Grants help entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas
The Saturday Gazette-Mail, Feb. 7, 2015
HUNTINGTON — Registration is underway for assistance to help entrepreneurs, small businesses and manufacturers take their ideas to market.
Two efforts at the Robert C. Byrd Institute — StartUpWV and InnovateWV — offer technical assistance that includes design and development, rapid prototyping with 3-D printers and other technical assistance through RCBI. Both help individuals and entrepreneurs turn their ideas for new products or processes into reality, generating new jobs across the state.
StartUpWV is a joint initiative of RCBI and TechConnect West Virginia, made possible by funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the state of West Virginia. Funded in part through the EDA, InnovateWV is part of the West Virginia EDA University Center partnership among RCBI, Marshall University and Concord University.
Another focus extends RCBI’s innovation focus beyond traditional manufacturing to the farm-to-table food initiative. Agricultural Innovation at RCBI offers technical assistance to help West Virginians produce more food, more efficiently using the latest technologies and expertise.
As part of the agricultural efforts, the initiative is sponsoring a competition that will award a business assistance package valued in excess of $10,000 to the winner. Entries are valid through Feb. 20 and information is available online.
The selection process for each of the initiatives is ongoing, and the levels of assistance are based on project requirements.
Links to registration forms for StartUpWV and InnovateWV are available online at www. rcbi.org/grants and must be submitted electronically. A link to the agricultural innovation form is also online at www.rcbi .org/AgEfforts.
For more information, call 800-469-7224.