NASA and other agencies have awarded more than $1 million in grants to Ozark Integrated Circuits of Fayetteville since 2015 for projects that are underway, including the development of heat-resistant circuits and a camera that can record but not be damaged by ultraviolet light.
This is why the startup’s founder and CEO, Matt Francis, was asked to speak about how to win a NASA Small Business Innovation Research Program grant and funds from other government agencies at a July 20 Doing Business With NASA event.
The Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center hosted the event, where Francis told a group of about 50 to:
- Tailor their businesses’ applications by researching the agency offering the grant;
- Practice persistence by applying for as many grants as possible;
- Take advantage of every available resource, including the ASBTDC staff;
- And not be discouraged by setbacks because they may just need to pivot and apply their idea in a different way or to a different industry problem.