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What is SpringBoard?

For the past five years, SpringBoard has been helping to facilitate the rapid transition of new technologies from science and technology programs of the Department of Defense (and other Federal Labs) into acquisition programs of the Department for the production of such technologies.

Springboard is a program funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) with the objective of facilitating partnerships between companies or universities and Federal Laboratories. This objective is carried out primarily through instruments such as a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADAs), Patent Licensing, or Educational Partnerships Agreements (EPAs).

Springboard is part of the Juneau Economic Development Council in Alaska’s Capital city. Located in Alaska, SpringBoard leverages technical opportunities in the state and works extensively nationwide. It is one of four similar organizations across the United States, called Partnership Intermediaries, all partnering closely with the DoD and other Federal Labs.

DoD Partnership Intermediaries are defined in the following way:

• An agency of a State or local government, or a nonprofit entity that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms or institutions of higher education, that need or can make demonstrably productive use of technology-related assistance from a Federal laboratory;
• To provide services for the Federal laboratory that increases the likelihood of success in the conduct of cooperative or joint activities of such Federal Laboratory.

How can Springboard benefit a Federal Lab?

Federal Labs develop new technologies that must be successfully demonstrated in relevant environments so as to accelerate the introduction of these technologies into operational capabilities.

The value of SpringBoard as a Partnership Intermediary (PIA) is that it can provide the following benefits, among others, to Federal Labs:

• Engage in proactive, focused, and sustained marketing of labs’ technologies and capabilities
• Pursue leads that labs don’t have the time to pursue
• Are closer to the marketplace and can employ a technology pull approach
• Facilitate communications with companies
• Help companies submit high quality applications

Please don’t hesitate to contact SpringBoard staff Zach Wilkinson, at (907) 523 2329, zwilkinson@jedc.org, or Paul Moran, at (907) 523 2340, pmoran@jedc.org, to explore and discuss partnership opportunities.

Software Test Bed

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