Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity
Application Period Open – October 1, 2011
Application Deadline – November 1, 2011
Investment Committee meeting (tentative) – December 9, 2011
Final Approval (tentative) – January 30, 2012
To create more home-grown, high-tech companies, Missouri must support entrepreneurs and foster innovation. It is for this reason that the Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity program (MOBEC) is a cornerstone of MTC’s investment strategy. Through the MOBEC program, MTC will make strategic investments that expand the support system for entrepreneurs that are commercializing new technologies or that enhance the capacity of Missouri to grow its innovation economy.
Program Goals
The MOBEC program seeks to achieve the following goals in Missouri:
- Enhance the capacity of organizations to support entrepreneurs who are commercializing new technologies around which high-growth companies can be created;
- Enhance the capacity of Missouri research institutions to attract competitive federal and private research funding and centers;
- Enhance research and commercialization efforts in the targeted high-tech industry clusters of animal health, plant science, biomedical science, applied engineering and defense and homeland security; and
- Create sustainable high-paying, private sector jobs.
Eligible Applicants
- Public or private non-profit Missouri research institutions, including institutions of higher education
- Non-profit entrepreneurial support and related organizations
Evaluation Criteria
The submissions by Eligible Applicants will be evaluated based on dimensions of the quality of the submission and a demonstrated likelihood to achieve the following outcomes in Missouri:
- Structurally accelerate the commercialization of scientific discovery into new high-growth companies;
- Increase the number of investment-grade start-up companies launched;
- Increase research and capital investment funding;
- Strengthen one or more of MTC’s targeted high-tech clusters;
- Strengthen partnerships across service providers or institutions; and
- Create sustainable high-paying, private sector jobs.
Funding Available
The request for financial support should be specifically and narrowly tailored to the plan outlined in the application submitted to MTC, but individual grant awards will not exceed $500,000. Accordingly, it is not expected that each applicant will request the maximum amount of funds that may be awarded.