Vermont Information Technology Center
Champlain College
163 South Willard St.
Burlington, VT 05401

Tel: (802) 865-6439
Fax: (802) 860-2771
Email: vitc@champlain.edu

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
(http://www.thinkvermont.com/Resources/FinancialResources/RDFundingSBIR/tabid/221/Default.aspx) 

It's been said that the SBIR/STTR program is the most important source of tech-based venture capital funding in the USA (especially for inventors, new startups and early stage businesses). Learn how the federally funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs could work for you.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program was established in 1982 under the Small Business Innovation Development Act. This is a highly competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. The objectives of the Program are to: (1) stimulate technological innovation; (2) use small business to meet federal research & development (R&D) needs; (3) encourage the participation by disadvantaged and minority persons in technological innovation; and (4) increase private sector commercialization derived from federal R&D.

Vermont Business Roundtable
(http://www.vtroundtable.org) 

A non-profit, non-partisan organization of chief executive officers representing geographic diversity and all major sectors of the Vermont economy. Committed to sustaining a sound economy and preserving Vermont’s unique quality of life by studying and making recommendations on statewide public policy issues.

Vermont Department of Economic Development

(http://www.thinkvermont.com/) 

"Doing Business in Vermont"

Information on financing assistance, permits and regulations, starting your business, workforce development, and many other important issues for someone wanting to start or expand a Vermont business or relocate to Vermont.

Vermont Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
(http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/)

EPSCoR’s primary mission is to support the research of promising young scientists so that they can become competitive. The secondary mission is to build State infrastructure by encouraging research at small colleges in Vermont and fostering public discussion of science and technology issues in Vermont at state-wide conferences.

Vermont HITEC Inc.
(http://www.vthitec.org) 

The Vermont Healthcare Information Technology Education Center, Inc. (Vermont HITEC Inc.) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose mission is to create workforce development opportunities in the fields of healthcare and information technology for Vermonters. Vermont HITEC Inc. currently has three initiatives that provide education and create jobs in information technology for Vermonters. The three programs are:

• Vermont Medical Transcription Education Consortium (Vermont MTEC) which has created 105 medical transcription jobs for Vermonters through a state and federally funded education and mentoring program. Currently, an additional 23 Vermonters are being trained, 20 of whom will be employed by Fletcher Allen Health Care. Vermont MTEC partners with Burlington College which provides college credits for all of these students.
  
• Vermont Information Technology Partnerships (VITP) is a partnership among HITEC, UVM, St. Michael’s College, Middlebury College, CVU, and South Burlington High School to place interns in IT related projects for local employers. To date, it has placed 30 interns with a number of employers, including Fletcher Allen Healthcare. These interns are aggressively monitored and managed by Vermont HITEC staff.
  
• Vermont Information Technology Apprenticeship Readiness (Vermont ITAR) has educated 38 software analysts and programmers and placed them in IT apprenticeships with a major Vermont software company.
  
  

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC)

(http://www.vmec.org) 

VMEC's mission is "To Improve Manufacturing in Vermont".  This is done through one-on-one assistance and training to help Vermont's small and medium sized manufacturers increase their productivity, modernize their manufacturing and business processes, adopt advanced technologies, reduce costs, and improve their competitiveness.

Vermont Small Business Development Center

(http://www.vtsbdc.org) 

A non-profit partnership of government, education, and business with the goal of spurring Vermont's economy by helping its small businesses succeed and grow.  The SBDC mission is to assist start-ups and strengthen existing business entities through high quality, no cost counseling, and high quality, affordable training programs.

Vermont Software Developers’ Alliance (vtSDA)
(www.vtsda.org)

The Vermont Software Developers Alliance is a trade association dedicated to fostering a healthy software industry in the state of Vermont. Since many technical interest groups already exist, we focus more on common business interests. We support and promote a thriving software community where members can share ideas, expertise, and strategies for success, bringing prosperity to all members and to the Vermont economy.