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SBA's Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) Initiative supports innovative small businesses and entrepreneur support organizations across the country. RICs build business support networks to help small businesses start and grow. RICs can provide services like accelerators, incubators, market research, and government and commercial contracting assistance.
Want to work with an RIC? Choose your region below to see if there is an RIC that focuses on your field.
List of RICs by region
DRIVEN: Life Sciences Cluster
Regions served: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, and Rhode Island
Technologies/ Industries supported: Life sciences
New Jersey Cybersecurity Regional Cluster
Region served: Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut)
Technologies/Industries supported: IT, cybersecurity
UpRise for Equitech Baltimore Tech Hub
Region served: Baltimore metropolitan area
Technologies/ Industries supported: Cybersecurity and biotechnology
Mid-South MS Delta Ag Innovation Cluster
Regions served: Mid-South Delta region along the Mississippi River (counties in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee)
Technologies/Industries supported: Early-stage agtechnologies and agri-food value chain businesses, including but not limited to:
- specialty crops, including new grains for beverage and food markets
- regenerative and organic agriculture and carbon markets
- new uses for forestry products
- pasture-raised livestock
- local value-added products
- farm-to-market opportunities leveraging novel technologies
- bioenergy
RIoT IoT & Data Economy Cluster
Region Served: North Carolina
Technologies/ Industries supported: Internet of things (IoT)
Southern Appalachian Agri-Food Cluster
Regions served: Southern Appalachian region (counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia)
Technologies/Industries supported: Early-stage agtechnologies and agri-food value chain businesses, including but not limited to:
- specialty crops, including new grains for beverage and food markets
- regenerative and organic agriculture and carbon markets
- new uses for forestry products
- pasture-raised livestock
- local value-added products
- farm-to-market opportunities leveraging novel technologies
- bioenergy
Unmanned Coast
Regions served: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
Technologies/Industries supported: Unmanned maritime systems
Indiana Regional Innovation Cluster
Region Served: Central Indiana
Technologies/Industries supported: Biotech
Kinetic: Healthcare Innovation in Motion
Region Served: Northeast Ohio
Technologies/Industries supported: Novel materials for medical devices and wearable sensors
Defense Alliance
Region served: Upper Midwest (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin)
Technologies/Industries supported: Defense, aerospace, high-technology for both federal and commercial markets
Water-Resiliency Cluster
Region served: Wisconsin
Technologies/Industries supported: Water and resiliency
Lithium Regional Innovation Cluster, StartUp Junkie Consulting, LLC
StartUp Junkie Consulting
Regions served: Northeast Texas, Southern Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and West Mississippi
Technologies/Industries supported: Lithium for the clean energy and electric vehicle transition
Ozark Regional Innovation Cluster, Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC
Regions served: Ozark region (counties in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma)
Technologies/Industries supported:
- Retail/retail technology
- Food/food technology
- Supply chain/supply chain technology
- Artificial intelligence/machine learning
- Cybersecurity
- Health tech
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Cluster
Region served: Oklahoma
Technologies/Industries supported: Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Innovation Center
Region served: Missouri
Technologies/Industries supported: Pharmaceutical, medical supply chain
The eidotech project
Region served: Montana
Technologies/Industries supported: Smart sensing systems, photonics
Four Corners Cleantech Cluster
Regions served: Four Corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado
Technologies/ Industries supported: Clean technologies
Utah Small Business Accelerator - Advanced Manufacturing
Region served: Utah
Technologies/ Industries supported: Advanced manufacturing
Pioneer Materials
Region served: Southwest Montana
Technologies/ Industries supported: Advanced engineering and critical materials
Food Frontier AgriFoodTech Innovation Cluster
Region served: California’s Central Valley
Technologies/ Industries supported: AgriFoodTech
SBAI
Region served: Southern Arizona
Technologies/ Industries supported: Artificial intelligence and optics
Larta Institute
Region served: Greater Los Angeles Area
Technologies/Industries supported: Health impact in bioscience and healthcare, AI in healthcare, sustainability
SD-CLIMB
Regions served: San Diego and Imperial Counties in California
Technologies/ Industries supported: Manufacturing and biotechnology
WECAN - Washington Energy: Carbon Advancement Network
Region served: Washington
Technologies/ Industries supported: Clean technology
Pacific Northwest Agri-Food Cluster
Region served: Willamette Valley region (counties in Oregon and Washington)
Technologies/Industries supported: Early-stage agtechnologies and agri-food value chain businesses, including but not limited to:
- specialty crops, including new grains for beverage and food markets
- regenerative and organic agriculture and carbon markets
- new uses for forestry products
- pasture-raised livestock
- local value-added products
- farm-to-market opportunities leveraging novel technologies
- bioenergy
Need help?
Learn the latest news about RICs or look through their most recent awards. If you have any questions about RICs or about accessing services from a RIC, please email RICs@sba.gov.
RICs are managed by SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII).