PHILADELPHIA November 10, 2006 – A consultant from the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) network, Paul Petrovich of the University of Pittsburgh SBDC, has been awarded the Tibbetts Award from the Small Business Technology Council. This national award, named for Roland Tibbetts who began the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at the National Science Foundation, recognizes excellence in helping entrepreneurs bring new technologies to the marketplace.

As the regional Technology Commercialization Assistance Program specialist for the Pennsylvania SBDC network, Petrovich works with technology clients of the SBDCs at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, St. Vincent College, St. Francis University, Clarion University and Gannon University to assist them with sophisticated business management issues such as alternative financing, human resources, patents and trade marking, intellectual property, and product commercialization. The program also targets assistance to struggling U.S. Department of Defense contractors to help them locate markets outside of the Department of Defense.

Petrovich’s contribution to the technology community is evident in the more than $25 million in funding he has helped clients secure from the federal Small Business Innovation Research program and the Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Technology Partnership/Innovation Works. One recent example of this work was helping RE2, Inc., a robotics company from Pittsburgh, obtain a $750,000 SBIR contract from the U.S. Army.

“Helping companies develop new technologies and products is critical for our region’s growth,” states U.S. Representative Michael Doyle. “I am grateful for the efforts of Paul and his colleagues in the SBDC program. These skilled SBDC consultants are vital resources for entrepreneurs in southwest Pennsylvania working to turn their technological breakthroughs into profitable companies.”

Petrovich has also played a key role in developing the Innovation Partnership, a statewide program that provides management resources and funding to help technology developers pursue federal research and development funding. Petrovich currently serves as the chair of the Partnership’s Finance Committee where he promotes growth by evaluating grant proposals of small technology companies.

“Thanks in part to Paul’s work, the Pennsylvania SBDC is now nationally accredited for its technology program,” notes Gregory L. Higgins, Jr., state director of the Pennsylvania SBDC network. “This award for Paul, along with the technology accreditation of the network, provides important validation of the impact of SBDC services for entrepreneurs working to commercialize their new technologies.”

Each year, the SBDC network’s Technology Commercialization Assistance Program provides an average of 3,300 hours of consulting to 500 high-growth and technology clients. This consulting has helped these companies raise $10.7 million in equity and loan financing in the past year.

As the largest statewide provider of entrepreneurial services, the SBDCs play a unique and vital role in the Commonwealth's economic development initiatives as the only organization that, in utilizing the expertise and resources of 18 of the best colleges and universities in the state, assists entrepreneurs in all stages of business and all industry sectors. Funding support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the SBDC host institutions enables consulting services to be provided at no charge to the client. A portion of this funding is used to operate the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center’s Technology Commercialization Assistance Program.

Since 1990 alone, the SBDCs have helped Pennsylvania entrepreneurs start thousands of new businesses, create thousands of jobs, sell millions of dollars of products and services, and generate millions in new tax revenues. For more information on the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers’ services and impact, visit www.pasbdc.org.

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