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; designating an existing Enterprise Florida, Inc., |
6 | committee, or subcommittee thereof, for certain purposes; |
7 | providing that committee members shall serve without |
8 | compensation; requiring Enterprise Florida, Inc., to |
9 | provide staff support; providing a deadline for processing |
10 | applications; requiring annual reports to the Governor and |
11 | Legislature; providing applicant eligibility guidelines; |
12 | providing for a program administrator; providing |
13 | responsibilities of the program administrator; providing |
14 | for program administrative costs; designating a fiduciary |
15 | entity; providing for release of awards to qualified |
16 | applicants meeting requirements of fiduciary entity; |
17 | providing a per-project award cap; requiring the Office of |
18 | Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to |
19 | conduct a review and provide a report; providing a |
20 | recurring appropriation; providing an effective date. |
21 |
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22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
23 |
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24 | Section 1. Section 288.9552, Florida Statutes, is created |
25 | to read: |
26 | 288.9552 Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant |
27 | Program.-- |
28 | (1) PURPOSE; GOALS AND OBJECTIVES; CREATION OF PROGRAM.-- |
29 | (a) The purpose of the Florida Research Commercialization |
30 | Matching Grant Program is to increase the amount of federal |
31 | funding coming to this state which will produce the kind of |
32 | distinctive technologies that drive today's knowledge-based |
33 | economy. By leveraging federal, state, and private-sector |
34 | resources, the program intends to accelerate the innovation |
35 | process and more efficiently transform research results into |
36 | products in the marketplace. |
37 | (b) The matching grant program is specifically intended to |
38 | be a catalyst for small or startup companies that can take |
39 | advantage of federal and state partnerships in order to |
40 | accelerate their growth and market penetration by helping to |
41 | overcome the funding gap faced by many small companies that are |
42 | based in this state. Specific goals and objectives of the |
43 | program include: |
44 | 1. Increasing the amount of federal research moneys |
45 | received by small businesses in this state through awards from |
46 | the Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small |
47 | Business Technology Transfer Program of the Office of Technology |
48 | of the United States Small Business Administration. |
49 | 2. Accelerating the entry of new technology-based products |
50 | into the marketplace. |
51 | 3. Producing additional technology-based jobs for the |
52 | state. |
53 | 4. Providing leveraged resources to increase the |
54 | effectiveness and success of applicants' projects. |
55 | 5. Speeding commercialization of promising technologies. |
56 | 6. Encouraging the establishment and growth of high- |
57 | quality, advanced technology firms in the state. |
58 | 7. Accelerating deal flow and enhancing the state's |
59 | investment infrastructure. |
60 | (c) The Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant |
61 | Program is created for the purpose of accomplishing the goals |
62 | and objectives specified in this section. |
63 | (2) ADMINISTRATION.--Enterprise Florida's Technology, |
64 | Entrepreneurship and Capital Committee, or a subcommittee |
65 | thereof with no less than seven members, shall develop |
66 | programmatic policy, ensure statewide applicability of the |
67 | matching grant program, establish criteria for grant awards, |
68 | approve grant awards, and review program progress and results. |
69 | (a) Members of the committee shall serve without |
70 | compensation. |
71 | (b) Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall provide staff support |
72 | for the committee. |
73 | (c) Applications for matching grant awards must be |
74 | reviewed and approved or denied within 45 days after receipt of |
75 | application. |
76 | (d) Beginning December 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, |
77 | the committee shall provide an annual report to the Governor, |
78 | the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
79 | Representatives for the previous fiscal year. |
80 | (3) ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES.--A qualified applicant shall: |
81 | (a) Be a business entity that is registered with the |
82 | Secretary of State to operate in this state. The qualified |
83 | applicant must also have its primary office and a majority of |
84 | its employees domiciled in Florida, and the principal research |
85 | activities must be conducted in the state. |
86 | (b) Be a small company for which a state matching grant is |
87 | necessary for project development and implementation. |
88 | (c) Have received a federal Small Business Innovation |
89 | Research Program or Small Business Technology Transfer Program |
90 | Phase I award and have received an invitation to submit an |
91 | application for a Phase II award. If a Phase II award has |
92 | already been issued, the end date of the federal award must be |
93 | identified and justification must be provided as to how these |
94 | additional funds will enhance, not supplant, the existing award. |
95 | (d) Utilize federal, local, and private resources to the |
96 | maximum extent possible. Total project funding shall |
97 | demonstrate: |
98 | 1. Private sector investments to offset the total cost of |
99 | the project; and |
100 | 2. No more than 25 percent of the project's total funding |
101 | is provided by the state grant. |
102 | (e) Projects funded by the matching grant program shall be |
103 | conducted in this state. |
104 | (4) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR.--Subject to appropriations, |
105 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall serve as program administrator. |
106 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., may contract for the performance of |
107 | technology review and related functions with a third party. Not |
108 | more than 10 percent of a legislative appropriation may be used |
109 | for administrative purposes. The responsibilities of the program |
110 | administrator include, but are not limited to: |
111 | (a) Coordinating and supporting the grant review, |
112 | approval, and contracting activities. |
113 | (b) Administering the grant-selection process, including, |
114 | but not limited to, issuing open-call requests for grant |
115 | applications and receiving, reviewing, and processing grant |
116 | applications. |
117 | (c) Serving as grant contract manager for recipients of a |
118 | matching grant. |
119 | (d) Reporting program progress and results. |
120 | (e) Establishing a mechanism by which information |
121 | regarding grant projects may be made available to facilitate |
122 | additional angel, seed, or venture capital investment. |
123 | (5) FIDUCIARY.--Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall award |
124 | money to a qualified applicant if: |
125 | (a) The committee approves the award; |
126 | (b) The qualified applicant demonstrates that it has |
127 | obtained a federal Small Business Innovation Research Program or |
128 | Small Business Technology Transfer Program Phase II award; and |
129 | (c) The qualified applicant executes a performance |
130 | contract with Enterprise Florida, Inc. |
131 | |
132 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall release funds to a qualified |
133 | applicant upon completion of all contract requirements. |
134 | (6) AWARDS.--The matching grant program may make one-time |
135 | awards up to $250,000 per project to a qualified applicant until |
136 | June 30, 2013. |
137 | Section 2. Prior to the 2013 Regular Session of the |
138 | Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
139 | Government Accountability shall conduct a review and evaluation |
140 | of the effectiveness and viability of the Florida Research |
141 | Commercialization Matching Grant Program. The office shall |
142 | specifically evaluate utilization of federal grants, private |
143 | investment, and the creation of new businesses and jobs. The |
144 | office shall also recommend outcome measures for further |
145 | evaluation of the program. The office shall submit a report of |
146 | its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President |
147 | of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives |
148 | no later than January 1, 2013. |
149 | Section 3. The sum of $4 million is appropriated from |
150 | recurring revenue in the General Revenue Fund to the Office of |
151 | Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development for Enterprise Florida, |
152 | Inc., for the 2008-2009 fiscal year for the purpose of |
153 | implementing section 288.9552, Florida Statutes. |
154 | Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |