Montana Department of Commerce Program Assists Small Business in Securing Federal Small Business Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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September 21, 2011

For more information, contact:
Marissa Kozel , Communications Director
Email: [ mailto:[email protected] ][email protected]
Phone: 406-841-2772

COMMERCE MEDIA RELEASE: MDOC Helps Small Business Secure Federal Funds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

CONTACT: Christine Bell, Program Manager
Montana Department of Commerce
Montana Technology Innovation Partnership
406-841-2749

Marissa Kozel
Communications Director
Montana Department of Commerce
406-841-2772

Montana Department of Commerce Program Assists Small Business in Securing Federal Small Business Funding

(HELENA) ??? A Missoula small business has secured $75,000 in federal funds through the help of the Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Technology Innovation Partnership (MTIP) program.

Kathleen Humphries, PhD, owner of Good Nutrition Ideas and a Project Director with The University of Montana’s Rural Institute of Disabilities, has been awarded $75,000 in funds from the U.S. Department of Education’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, to assess the feasibility of disseminating nationwide the company’s novel nutrition system, MenuChoice.

MenuChoice is designed to improve food systems in group homes for adults with developmental disabilities, leading to better weight management, better gastrointestinal health, and better dietary intake for the residents.

Through no-cost technical assistance from the Montana Technology Innovation Partnership (MTIP) within the Department of Commerce, Humphries was able to work her way initially through a variety of intellectual property issues and then through the challenging proposal development and submission process.

"MTIP is a valuable program that offers technical assistance to eligible for-profit small businesses who are engaged in innovative activities," said Dore Schwinden, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. "MTIP can be a profitable tool for businesses."

The purpose of the federal SBIR program is to: stimulate technological innovation; increase small business participation in federal research and development; foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation; and increase private sector commercialization of technology derived from federal research and development.
"The award for the MenuChoice study is a perfect example of how the Montana Department of Commerce helps small innovative businesses attract funding which is used to create jobs and move the companies toward commercialization in Montana," said Christine Bell, MTIP Program Manager. "SBIR is a very successful government program that has proven, over two decades, to increase employment by supporting the development and commercialization of new technologies. MenuChoice will employ five part-time people with the awards funds and will maintain five well-paying permanent full-time jobs with commercialization."

"The model for MenuChoice was created in Montana and helps group home residents improve their nutritional health and reduce their chances of needing to live in a nursing home," stated Humphries. "This could mean substantial cost savings. Not only is the quality of life improved, but medical costs are lowered by better weight and gastrointestinal management."
Humphries plans to eventually make the MenuChoice training available to care givers and group home managers nationwide. There are 84,000 group homes in the United States serving about 450,000 adults with developmental disabilities.

For more information about MTIP, SBIR, or to request services, contact Christine Bell, Montana Technology Innovation Partnership office, 406-841-2749, [email protected]. SBIR information and an application to request services can be found at: [ http://www.mtip.mt.gov/ ]www.mtip.mt.gov.
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