News

New FAST Grant Will Help Build an Innovation Economy in Alaska

November 7, 2022

Men sit around a table working
A small business owner in Fairbanks listens during a workshop in Fairbanks. Photo by Jeff Fisher.

Alaska Center ICE at University of Alaska Fairbanks has been awarded a FAST grant by the U.S. Small Business Administration in collaboration with the Alaska Small Business Development Center and the Denali Commission. This is the first FAST grant to be awarded in Alaska. The Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program includes technical assistance, mentoring, and specialized training for small businesses and startups to access America’s Seed Fund Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR).

“The Alaska FAST program is one of many pieces we’re putting into place to help build an innovation economy in Alaska. This is an exciting time for Alaska’s innovators and entrepreneurs!” said Mark Billingsley, director of Alaska Center ICE at University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Alaska FAST will provide valuable programming to small businesses to assist them in strengthening their applications for SBIR/STTR grants to receive funds for early stage research and development. This program will make Alaska entrepreneurs more competitive when applying for federal grants and is focused on serving underserved Alaskans. This support is intended to promote innovation as well as increase the number of applicants from underrepresented and underserved rural communities and eventually increase the number of SBIR/STTR awards in Alaska. 

“Alaska has many underrepresented businesses, and the Alaska FAST program will allow us, for the first time, to provide these businesses access to federal seed money, and deliver training, resources and assistance to Alaskan innovators” said Evelyn Jacome, Alaska FAST Program Director, at the Alaska Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

For more information, please contact Evelyn Jacome at edjacome@alaska.edu.

Join us Monday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. via zoom to learn about SBIR/STTR and Alaska FAST opportunities. Register at https://conta.cc/3EQqTl6.