CO+HOOTS/HUUB and Startup Tucson Win National Innovation Competition

The U.S. Small Business Administration partnered with the National Science and Technology Council’s Lab-to-Market subcommittee to award $330,000 in prizes to the winners of the new Lab-to-Market (L2M) Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Prize Competition.

The L2M prize competition recognizes the most impactful organizations, programs and ideas that support the research and development (R&D) innovation ecosystems, particularly those focused on underrepresented communities and pandemic responses.  The competition’s goal is to encourage entrepreneurship and inclusive, sustainable growth by developing and commercializing technology to improve access to resources.

Launched on September 30, 2020, the L2M prize competition accepted over 160 submissions from applicants across the U.S. seeking their share of the $330,000 competition prize.

“We are proud to have two winners in Arizona who are committed to creating eco-systems that support entrepreneurs and small businesses in their journey,” said SBA Arizona District Director Robert J. Blaney. “SBA’s SBIR/STTR programs support companies that create innovative platforms, and we are honored to have Arizona leading the way.”

Startup Tucson received a “Super Connector” award of $10,000 for current efforts to successfully attract and/or support networks of underrepresented communities in the R&D innovation ecosystem.

CO+HOOTS/ HUUB, located in Phoenix received the “Ecosystem Responder” award of $10,000 for innovative and effective responses to support the R&D ecosystem amidst the pandemic environment.

The awardees are as follows:  

• “Super Connector” – Prizes of $10,000 for current efforts to successfully attract and/or support networks of underrepresented communities in the R&D innovation ecosystem.
  • Startup Tucson – Tucson, Arizona
  • Colmena66 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Launch Minnesota – St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Conductor – Fayetteville, Arkansas
• “Ecosystem Responder” – Prizes of $10,000 for innovative and effective responses to support the R&D ecosystem amidst the pandemic environment.
  • Challenge America – Basalt, Colorado
  • JumpStart Inc. – Cleveland, Ohio
  • Hofstra University Center for Entrepreneurship – Hempstead, New York
  • CO+HOOTS/ HUUB – Phoenix, Arizona
• “Visionary” – Prizes of $25,000 for the most creative and actionable ideas for creating a more inclusive R&D innovation ecosystem for the future.
  • Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation – Lexington, Kentucky
  • Jackson State University – Jackson, Mississippi
  • Arrowhead Center – Las Cruces, New Mexico
  • AWIS STEM to Market Initiative and University of Toledo – Toledo, Ohio
  • Ventureprise at UNC Charlotte – Charlotte, North Carolina
  • LabStart (MXV) – Sacramento, California
  • The Fledge – Lansing, Michigan
  • Central Maine Growth Council – Waterville, Maine
  • MCA Innovation Center – El Paso, Texas
  • BioGenerator – St. Louis, Missouri

Submissions were evaluated for quality and clarity by a panel of federal employees and non-federal partners with relevant expertise.  Final selection was made by an interagency committee in coordination with the SBA’s Office of Innovation and Technology.

The Lab-to-Market (L2M) subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on the Science and Technology Enterprise leads the federal government-wide implementation of the Lab-to-Market Cross Agency Priority (L2M CAP) goal to improve the transition of federally-funded R&D from the laboratory to the marketplace as part of the President’s Management Agenda.  Key strategies include increasing engagement with private sector technology development experts and supporting innovative tools and services for technology transfer.

SBA coordinates the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund, which each year provide more than $4 billion in early stage seed capital totaling over 5,000 awards to small businesses.  Companies supported by the SBIR/STTR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S.

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.