The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) provides leadership and support to the University of Northern Colorado community in the acquisition and management of funding for research and scholarship, creative activities, instructional programs, and service and outreach activities. We strive to provide the highest quality service while protecting the interests and integrity of scholars and researchers, and of the University.
Small Business Development: A University / Community Partnership
The United States witnessed high rates of unemployment and low levels of business development in 2011. However, thanks in part to the efforts of Richard Pickett, Colorado saw 23 new business start-ups, the creation of 177 new jobs, and the retention of 79 existing jobs in the northeast and east-central area of the state.
For the past four years, Pickett has served as executive director of the Northeast-East Central Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Hosted by UNC's Monfort College of Business, the SBDC assists potential and existing business owners by providing the management advice, training and information they need to start, grow, and profit.
To keep services free or low-cost for the SBDC's clients, Pickett has secured nearly $700,000 in external grants from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Weld County, the City of Greeley, and Aims Community College.
The Northeast-East Central SBDC is part of a national Association of SBDCs and a member of the Colorado SBDC Network. The economic impact that results from SBDC services is reported to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the form of jobs created and retained, new businesses started, sales increased , capital accessed and contracts awarded. Last year, in addition to business start-ups and job creation and retention, Pickett was able to report that businesses receiving assistance from the SBDC increased sales by nearly $2,683,000.
Pickett's 24 years of experience in small business serve him well as executive director of this important program. They include several years with a company that started as a little juice bar called Inta Juice that he co-founded in Fort Collins in 1996.
Read about some Northeast-East Central SBDC success stories.
