FAST Program funding helps position BCS as a regional innovation hub

Central Washington University has been selected by Governor Bob Ferguson and the U.S. Small Business Administration as a statewide access point for innovators to tap into a nationwide pool of more than $4.3 billion for small business innovation research (SBIR) funding.

The recent federal award will allow CWU’s Business and Community Services (BCS) office to advance its mission to facilitate new economic development opportunities for businesses and individuals across the region.

BCS learned in early September that it had been awarded Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program designation and an initial $180,000 through the SBA, which will help BCS support innovators hoping to secure additional investments.

As BCS Executive Director Rob Ogburn explained, the infusion of federal money is secondary to the long-term implications of the FAST partnership.

“This program provides us with the foundation we need to identify and support the kinds of ideas that will attract investors at all different levels for the many innovative ideas coming out of this area,” he said.

“Phase one funding might be a couple hundred thousand dollars to help you get your idea off the ground,” Ogburn added. "But if you manage to reach certain benchmarks, you might bring in $2 million or more in phase two, and it is possible to return for more funding with additional new ideas. Our program will provide support through both phases, as well as into commercialization and beyond.”

The FAST Program provides small businesses and startups around the country with specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance to compete for research and development funding through America’s Seed Fund.

The FAST awards are good for 12 months and can be renewed for up to three years, with a goal of ensuring that U.S. small businesses — regardless of where they are located — have the tools and local support they need to compete for federal R&D funding, commercialize breakthrough technologies, create jobs, and build the industrial base of the future.

In 2025 alone, $112,983,357 in SBIR funds were awarded to Washington small businesses, but most of that money went to projects in the Puget Sound area.

Central Washington innovators have traditionally been left out of the conversation because there was no underlying structure in place to develop and promote their ideas, but Ogburn is hopeful all of that is about to change.

With this new financial infusion from the SBA, CWU is the only entity in Washington state that can provide innovators with connections to no-cost resources and support they need to capitalize on the SBIR program.

“Each state can only have one FAST grant per year, and it has to be supported by the governor’s office,” Ogburn said, noting that the state Department of Commerce also issued a letter of support. “It also helped us that the SBA prefers to target these kinds of investments to more rural areas. It turns out that our goals fit really well with their mission.”

Senator Maria Cantwell has also thrown her support behind CWU’s efforts in recent months, agreeing to bring a $3 million spending request to Congress next year to convert the Old Heat facility near campus into a small business incubator.

Even with so much state and federal support, Ogburn and his team know they need to keep their foot on the gas.

“We’re going to continue fundraising because we are planning to build out that facility even more so we can locate a range of resources like our FAST Grant program there,” he said. “We’re also hoping to create flexible spaces and labs so we can better support startups and small businesses that receive SBIR funding, especially if they have a vision for staying in the region.”

Growing Capacity and Expertise

As BCS enters a new phase of growth facilitated by the FAST grant and related SBIR funding mechanisms, the team has brought in a valuable new resource this fall.

FAST Grant Program Director Kate Hoy started her new position in mid-October, and she is eager to help BCS make the most of its recent momentum. After operating a private consulting business for the past year, the former research and development (R&D) funding strategist for the SBA said she is looking forward to getting back in the game.

“What’s so exciting for me is that BCS is developing an entire suite of programs that are designed to strengthen the state’s small business ecosystem — which is exactly what the FAST grant is intended for,” Hoy said. “Securing this funding is really going to put CWU on the map because we’re going to be providing services that other regions don’t have access to.”

Hoy added that she is looking forward to working alongside Ogburn and other members of the team as they work to increase CWU’s influence and statewide profile. She credited the BCS staff for its ability to “think outside the box” and bring a wide range of stakeholders together to improve Washington state’s short- and long-term economic prospects.

“Their team is doing things that are really different — things that haven’t done before in this state — and they seem to have a really good understanding of what it’s going to take to make a significant impact on the economic future of this region,” she said.

If everything goes according to plan, Hoy and her colleagues believe CWU’s central location and the renovated Old Heat facility could position the university as a second innovation hub outside of Seattle.

BCS plans to focus its efforts on ag tech and ed tech innovation, and hopes to build additional support for firms that are pursuing projects for the Department of Energy.

“Our overall goal is to strengthen the ability of innovators in rural counties to utilize federal research and development funding, and we will develop programs that are complementary to the Seattle programs,” Hoy said.

No cost resources will start rolling out In November. In 2027 we will start our regional outreach and train-the-trainer workshops. For more information, email Kate Hoy at kate.hoy@cwu.edu.