Business Assistance & Technology Transfer
The Cornell CAT provides a variety of services to companies at all stages of development. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur with a great idea looking to get started, a start-up company looking for business assistance, or an established business looking for collaborators or additional assistance, the Cornell CAT can personally help you find the resources you need (and find other resources you didn't know you needed). Give us a call at (607) 254-6541, (607) 255-2300, send us an email, or better yet, stop by 130 Biotechnology Building to see us!
Services Offered:
- Business plans and planning
- SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Proposals
- Liaison with Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise, and Commercialization (CCTEC)
- Cornell University Resources for Businesses
Business Plans and Business Planning
The Cornell CAT can assist you in all aspects of entrepreneurial activities. From the creation and growth of a start-up business, to business planning in general, we can help you find the resources to meet your individualized needs. Some of the services we provide include:
- Finding Cornell researchers to assist with sponsored research projects
- Evaluating the commercialization potential of an invention through the Pre-Seed Workshop
- Identifying alternative sources of funding, (i.e., angel, venture capital, business plan competitions, state and federal, etc.)
- Have you seen the Research and Development and Grantwriting Newsletter? There are tips for writing NSF Career award proposals, SBIR grants, answering DARPA solicitations, NSF Review Panels and more. There is even a section geared to grad students and postdocs, and links to more resources.
- Workforce development opportunities
- Networking opportunities
- Finding the support services for your business (i.e., accounting, legal, etc.). See this informational legal primer for emerging companies entering the market.
- Need a primer on small business? Start at small business information.
- What's in a business plan? See the SBA's small business planner.
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See the 2009 Small Business Development Guide for a listing of companies emanating from a Cornell connection.
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Learn more about The Start-Up Company Map: Understanding the Language of Entrepreneurship and the Path Forward as presented by Excell Partners and High Tech Rochester.
SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) is a federal government program administered by 12 federal agencies for the purpose of helping to provide early-stage Research and Development funding to small technology companies (or individual entrepreneurs who form a company). Solicitations are released periodically from each of the agencies and present technical topics of R&D which the agency is interested in funding. Companies are invited to compete for funding by submitting proposals answering the technical topic needs of the agency's solicitation. Each of these 12 agencies have various needs and flavors of the SBIR program and you can learn more about them by visiting their sites.
STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) is a smaller scale federal goverment program similar to SBIR. This program is administered by only 6 federal agencies for the same purpose. The major difference is that the small business is required to work with a not-for-profit research institution or national laboratory on the proposed project.
The Cornell CAT's Grant Resource Center for Entrepreneurs can assist companies in applying for the SBIR & STTR programs. We can help you identify which agency or agencies will be interested in your technology, assist with writing and reviewing the proposal, and find a Cornell researcher to assist with your project. For tips relevant to writing an SBIR grant, please visit: SBIR_proposal_writing_articles; for an overview of the SBIR/STTR process, read the NYS SBIR/STTR Guidebook which also offers some winning strategies. To reach us, email or call 254-6541. Please visit our website's spotlight section to see overview presentations on the process.
Open Soliciations
http://www.zyn.com/sbir/scomp.htm
Additional SBIR/STTR Resources: visit the links page.
Liaison with the Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization (CCTEC)
The Cornell CAT works closely with CCTEC to assist companies in licensing Cornell technologies, and faculty to file disclosures. It is extremely important for companies and faculty members to settle the intellectual property issues before starting work on any project.
Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise & Commercialization (CCTEC) is responsible for the management of intellectual property owned by Cornell that arises from work of Cornell appointees performed in fulfillment of their university responsibilities. Cornell appointees are required to disclose their inventions to CCTEC in writing. Click here to see the invention disclosure forms. CCTEC will commercialize and if necessary, diligently protect the property rights of the disclosed inventions. Learn about how the technology transfer process and the licensing process work at Cornell.
For companies, there are templates for confidentiality agreements available. Other entrepreneur resources are also available.
Cornell University Resources for Businesses
There are many resources at Cornell that are available for businesses as well as the Cornell community. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. It will, however, give you a starting point to increase your web of knowledge and hopefully help your business move forward.
- Guidelines for Companies Seeking Research Collaboration with Cornell University- This guide was developed by the IP Subcommittee of the Corporate Outreach Group at Cornell to assist companies in finding the best way to work with Cornell on research projects.
- Cornell University Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center - The Cornell University Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center (CLC) provides an array of genomics, proteomics, imaging, IT and informatics shared research resources and services to the full University community and to investigators at other academic institutions and commercial enterprises.
- Additional User Facilities & Services at Cornell - In addition to the CLC, Cornell University has many other fee-for-use facilities that are available to the Cornell Community and businesses at large that require special equipment, protocols, and/or expertise. These facilities range across disciplines such as nanotechnology, nuclear physics, materials science, biology, medical science, and computer science.
There are also many Centers, Departments, Groups, and Organizations at Cornell with corporate or industrial outreach missions.
- CALS Business Partnerships & Corporate Relations
- College of Engineering Corporate and Community Partners
- Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future (CCSF)
- Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise & Commercialization (CCTEC)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Johnson Graduate School of Management
- See the Johnson Graduate School of Management Library's annual report
