The state's Research Commercialization Matching Grant Program awarded $2.7 million to 13 companies in January 2011. While federal funds are restricted to research and development activities, state grants may be used to pay for commercialization and marketing activities. The companies used state grants to advance the schedule for commercializing their products, but have created few jobs due to the relatively recent implementation of the program.
The program currently requires grant recipients to report performance outcomes, such as the amount of funding received, number of inventions, patents and copyrights awarded, and number of jobs created. We concluded that these measures are appropriate for evaluating program outcomes, but recommend that additional measures be added to evaluate grant recipients' long-term commercialization efforts.

Biotechnology Clusters Developing Slowly; Startup Assistance May Encourage Growth
Report 10-05 January 2010
Florida Has Implemented Promising Biotechnology Initiatives, But Faces Challenges
Report 06-71 December 2006

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.