| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Florida Research Commercialization |
| 3 | Matching Grant Program; creating s. 288.9552, F.S.; |
| 4 | providing legislative findings and intent; creating the |
| 5 | program; specifying procedures for processing program |
| 6 | applications; providing eligibility guidelines for |
| 7 | applicants; providing for a program administrator; |
| 8 | providing responsibilities of the program administrator; |
| 9 | providing for certain contracts; providing for program |
| 10 | administrative costs; providing for grant awards up to a |
| 11 | specified amount; requiring Enterprise Florida, Inc., to |
| 12 | include a progress report of the program in its annual |
| 13 | report to the Governor and Legislature; providing for |
| 14 | expiration; providing an effective date. |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Section 1. Section 288.9552, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 19 | to read: |
| 20 | 288.9552 Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant |
| 21 | Program.- |
| 22 | (1) PURPOSE; GOALS AND OBJECTIVES; CREATION OF PROGRAM.- |
| 23 | (a) The purpose of the Florida Research Commercialization |
| 24 | Matching Grant Program is to increase the amount of federal |
| 25 | funding coming to this state. By leveraging federal, state, and |
| 26 | private-sector resources, the program intends to accelerate the |
| 27 | innovation process and more efficiently transform research |
| 28 | results into products in the marketplace. |
| 29 | (b) The matching grant program is specifically intended to |
| 30 | be a catalyst for small businesses that can take advantage of |
| 31 | federal and state partnerships in order to accelerate their |
| 32 | growth and market penetration by helping to overcome the funding |
| 33 | gap faced by many small businesses based in this state. Specific |
| 34 | goals and objectives of the program include: |
| 35 | 1. Increasing the amount of federal research moneys |
| 36 | received by small businesses in the state through awards from |
| 37 | the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small |
| 38 | Business Technology Transfer Program of the Office of Technology |
| 39 | of the United States Small Business Administration. |
| 40 | 2. Accelerating the entry of new technology-based products |
| 41 | into the marketplace. |
| 42 | 3. Producing additional technology-based jobs for the |
| 43 | state. |
| 44 | 4. Providing leveraged resources to increase the |
| 45 | effectiveness and success of applicants' projects. |
| 46 | 5. Speeding commercialization of promising technologies. |
| 47 | 6. Encouraging the establishment and growth of high- |
| 48 | quality, advanced technology firms in the state. |
| 49 | 7. Accelerating the rate of investment and enhancing the |
| 50 | state's investment infrastructure. |
| 51 | (c) The Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant |
| 52 | Program is created for the purpose of accomplishing the goals |
| 53 | and objectives specified in this section. |
| 54 | (2) ADMINISTRATION.-An application for a matching grant |
| 55 | award must be reviewed and approved or denied using the |
| 56 | procedures provided for economic development incentive |
| 57 | applications in s. 288.061. |
| 58 | (3) ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES.-A qualified applicant shall: |
| 59 | (a) Be a business entity that is registered with the |
| 60 | Secretary of State to operate in the state. The qualified |
| 61 | applicant must also have its primary office and a majority of |
| 62 | its employees domiciled in the state, and the principal research |
| 63 | activities must be conducted in the state. |
| 64 | (b) Be a small business for which a state matching grant |
| 65 | is necessary for project development and implementation. |
| 66 | (c) Have received a Phase I award under the federal Small |
| 67 | Business Innovation Research Program or Small Business |
| 68 | Technology Transfer Program and have received an invitation to |
| 69 | submit an application for a Phase II award. If a Phase II award |
| 70 | has already been issued, the end date of the federal award must |
| 71 | be identified and justification must be provided as to how these |
| 72 | additional funds will enhance, not supplant, the existing award. |
| 73 | (d) Use federal, local, and private resources to the |
| 74 | maximum extent possible. Total project funding shall |
| 75 | demonstrate: |
| 76 | 1. Private-sector investments to offset the total cost of |
| 77 | the project; and |
| 78 | 2. That not more than 25 percent of the project's total |
| 79 | funding is provided by the state grant. |
| 80 | (e) Conduct the project funded by the matching grant |
| 81 | program in this state. |
| 82 | (4) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR.-Enterprise Florida, Inc., under |
| 83 | contract with the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic |
| 84 | Development, shall serve as program administrator and grant |
| 85 | contract manager for recipients of the matching grants. |
| 86 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., may contract with a third party for |
| 87 | technology review and related functions for the limited purpose |
| 88 | of providing expertise in the technical review of grant |
| 89 | applications. No more than 5 percent of a legislative |
| 90 | appropriation may be used for administrative purposes. |
| 91 | (5) AWARDS.-Subject to legislative appropriations, the |
| 92 | matching grant program may make one-time awards of up to |
| 93 | $250,000 per project to a qualified applicant. |
| 94 | (6) ANNUAL REPORT.-Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall, as |
| 95 | part of its annual report submitted pursuant to s. 288.906, |
| 96 | report on the progress of the matching grant program. |
| 97 | (7) EXPIRATION.-This section expires July 1, 2013, unless |
| 98 | reviewed and reenacted by the Legislature before that date. |
| 99 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |