Small Business Funding in Tech and Innovation - West Virginia

Goals
To understand how funding in tech and innovation in West Virginia will impact small businesses, to
better inform a blog post on the state of West Virginia's small businesses. An ideal response would be
in a blog format, would state the new tech & innovation that has happened (or is predicted to happen
in the future), and how each individual innovative measure will help small businesses.
Early Findings

 West Virginia Forward is a collaboration among West Virginia University, the West Virginia
Department of Commerce and Marshall University. It exists to help advance West Virginia’s
workforce, business climate, educational opportunities, community development, sector
growth, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and infrastructure.
  This guide offers 100 ways a West Virginia entrepreneur can find the necessary capital to
help achieve success.
 Gov. Jim Justice declared March 20, 2019 as Small Business Development Center Day. "The
governor issued a proclamation which states “the Mountain State understands the importance
of supporting entrepreneurship as one of the integral pieces of local and regional economic
development. West Virginia recognizes that small businesses are the backbone of our
economy and the glue that holds communities together.”"
 "Through resources provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the
State of West Virginia, TechConnect West Virginia has created The ScaleUp West Virginia
SBIR/STTR Assistance Fund. Limited funding will be available on a first-come, first-served
basis to support West Virginia-based companies’ need for outside expertise in developing and
submitting successful SBIR or STTR applications."
 "Amazon’s long-term “HQ2” second headquarters plan to create 25,000 high tech jobs in
Arlington, Virginia, has sparked a renewed zest in the training of computer and electrical
engineers in areas of the state where tobacco and coal mining were once king."
 The West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 2250, which established grant money to be
awarded through the state’s development office for small businesses in West Virginia. "The
program will provide state matching funds to businesses that qualify for federal funding via
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer
(STTR) grants."
 With West Virginia trying to expand its technology and bioscience sectors, and with the
economic engine provided by West Virginia University’s research efforts, the SBIR/STTR
matching grant program will help further the impact of such efforts.
 Cultivate West Virginia helps towns get started on their journey of creating an engaged,
revitalized community. Through coaching, workshops, and training, Cultivate WV builds a
community’s ability to, among other things, grow their entrepreneurs and small businesses. 

Proposed Additional Research

 We are suggesting research that will leverage the findings in the first hour of research to
provide an overview on the funding in tech and innovation in West Virginia that is impacting
small businesses. Specifically, we will provide 3 recent success stories from any of the
funding available in West Virginia. 
 Additionally, we are suggesting research that examines and explores the future of small
businesses in West Virginia, specific to small businesses that are innovative and/or
technology companies. We will look at the factors that support this growth, and the people or
organizations that are supporting it.