Southwest

Government Extends High-Tech Helping Hand.

Does your business need high-tech assistance? Look no further than the Ben Franklin Technology Center of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The center is part of a program that's made up of several federal laboratories scattered across the nation.

The Federal Access Program (FedTAP) is geared toward small businesses that need short-term help (generally five to 10 days) solving problems or that might want to use a new technology created in one of the labs to improve a product.

Under FedTAP, center officials do everything from facilitating meetings between entrepreneurs and lab personnel to assisting with licensing agreements and other documentation as needed. Most of the help is free; however, if a company seeks a more involved relationship with a lab, a fee will be negotiated.

For more information, contact the Ben Franklin Technology Center at (215) 382-0380.

This article was originally published in the September 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Southwest.