Technology Based Business Capital Assistance Programs

Miss. Code Ann. tit. 57, ch. 103
in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-1 Research and Development Program established; eligibility for assistance; application; provisions of contract for assistance, expenditure of assistance, etc.; repayment of assistance; creation of Research and Development Program Fund.

There is established under the direction of the Mississippi Technology Alliance (“MTA”) a program to be known as the “Research and Development Program” for the purpose of making assistance available for seed and early stage capital to small and medium sized Mississippi businesses with high growth potential that are engaged in research and development activities with a Mississippi university, college and/or community/junior college. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, a business must: (i) have its principal place of business based in Mississippi, (ii) produce or provide a product and/or service that is science or technology related, (iii) have completed its product and/or service development planning, and (iv) develop technology based business opportunity in partnership with a Mississippi university, college and/or community/junior college. Any business desiring to participate in the program must submit an application to the MTA. The application must contain a technical brief and project plan for the commercialization of the technology developed or proposed for development by the business and any other information requested by the MTA. If the MTA staff reviewing the application determines that an application should be reviewed by the Seed Fund Investment Board appointed by the MTA Board of Directors, the application shall be forwarded to the Seed Fund Investment Board. If the Seed Fund Investment Board approves the application, the MTA shall negotiate a contract with the business regarding any assistance provided to the business under the program, the expenditure of assistance provided to the business, repayment of assistance by the business, and any other matters to which the parties may agree. Any such contract must provide for at least the following: (i) that any assistance provided to the business will be on a reimbursement basis in which the business will expend funds according to the terms of the contract and submit invoices, receipts and other applicable documentation and information to the MTA for reimbursement; (ii) that no funds may be expended or used for patent prosecution, reorganization of the business, or payment of any existing debt of the business outstanding or otherwise incurred at the time the contract is entered into; (iii) that no funds may be expended to reimburse expenses for work conducted or services provided by the business, a university or a third party consultant if those expenses were incurred before the term of the contract; (iv) that at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the funds received by the business must be expended with a Mississippi university, college and/or community/junior college with which the business has a contract for research and development or technology development work or services; (v) that the MTA will pay not more than ten percent (10%) of overhead expenses for the business and/or the university, college and/or community/junior college; (vi) that the business will provide matching funding of One Dollar ($1.00) for every One Dollar ($1.00) of assistance, with at least fifty percent (50%) of the match being in cash and the remaining amount being from in-kind services, all of which must be documented by time sheets, payroll receipts, invoices and other documentation or information required by the MTA; and (vii) that the business receiving assistance will retain ownership of any technology developed by the business before the start of the project for which assistance is received, and that rights to new intellectual property developed as a result of the project will be subject to mutually agreed upon terms and conditions of the collaborative research agreement executed by the business and the university, college and/or community/junior college before the start of the project. Assistance received by a business and not expended for purposes required in the contract between the business and the MTA may be expended for hiring third party consultants to assist the business, working capital, marketing, prototype development and equipment. The amount of assistance that a business may receive under the program shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in any one (1) year and shall not exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) in the aggregate. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a business receiving assistance under the program shall be required to repay the assistance in the manner provided in this paragraph. Repayment shall be made through the use of a convertible note in which the business will repay one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of assistance received if such repayment is made within thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received, with the amount to be repaid by the business increasing at a rate determined by the parties in the contract up to an amount not to exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of assistance if such repayment is made later than thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received but not later than sixty (60) months from the date the assistance is received. The MTA shall have the option of converting the amount of assistance awarded to the business into common stock of the business or into a royalty in the gross sales of the business. Amounts received as repayments shall be deposited into the special fund created in subsection (3) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, if the business receiving assistance fails to meet certain financial performance levels established in the contract between the business and the MTA and the contract does not activate any repayment provisions, then the MTA will deem the assistance provided to be a loss and the business receiving assistance shall not be required to repay the assistance received. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Research and Development Program Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to the MTA for the purposes described in this section, or for the purposes described in Sections 57-103-3, 57-103-5, 57-103-7 and/or 57-103-9 if the MTA determines that the funds are not needed for the purposes described in this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-3 Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 1 established; eligibility for assistance; application; provisions of contract for assistance, expenditure of assistance, etc.; repayment of assistance; creation of Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 1 Fund.

