Illinois Mobile App Master Calendar

Join our team of SBIR experts and the FAST (Federal and State Technology) Center of Illinois for an SBIR/STTR webinar from 2:00-3:00pm on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
Registration: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/2055546136

Are you asking the right questions about your SBIR/STTR readiness? Many applicants focus on how to write a good proposal, but the teams most likely to succeed are those asking a deeper question: How do I position my company to actually be ready for SBIR/STTR funding?

In this session, Illinois FAST Center consultant Roland Garton will go beyond proposal mechanics to help you assess your company's true readiness across key dimensions: technological leadership, market presence, team strength, and project planning. This is not a writing workshop, it's a strategic readiness check designed to help you compete.

This is the first event in the FAST Center's Ready! Set! Go! SBIR/STTR Proposal Workshop Series, serving as the recommended precursor to the NIH-focused Set! SBIR/STTR Workshop (a separate, multi-session workshop starting late June 2026). Attendance is strongly recommended for any team considering applying for the Set! sessions or additional FAST support this summer.

Application and Readiness Review 

Ready to take the next step? Teams interested in the NIH-focused SBIR/STTR Set! Workshop (starting in late June 2026) can apply through our Application and Readiness Review. This workshop is free of cost for selected Illinois-based small businesses. Application submissions open June 3, 2026 and close June 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT. More details will be posted following the June 2 webinar.

Applicants will be required to submit 1-3 page executive summary/concept paper covering their fit for the agency&program, development stage, preliminary data, specific aims and team qualifications. Optional supporting materials may be submitted as attachments.

All applicants will receive feedback. Selected applicants will receive individualized guidance on the areas that will need the greatest attention during the Set! Workshop. Those not selected will receive recommendations on what to develop to become competitive in the future.

Completing the optional readiness exercises from this session (June 2, 2026) will be counted as extra credit in the participant selection process. Another reason to engage actively with the material!

Our presenter, Roland Garton, is the President and Lead Consultant of Garton Consulting Services, Inc. He has over 40 years of experience with grant development, government contracting, program and project management, training and documentation, and program administration. Roland has written and advised on numerous successful SBIR proposals worth several million dollars, managed multiple projects resulting from those awards, and helps startups establish bookkeeping and timekeeping systems, invoices and Incurred Cost Proposals, and federal audit preparation.  

After the presentation, teams will have the opportunity to ask questions from the FAST team. Office Hours are also available by signing up online. 

This is a free, virtual event, but registration is required. The Zoom link to the webinar will be provided upon completion of your registration. Recording Notice: By registering for this webinar, you acknowledge and agree that it will be recorded and shared online for public viewing.

For more information and how to access more resources, visit the FAST Center at Illinois website. 

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR and STTR enable small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated, and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs.