Programs

Programs:

_{APEX Accelerator}

_{Community Business Partnership}

_{Entrepreneur-in-Residence}

_{Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program}

_{NIH Reach}

_{NSF I-CORPS}

_{Virginia Small Business Development Center}

_{Women's Business Center of Northern Virginia}

The Virginia APEX Accelerator, administered by George Mason University, is a statewide resource for businesses doing business with the government. The APEX Accelerator matches funds from local government and non-profit sources to offer no and low-cost assistance to businesses who want to participate in the government procurement process at federal, state, and local levels. APEX Accelerators are locally-run offices with programming customized to participants’ local market environments and needs.

Advantages of the APEX Accelerator:

• Learn the essentials for government procurement from industry advisors.
   
• Take part in free monthly educational seminars and webinars covering a variety of procurement topics.
   
• The Bid Match Service locates bid opportunities that align with your company’s products and services with federal, state, local, and foreign governments.

Community Business Partnership (CBP) is a non-profit organization that exists to help startups and small businesses get access to capital, development assistance, and other support necessary to grow successful companies. CBP is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving the DMV as a microlender for businesses seeking $1,000 - $50,000 to start or grow a business. The CBP is supported by U.S. Department of Treasury and Fairfax and Prince William counties.

Community Business Partnership services:

• Financial assistance awards are made in the form of loans, grants, equity investments, deposits, and credit union shares, which CDFIs are required to match dollar-for-dollar with non-federal funds.
• Live and asynchronous virtual classes on a variety of topics including starting or growing a business, financial planning, managing risk, and more.
• Virtual one-on-one counseling sessions on specific business issues, all for no cost thanks to continued financial support from the US Small Business Administration. 
• Rentable, amenity-full spaces for you and your business, from conference and training rooms to a private office.

In the Entrepreneur in Residence program, government and corporate partners converge with faculty, students, and leading-edge researchers to develop solutions to tackle the world’s complex challenges. EIR’s home in the heart of Arlington’s Innovation Corridor, FUSE at Mason Square, makes it the optimum location to gather inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors with policymakers, and legal experts in a pioneering collaborative environment.

The Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) assists Virginia-based technology and innovation-driven startups on their path to success. The ICAP program is a no-cost lean start-up short course that focuses on customer discovery for any aspiring tech entrepreneur in Virginia, and provides no-cost business counseling by experts with varying background that support tech entrepreneurs.

The National Institute of Health has funded George Mason University to offer a program that supports bio-health researchers who want to increase societal impact of their research. George Mason is part of the Virginia Mid-South Hub, eligible to researchers from most commonwealth universities. The program assists University faculty and graduate students with bringing science discoveries to market by providing entrepreneurial training, feedback from federal and industry experts, and funding to support early-stage product definition studies.

The George Mason University’s NSF I-Corps Regional Program assist faculty, researchers, students, staff, innovators, and founders from across the Commonwealth in exploring the commercial viability of their technology-based innovation ideas to accelerate business exploration and creation and, ultimately, make a real-world/societal impact. I-CORPS Teams will be assigned a mentor to assist them.

The Virginia SBDC is an organization of 27 local offices across Virginia providing professional business advising, training, and business resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses. As part of the Mason Enterprise network and backed by George Mason University's renowned expertise, SBDC offers unparalleled access to cutting-edge research, industry insights, and a vast network of professional resources. This unique partnership allows us to combine practical business knowledge with the latest innovations from Virginia's largest public research university, providing you with comprehensive, forward-thinking solutions to drive your business success.

Women’s Business Center (WBC) of Northern Virginia is part of a national network of over 100 educational centers throughout the United States. WBC of Northern Virginia offers free/low-cost workshops and training and one-on-one technical assistance and counseling to women, minorities and socially disadvantaged clients in Northern Virginia. The program works in collaboration with a number of local, regional and national organizations to promote small business growth in Fairfax County and beyond.