There is established under the direction of the Mississippi Technology Alliance (“MTA”) a program to be known as the “Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 1” for the purpose of making assistance available to provide working capital to support the initial capitalization of technology based businesses in Mississippi. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, a business must: (i) have its principal place of business based in Mississippi, and be a startup business, (ii) have rights to the intellectual property supporting the venture opportunity for which assistance is requested, (iii) demonstrate compelling evidence for rapid growth and high performance potential, (iv) be invited by the MTA to apply for assistance based upon an agreeable scope of work. Any business desiring to participate in the program must submit an application to the MTA. The application must contain a description of the purposes for which the assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information requested by the MTA. If the MTA staff reviewing the application determines that an application should be reviewed by the Seed Fund Investment Board appointed by the MTA Board of Directors, the application shall be forwarded to the Seed Fund Investment Board. If the Seed Fund Investment Board approves the application, the MTA shall negotiate a contract with the business regarding any assistance provided to the business under the program, the expenditure of the assistance provided to the business, and any other matters to which the parties may agree. Any such contract must provide for at least the following: (i) that any assistance provided to the business will be on a reimbursement basis in which the business will expend funds according to the terms of the contract and submit invoices, receipts and other applicable documentation and information to the MTA for reimbursement; (ii) that no funds may be expended or used for patent prosecution, reorganization of the business, or payment of any existing debt of the business outstanding or otherwise incurred at the time the contract is entered into; (iii) that no funds may be expended to reimburse expenses for work conducted or services provided by the business, a university or a third party consultant if those expenses were incurred before the term of the contract; (iv) that the business receiving assistance will retain ownership of any technology developed by the business regardless of whether the technology is developed before or after the receipt of assistance; and (v) that the business will provide matching funding of One Dollar ($1.00) for every One Dollar ($1.00) of assistance, with at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the match being in cash and the remaining amount being from in-kind services, all of which must be documented by time sheets, payroll receipts, invoices and other documentation or information required by the MTA. Assistance received by a business may be expended for hiring third party consultants to assist the business and for equipment. The amount of assistance that a business may receive under the program shall not exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and any award of assistance shall be made on a one time basis. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a business receiving assistance under the program shall be required to repay the assistance in the manner provided in this paragraph. Repayment shall be made through the use of a nonrecourse loan in which the business will repay the loan upon the successful commercialization of the product or service. The business will repay one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of assistance received if such repayment is made within thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received, with the amount to be repaid by the business increasing at a rate determined by the parties in the contract up to an amount not to exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of assistance if such repayment is made later than thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received but not later than sixty (60) months from the date the assistance is received. Amounts received as repayments shall be deposited into the special fund created in subsection (3) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, if the business receiving assistance fails to meet certain financial performance levels established in the contract between the business and the MTA and the contract does not activate any repayment provisions, then the MTA will deem the assistance provided to be a loss and the business receiving assistance shall not be required to repay the assistance received. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 1 Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to the MTA for the purposes described in this section, or for the purposes described in Sections 57-103-1, 57-103-5, 57-103-7 and/or 57-103-9 if the MTA determines that the funds are not needed for the purposes described in this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-5 Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 2 established; eligibility for assistance; application; provisions of contract for assistance, expenditure of assistance, etc.; repayment of assistance; creation of Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 2 Fund.

There is established under the direction of the Mississippi Technology Alliance (“MTA”) a program to be known as the “Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 2” for the purpose of making assistance available to provide working capital to support the continued capitalization of technology based businesses in Mississippi. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, a business must: (i) have its principal place of business based in Mississippi, and be a startup, seed stage or early stage business, (ii) have rights to the intellectual property supporting the venture opportunity for which assistance is requested, (iii) have a business plan demonstrating economic feasibility; (iv) have an accredited investor match, (v) have formed or have agreed to form a collaborative agreement with a Mississippi institution of higher learning, (vi) be invited by the MTA to apply for assistance based upon an acceptable commercialization strategy, and (vii) be willing to execute a performance level based agreement with the MTA. Any business desiring to participate in the program must submit an application to the MTA. The application must contain a description of the purposes for which the assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information requested by the MTA. If the MTA staff reviewing the application determines that an application should be reviewed by the Seed Fund Investment Board appointed by the MTA Board of Directors, the application shall be forwarded to the Seed Fund Investment Board. If the Seed Fund Investment Board approves the application, the MTA shall negotiate a contract with the business regarding any assistance provided to the business under the program, the expenditure of the assistance provided to the business, and any other matters to which the parties may agree. Any such contract must provide for at least the following: (i) that any assistance provided to the business will be on a reimbursement basis in which the business will expend funds according to the terms of the contract and submit invoices, receipts and other applicable documentation and information to the MTA for reimbursement; (ii) that no funds may be expended or used for patent prosecution, reorganization of the business, or payment of any existing debt of the business outstanding or otherwise incurred at the time the contract is entered into; (iii) that no funds may be expended to reimburse expenses for work conducted or services provided by the business, a university or a third party consultant if those expenses were incurred before the term of the contract; (iv) that the business receiving assistance will retain ownership of any technology developed by the business regardless of whether the technology is developed before or after the receipt of assistance; and (v) that the business will provide matching funding of One Dollar ($1.00) for every One Dollar ($1.00) of assistance, with at least fifty percent (50%) of the match being from an accredited investor or strategic investment partner, as determined by the MTA, and the remaining amount being from in-kind services, all of which must be documented by time sheets, payroll receipts, invoices and other documentation or information required by the MTA. Assistance received by a business may be expended for hiring third party consultants to assist the business and for equipment. The amount of assistance that a business may receive under the program shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in any one (1) year and shall not exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) in the aggregate. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a business receiving assistance under the program shall be required to repay the assistance in the manner provided in this paragraph. Repayment shall be made through the use of a convertible note in which the business will repay one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of assistance received if such repayment is made within thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received, with the amount to be repaid by the business increasing at a rate determined by the parties in the contract up to an amount not to exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of assistance if such repayment is made later than thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received but not later than sixty (60) months from the date the assistance is received. The MTA shall have the option of converting the amount of assistance awarded to the business into common stock of the business or into a royalty in the gross sales of the business. Amounts received as repayments shall be deposited into the special fund created in subsection (3) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, if the business receiving assistance fails to meet certain financial performance levels established in the contract between the business and the MTA and the contract does not activate any repayment provisions, then the MTA will deem the assistance provided to be a loss and the business receiving assistance shall not be required to repay the assistance received. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Mississippi New Technology Business Program-Level 2 Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to the MTA for the purposes described in this section, or for the purposes described in Sections 57-103-1, 57-103-3, 57-103-7 and/or 57-103-9 if the MTA determines that the funds are not needed for the purposes described in this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-7 Rural Innovation Program-Level 1 established; eligibility for assistance; application; provisions of contract for assistance, expenditure of assistance, etc.; repayment of assistance; creation of Rural Innovation Program-Level 1 Fund.

