A small company with a genuinely new technology often hits the same wall: the idea needs research money before it can attract investors, and the research money comes with a federal application process that looks nothing like a bank loan. On Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, a free working session in Davie is built to get founders over the first step of that wall, the National Science Foundation Project Pitch.
The Lunch & Learn listing posted by the Florida SBDC at FAU says the Town of Davie "invites you to a workshop for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties." The session runs at the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Boulevard, fifth floor, in Davie, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. The listing marks the event free, and it promises "hands-on guidance from a certified business consultant to refine your National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Pitch, strengthen your funding strategy, and prepare your innovation for federal funding opportunities."
What the Session Covers
The listing's header calls it "Training and Assistance to Access Capital for Innovation and Commercialization." The published agenda breaks the day into three teaching blocks and a consulting hour:
- 10:30 a.m.: doors open and check in.
- 11:00 a.m.: Session 1, Building Your SBIR Abstract and Proposal Structure.
- 11:45 a.m.: lunch pickup.
- 12:00 p.m.: Session 2, Quantum Computing for Innovation and Commercialization.
- 12:45 p.m.: break and transition.
- 1:00 p.m.: Session 3, Developing a Strong NSF Project Pitch.
- 2:00 p.m.: interactive questions and individual consultations, scheduled to 3 p.m.
The listing header shows 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the detailed agenda runs the consultation hour until 3 p.m. Founders who want a one on one slot should plan to stay for the full afternoon.
Two consultants are named on the listing: Bob Glidewell and Robert Loredo. The Town of Davie is listed as the partner, and the Florida SBDC at FAU is the organizer. The listing closes with a pitch of its own: "Ready to receive no-cost consulting? Attend the workshop and connect with our team for the next steps toward business growth guidance."
What SBIR and the NSF Project Pitch Are
SBIR stands for Small Business Innovation Research, the federal program family that funds early research and development at small companies. The NSF version is branded America's Seed Fund. The official NSF SBIR Project Pitch page explains that the Project Pitch is required and lets startups and small businesses "get quick feedback at the start of their application for Phase I funding."
According to NSF, a company that submits a pitch learns whether its project meets the program's objectives "to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve a level of technical risk." If the pitch fits, the company receives "an official invitation from NSF to submit a full proposal." If it does not, NSF says the company will be told why.
The pitch itself has four required parts, each with a character limit, according to NSF:
- The Technology Innovation, up to 3,500 characters.
- The Technical Objectives and Challenges, up to 3,500 characters.
- The Market Opportunity, up to 1,750 characters.
- The Company and Team, up to 1,750 characters.
NSF also sets a pacing rule. Each small business can have only one Project Pitch pending at a time, and a company invited to submit a full proposal must wait for that proposal to be resolved before sending a new or revised pitch.
Why the Quantum Session Is on the Agenda
The middle block, Quantum Computing for Innovation and Commercialization, is a sign of where the organizers see opportunity. Quantum computing has drawn growing attention in South Florida, and the region has hosted events on the topic this fall, including the Quantum Beach gathering in West Palm Beach. The session description is not detailed on the listing, so founders should treat it as an overview rather than a technical course.
For a founder outside quantum, the session still has value. Federal reviewers look for technical risk and a clear path to commercialization, and hearing how a deep technology field frames both can sharpen any pitch.
Who Should Go
The listing addresses entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses across the three counties. In practice, the people who will get the most from a day like this fit a few profiles:
- A founder with a technical innovation that is still unproven and needs research before it can become a product.
- A small company that has heard of SBIR but has never written an abstract or a pitch.
- A team that submitted a pitch before, was not invited to a full proposal and wants to understand why.
- A university spinout or lab based founder in South Florida looking for local, no cost help with federal funding paperwork.
Owners of conventional service or retail businesses are unlikely to fit NSF's requirement of technical risk, and should look instead at local grants and loan programs.
How to Prepare
The consulting hour is the most valuable part of the day, and preparation makes it count. Before Nov. 6, a founder can:
- Draft a one paragraph description of the technology and what makes it new.
- List the technical questions that remain unanswered, since NSF says the work must meet the definition of research and development rather than routine engineering.
- Identify the first customer type and the problem the product solves.
- Write a short team summary naming who leads the technical and commercial work.
- Read the NSF Project Pitch page in full and note any terms that are unclear.
Bringing a rough draft of each of the four pitch sections, even in bullet form, gives the consultant something concrete to edit.
Practical Details
The Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation is on the Nova Southeastern University campus in Davie. The session is on the fifth floor. The listing notes paid parking and an in person format, with lunch pickup at 11:45 a.m. Nothing on the listing mentions a recording or virtual option.
The event falls on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, which is 11 days after Monday, Oct. 26. Registration runs through the Eventbrite listing. Because consultations happen in a single hour, early registration and early arrival improve the odds of a meaningful conversation.
The event listing from the Florida SBDC at FAU, which names the Town of Davie as partner, is the primary source here.
After the Workshop
The Florida SBDC Network offers no cost consulting beyond single events, and the Gazette keeps a guide to free coaching at the FAU and FIU SBDCs. Founders working on artificial intelligence products may also find the free SCORE AI webinar series running through Nov. 7 a useful companion.
Federal program details, including which solicitations are open at any moment, change over time. Founders should confirm current status on the official NSF and SBIR sites before planning a submission.
Office Contacts
- Florida SBDC at FAU: through the organizer contact on the Eventbrite listing.
- National Science Foundation main line: (703) 292 5111.
- NSF SBIR program information: seedfund.nsf.gov.
Sources
- Florida SBDC at FAU Lunch & Learn listing, Nov. 6, 2026
- NSF SBIR Project Pitch
- SBIR.gov
- Florida SBDC Network
Related
Key Facts
When and where is the Davie SBIR and NSF pitch workshop?
The Lunch & Learn takes place Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Boulevard, fifth floor, in Davie. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. The listing header shows 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the agenda adds a consultation hour that runs until 3 p.m.
Is the Davie Lunch and Learn free?
Yes. The Eventbrite listing posted by the Florida SBDC at FAU marks the event free and describes no cost consulting for attendees who connect with the team afterward. Registration runs through that listing. Parking near the venue is paid, according to the listing, and the event is in person with lunch pickup scheduled at 11:45 a.m.
What is an NSF Project Pitch?
NSF says the Project Pitch is a required first step for Phase I funding from America's Seed Fund. It covers four parts: the technology innovation and the technical objectives, up to 3,500 characters each, and the market opportunity and the company and team, up to 1,750 characters each. A good fit brings an invitation to submit a full proposal.
Who is the Davie SBIR workshop designed for?
The listing invites entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade counties. It fits founders with an unproven technical innovation that needs research funding, teams new to SBIR paperwork and companies refining an earlier pitch. Conventional retail or service businesses are unlikely to meet the NSF focus on technical risk and research.
What sessions are on the Nov. 6 agenda?
The agenda lists Building Your SBIR Abstract and Proposal Structure at 11 a.m., Quantum Computing for Innovation and Commercialization at noon and Developing a Strong NSF Project Pitch at 1 p.m. An hour of interactive questions and individual consultations follows at 2 p.m. Consultants Bob Glidewell and Robert Loredo are named on the listing.
