storage adoption such as cost, siting, and installation.
At a ribbon cutting event in Waterbury, Jay Bellows, CEO of NOMAD, hailed the arrival of mobile lithium-ion storage as a new opportunity to slash pollution and deliver reliability.
“Today, we are proud to announce a trio of NOMAD products to meet this demand; with these transportable power systems, which are made right here in Waterbury with KORE Power cells, we open the door to a new day in clean energy solutions,” he said.
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Vermont Technology Alliance Membership Update
The Vermont Technology Alliance works on behalf of its members and is able to carry out its mission through the support of its membership.
Not a VTTA member yet? Then why not join now? Find more information and register here. You can also contact us at admin@vtta.org.
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Featured Member – Widewail |
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Widewail helps businesses of all shapes and sizes manage their online reputation. Through its full suite of powerful review management products and services, Widewail helps thousands of businesses engage with their customers, increase online visibility, and grow their business. Their services include Automated Review Generation, Video Testimonial Generation, Online Review Management Services and Social media Engagement Management Services.
With more than 750,000 managed customer engagements, Widewail is defining and building a world-class, technology-enabled business service. Widewail is committed daily to the success of its clients - scaling engagement and customer service operations while improving local search ranking.
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Useful Information & Links |
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Technical Assistance for First Time SBIR/STTR Applicants
Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Economic Development (DED) announced the launch of Elevate Vermont, the state’s first Technology-Based Economic Development program to help early-stage tech companies and established small businesses increase access to targeted technical and research assistance.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants are available through the Federal government to assist companies with the basic research needed to develop their innovations into marketable products. Each year, eleven Federal agencies participate in this program, including the Department of Defense (DOD) and NASA. While the grants can be significant – up to $250,000 in Phase One funding or $1.5 million in Phase Two funding – the applications can be challenging for emerging or growing businesses to complete successfully.
A company interested in applying for SBIR/STTR funding for the first time, or a company that has applied unsuccessfully, may apply for Elevate Vermont technical assistance to work with a consultant specializing in SBIR/STTR applications, who will help navigate the application complexities and improve the chances of success.
Find more information and apply here.
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Champlain College Fall Career Fair
Champlain College is hosting a Fall 2022 Career Fair in person on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Champlain welcomes participation from employers who are actively recruiting positions of direct relevance to Champlain’s academic programs. Click here for a list of its majors, minors, and concentrations to determine which ones best align with your talent needs.
The fee includes a standard six-foot table with two chairs, access to wi-fi and electricity, and free off-site parking near Champlain’s Lakeside campus with shuttle transportation to the main campus. Registrations will be reviewed, approved, and invoiced later this summer.
- Non-profit and Government: $75
- For-profit: $250
Find more information and register for the here.
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Online Professional Development Courses
The VTTA has partnered with MindEdge to offer easy-to-access, affordable, online professional development courses. Whether you are looking to expand your skill set, earn professional credits, or learn something new, these courses are an option to gain essential and in-demand skills on your own time, at your own pace, and from any location. As a bonus, VTTA members save 10% on all offerings.
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VTTA Career Center
Vermont Technology Alliance member companies are hiring, and when you visit the Career Center on the Vermont Technology Alliance website you can browse and search for these job openings and subscribe to updates. The Career Center on average features 200+ tech and non-tech jobs with Vermont Technology Alliance member businesses. Jobs available from VTTA members are listed at no charge in the Career Center as a member benefit.
Find the Career Center here.
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Advertise in the Vermont Technology Alliance Newsletter
Feature your business or organization as a sponsor or with an ad in this newsletter and support the VTTA.
Each month reach an audience made up of leaders, innovators, supporters and partners of Vermont’s growing and dynamic tech sector.
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The VTTA Thanks Its Member/Sponsors
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