There is established under the direction of the Mississippi Technology Alliance (“MTA”) a program to be known as the “Rural Innovation Program-Level 1” for the purpose of making assistance available to provide working capital to support the initial capitalization of technology based businesses in rural Mississippi. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, a business must: (i) have its principal place of business based in a rural county in Mississippi, (ii) produce or provide a product and/or service that is science or technology related, (iii) have fewer than one hundred fifty (150) employees, and (iv) have completed its product and/or service development planning. For the purposes of this paragraph, a “rural county” shall be a county designated as such by the MTA. Any business desiring to participate in the program must submit an application to the MTA. The application must contain a description of the purposes for which the assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information requested by the MTA. If the MTA staff reviewing the application determines that an application should be reviewed by the Seed Fund Investment Board appointed by the MTA Board of Directors, the application shall be forwarded to the Seed Fund Investment Board. If the Seed Fund Investment Board approves the application, the MTA shall negotiate a contract with the business regarding any assistance provided to the business under the program, the expenditure of the assistance provided to the business, and any other matters to which the parties may agree. Any such contract must provide for at least the following: (i) that any assistance provided to the business will be on a reimbursement basis in which the business will expend funds according to the terms of the contract and submit invoices, receipts and other applicable documentation and information to the MTA for reimbursement; (ii) that no funds may be expended or used for patent prosecution, reorganization of the business, or payment of any existing debt of the business outstanding or otherwise incurred at the time the contract is entered into; (iii) that no funds may be expended to reimburse expenses for work conducted or services provided by the business, a university or a third party consultant if those expenses were incurred before the term of the contract; (iv) that the business receiving assistance will retain ownership of any technology developed by the business regardless of whether the technology is developed before or after the receipt of assistance; and (v) that the business will provide matching funding of One Dollar ($1.00) for every One Dollar ($1.00) of assistance, with at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the match being in cash and the remaining amount being from in-kind services, all of which must be documented by time sheets, payroll receipts, invoices and other documentation or information required by the MTA. Assistance received by a business may be expended for hiring third party consultants to assist the business and for equipment. The amount of assistance that a business may receive under the program shall not exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and any award of assistance shall be made on a one time basis. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a business receiving assistance under the program shall be required to repay the assistance in the manner provided in this paragraph. Repayment shall be made through the use of a nonrecourse loan in which the business will repay the loan upon the successful commercialization of the product or service. The business will repay one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of assistance received if such repayment is made within thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received, with the amount to be repaid by the business increasing at a rate determined by the parties in the contract up to an amount not to exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of assistance if such repayment is made later than thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received but not later than sixty (60) months from the date the assistance is received. Amounts received as repayments shall be deposited into the special fund created in subsection (3) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, if the business receiving assistance fails to meet certain financial performance levels established in the contract between the business and the MTA and the contract does not activate any repayment provisions, then the MTA will deem the assistance provided to be a loss and the business receiving assistance shall not be required to repay the assistance received. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Rural Innovation Program-Level 1 Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to the MTA for the purposes described in this section, or for the purposes described in Sections 57-103-1, 57-103-3, 57-103-5 and/or 57-103-9 if the MTA determines that the funds are not needed for the purposes described in this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-9 Rural Innovation Program-Level 2 established; eligibility for assistance; application; provisions of contract for assistance, expenditure of assistance, etc.; repayment of assistance; creation of Rural Innovation Program-Level 2 Fund.

