Montalvo Corporation

Web Tension Control Leads Beyond Maine

Grant | $5,000

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide competitive awards-based resources to enable small businesses to develop new technologies and facilitate the commercialization of innovation. $2.5 billion of funding is made each year by SBIR/STTR Federal Agencies including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Science Foundation, USDA, and others.

MTI has aided many Maine businesses with their applications for SBIR/STTR grants. Montalvo is a recent Success Story.

Grants Received: National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I and II awards

Montalvo is an industry leader in Web Tension Control, specializing in manufacturing superior web control products and offering complete web control services and support. They have received a Phase I and Phase II award from the National Science Foundation, the latter in 2017. The awards are for a project developing a disruptive tow tension control technology designed for the unique processing variables of composite material manufacturing.

Having received both a Phase I and a Phase II, Montalvo is well aware of how each changed its business. The Phase I grant for research and development cut a potential 4-year development window in half and gave them the ability to make process changes, connect with potential customers, and raise their visibility for future partners. The Phase II grant, which is focused on commercialization, allowed Montalvo to invest in capital improvements and develop prototypes to show to customers.

Robin Goodwin, Montalvo’s CEO, stresses that preparing a proposal is not something to take lightly. He recommends taking advantage of third-party specialists, including MTI, to put your best foot forward and keeping an open mind on feedback. Knowing your market in addition to the technologies involved will make your proposal stronger.