NM FAST launches travel stipend program for New Mexico startups at SBIR/STTR conferences

WRITER: Alejandro Najera-Acosta, a_najera@nmsu.edu 
SOURCE: Carlos Murguia, cmurguia@nmsu.edu 

NM FAST has launched a travel stipend program designed to help New Mexico-based startups attend national Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer conferences. The program provides reimbursement for eligible conference-related travel expenses, giving founders opportunities to connect directly with federal agency program managers and strengthen their SBIR/STTR strategies. 

The stipend program is available to New Mexico-based startups that participated in NM FAST programming during 2026, including accelerator cohorts, workshops, SBIR 101 webinars, one-on-one advisory sessions, and other NM FAST services. Founders who have received support from NM FAST are encouraged to apply. 

The program operates on a reimbursement basis. Awardees are responsible for paying travel expenses upfront and will be reimbursed after the conference upon submission of required receipts and documentation. Awards are competitive, and funding is limited. Applications must be submitted at least four weeks before the conference start date. 

"National SBIR conferences give New Mexico companies an opportunity to meet directly with the people who manage federal research funding," said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. "These face-to-face conversations can change the trajectory of a company's funding strategy. This stipend helps reduce a financial barrier for founders who might otherwise be unable to attend because of budget constraints." 

Applications are open through Feb. 28, 2027. Interested founders can apply at https://forms.gle/h8UtLLcAc91678868. For questions, contact Alejandro Najera-Acosta at a_najera@nmsu.edu. 

NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide, serving founders in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, and rural communities across New Mexico. Over more than a decade of programming, NM FAST has supported more than 470 New Mexico startups and helped companies secure nearly $28 million in federal SBIR awards. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran, and minority entrepreneurs. 

The travel stipend program is supported through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant from the New Mexico Economic Development Department's Technology and Innovation Office, which funds continued statewide SBIR/STTR support for New Mexico startups in the priority sectors of advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy, and aerospace.