There is established under the direction of the Mississippi Technology Alliance (“MTA”) a program to be known as the “Rural Innovation Program-Level 2” for the purpose of making assistance available to provide working capital to support the continued capitalization of technology based businesses in rural Mississippi. In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, a business must: (i) have its principal place of business based in a rural county in Mississippi, (ii) produce or provide a product and/or service that is science or technology related, (iii) have fewer than one hundred fifty (150) employees, and (iv) have completed its product and/or service development planning. For the purposes of this paragraph, a “rural county” shall be a county designated as such by the MTA. Any business desiring to participate in the program must submit an application to the MTA. The application must contain a description of the purposes for which the assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information requested by the MTA. If the MTA staff reviewing the application determines that an application should be reviewed by the Seed Fund Investment Board appointed by the MTA Board of Directors, the application shall be forwarded to the Seed Fund Investment Board. If the Seed Fund Investment Board approves the application, the MTA shall negotiate a contract with the business regarding any assistance provided to the business under the program, the expenditure of the assistance provided to the business, and any other matters to which the parties may agree. Any such contract must provide for at least the following: (i) that any assistance provided to the business will be on a reimbursement basis in which the business will expend funds according to the terms of the contract and submit invoices, receipts and other applicable documentation and information to the MTA for reimbursement; (ii) that no funds may be expended or used for patent prosecution, reorganization of the business, or payment of any existing debt of the business outstanding or otherwise incurred at the time the contract is entered into; (iii) that no funds may be expended to reimburse expenses for work conducted or services provided by the business, a university or a third party consultant if those expenses were incurred before the term of the contract; (iv) that the business receiving assistance will retain ownership of any technology developed by the business regardless of whether the technology is developed before or after the receipt of assistance; and (v) that the business will provide matching funding of One Dollar ($1.00) for every One Dollar ($1.00) of assistance, with at least fifty percent (50%) of the match being from an accredited investor or strategic investment partner, as determined by the MTA, and the remaining amount being from in-kind services, all of which must be documented by time sheets, payroll receipts, invoices and other documentation or information required by the MTA. Assistance received by a business may be expended for hiring third party consultants to assist the business and for equipment. The amount of assistance that a business may receive under the program shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in any one (1) year and shall not exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) in the aggregate. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a business receiving assistance under the program shall be required to repay the assistance in the manner provided in this paragraph. Repayment shall be made through the use of a convertible note in which the business will repay one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of assistance received if such repayment is made within thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received, with the amount to be repaid by the business increasing at a rate determined by the parties in the contract up to an amount not to exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of assistance if such repayment is made later than thirty-six (36) months from the date the assistance is received but not later than sixty (60) months from the date the assistance is received. The MTA shall have the option of converting the amount of assistance awarded to the business into common stock of the business or into a royalty in the gross sales of the business. Amounts received as repayments shall be deposited into the special fund created in subsection (3) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, if the business receiving assistance fails to meet certain financial performance levels established in the contract between the business and the MTA and the contract does not activate any repayment provisions, then the MTA will deem the assistance provided to be a loss and the business receiving assistance shall not be required to repay the assistance received. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Rural Innovation Program-Level 2 Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to the MTA for the purposes described in this section, or for the purposes described in Sections 57-103-1, 57-103-3, 57-103-5 and/or 57-103-7 if the MTA determines that the funds are not needed for the purposes described in this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 57-103-11 Mississippi Technology Alliance Administration Fund created; purpose; disbursement of monies; Mississippi Technology Alliance to develop performance monitoring system and make annual performance report before receiving funds.

There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the “Mississippi Technology Alliance Administration Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, to provide funds to defray the costs incurred by the Mississippi Technology Alliance in the implementation and administration of the programs created in Sections 57-103-1 through 57-103-9. Before January 1, 2010, the Mississippi Technology Alliance shall devise and implement a performance monitoring system consisting of the following: Objectives and benchmarks for each program; Performance measures for each program; and A definition of the return on investment that is appropriate and accurate for every program. From and after January 1, 2011, the Mississippi Technology Alliance shall report annually to the Mississippi Development Authority and the Legislature as to its success in meeting its program objectives and performance measures required by this subsection (2). The Mississippi Development Authority may not disburse any funds to the Mississippi Technology Alliance, unless it has met the reporting requirements of this subsection (2).

Starting a business in Mississippi? Mississippi LLC guide: costs and requirements