DAVIS COUNTY, GROW UTAH AND UAMMI KICKOFF RAMP STARTUP ACCELERATOR, FALL 2020 COHORT

RAMP Provides Innovators and Small Businesses with Mentoring, Scholarships, Industry Connections, and Prototyping to Launch their Innovations and Capture New Opportunities

Kaysville, UT  – Grow Utah recently announced that they are now accepting applications for the 2020 Fall Cohort of RAMP, an innovation and new product accelerator exclusively focused on Utah’s manufacturing startups and small businesses.

Now in its second year, RAMP is a 10-week startup accelerator program which helps entrepreneurs and small businesses develop new products using advanced materials and manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, across a wide range of industries including outdoor recreation, medical devices, commercial aerospace, consumer products, automotive, and building construction. This year will also include a focus on defense manufacturing companies in support of Utah’s recent designation as a DoD Defense Manufacturing Community.

RAMP is organized and hosted by Grow Utah, a non-profit organization founded in 2008 with a mission to accelerate Utah’s innovators and small businesses. Additional sponsors include UAMMI, Utah’s premier industry association for advanced materials and manufacturing; the Davis Fund for Economic Development, a cooperative of Davis County government and municipalities which funds businesses and innovators across the region; and the Small Business Administration, who is supporting the RAMP accelerator with a multi-year grant known as the Regional Innovation Center (RIC).

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is currently causing many challenges across Utah and the world, the Fall 2002 RAMP cohort hopes to turn those challenges into opportunities by focusing on innovators and small businesses which are pivoting to capture new opportunities emerging from the impacts of COVID 19.

“The ingenuity that drives Utah innovators continues, even in this time of economic challenge,” said T. Craig Bott, President of Grow Utah. “We want to do all we can to help our entrepreneurs and small business founders succeed by developing winning products and innovations that fit the changing market needs”, he added.

Over a 10-week intensive period of mentoring and training, RAMP participants will be immersed in a highly engaged and interactive learning experience with business mentors, manufacturing and materials experts, 3D print specialists, and marketing specialists who help each business team achieve success.

Through video conferencing, live training sessions and individualized mentoring from RAMP advisors, each team will be assisted to help get their products developed and into the market. RAMP teams will also access state-of-the art labs and technical equipment needed for rapid product prototyping and materials testing.

RAMP will be hosted in Northern Utah, which internationally recognized as a hub for advanced manufacturing and materials including carbon fiber, developed in support of Hill Air Force Base programs. Providing easy access to the state’s industry cluster, each RAMP participant will join a community rich in innovators, technologists, product designers and business leaders.

“As a newly designated Defense Manufacturing Community, it is important to support our small businesses in advanced materials and advanced manufacturing” said Tulinda Larsen, Executive Director for UAMMI. “The materials and processes that were pioneered in Utah over the past decades are now driving a tremendous burst of innovation and business growth as new uses and new applications are found extending to new markets. With RAMP we can build on our expertise and help businesses introduce new products that meet emerging market needs, all of which fits our mission at UAMMI to grow Utah businesses, including support DoD programs, outdoor recreation, medical devices, commercial aerospace, consumer products, automotive, and building construction,” she concluded.

Unique to the RAMP accelerator is financial support from the Davis Fund for Economic Development. For select business teams which meet certain criteria, the Davis Fund will offer scholarships which will make the RAMP program a very low cost or even free.

“We believe in the future of these businesses and innovators,” said Kent Andersen, Director of Community and Economic Development. “We want to show our support by offering resources which help entrepreneurs receive this valuable training and assistance. In addition, at the conclusion of RAMP, each team will be evaluated for possible financial assistance from our fund as well as from outside investors,” he added.

Innovators can submit their applications for RAMP through September 30, 2020 with the cohort running from September through early December. Interested parties can learn more and apply at: www.GrowUtah.com/RAMP

About Grow Utah
Grow Utah, is a privately funded non-profit organization dedicated to accelerate the creation of innovative, entrepreneur-led, high-growth businesses that will strengthen and expand the future growth of Utah’s economy.

The vision of Grow Utah is to create a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Utah that fosters entrepreneurial talent, drives innovation to solve market needs, aligns community resources and support, and ensures funding for products, entrepreneurs and businesses of promise. Learn more at www.GrowUtah.com.

ABOUT UAMMI
Founded in 2014, the Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI) brings together public, private, community, industry and education partners to assure growth and sustainability of Utah’s advanced materials and manufacturing industry and maintain Utah’s leadership in this key global industry. www.UAMMI.org

About Davis Fund for Economic Development
The Davis Fund for Economic Development is a small business loan program designed to create jobs and help grow the Davis County economy by providing financing options to viable but non-traditional businesses.The Davis Fund is managed by the County on behalf of the Davis County Council of Governments, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 1984, which is governed by a board of directors made up of the mayors and county commissioners of Davis County.
www.daviscountyutah.gov/ced/economic-development/incentives-resources

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Media Interviews available upon request

• Tulinda Larsen, UAMMI
• Kent Andersen, Davis Economic Development Loan Fund
• Craig Bott, Grow Utah.

PR Contacts:
Justin Bott
Grow Utah
(801) 593-2269
info@growutah.com