Regional Innovation Clusters (RIC) Initiative Evaluation Study

1. Which one of the following options best describes your organization?

A large, for profit, public or private company

A public or private university or research institution

A public sector agency

A foundation or nonprofit organization

A business association

Regarding your organization's involvement in the cluster:

2. Please provide the month and year in which your organization joined the cluster:

The date on which your organization joined the cluster is defined as the earlier of the following two dates: (i) the date that your organization formally joined the cluster (e.g., through a memorandum of understanding, through membership, if available), or (ii) the date that your organization first engaged in the cluster informally (e.g., first participation in cluster activities, first receipt of cluster services).

Please format your input as follows: MM/YYYY

3. For what reason(s) did your organization join or get involved with the cluster?

Please select all answers that apply:

T o provide input on legislation and regulations affecting your industry

To help spur regional economic development and to support your community

T o improve your organization’s supply chain or the industry’s supply chain

T o find partners interested and knowledgeable in transferring technology from the laboratory to the market

T o gain access to, and information on, new technologies with commercialization potential

T o identify contractors or subcontractors

T o find suitable partners, such as small or large businesses and nonprofit organizations, for the pursuit of funding collaborations (e.g., joint grants from state or federal agencies, private initiatives)

O ther (please specify)

4. Have the expected benefits from your organization's participation in the cluster materialized?

Not at all

Somewhat

Significantly

Absolutely

Too early to tell

5. How frequently does your organization participate in cluster-organized events that are announced to your organization?

Never

Rarely

Occasionally

Often

Always

Regarding the relationships your organization created within the cluster:

6. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], did your organization develop an alliance with any organizations (e.g., small businesses, large companies, nonprofit organizations and foundations, public sector agencies, business associations) as a result of its participation in the cluster?

Yes

No

[If you answer "No" to this question, please omit question 7.]

7. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], how many alliances with the following types of organizations did your organization develop as a result of cluster participation:

Small businesses?

Large companies?

Public sector agencies?

Foundations and other nonprofit organizations?

Business associations?

Other?

8. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], did any small businesses participating in the cluster supply your organization with materials, products, or services?

Yes

No

[If you answer "No" to this question, please omit questions 9 and 10.]

9. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], how many small businesses participating in the cluster supplied your organization with materials, products, or services?

10. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], how much did your organization spend in

total on the materials, products, or services supplied by small businesses participating in the cluster?

11. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], did your organization supply any small businesses participating in the cluster with materials, products, or services?

Yes

No

[If you answer "No" to this question, please omit questions 12 and 13.]

12. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], how many small businesses participating in the cluster did your organization supply with materials, products, or services?

13. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year+1], how much revenue did your organization receive from selling materials, products, or services to small businesses participating in the cluster?

14. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], did your organization collaborate with any small businesses participating in the cluster (e.g., joint funding applications, joint contracts, the creation of a joint venture, or the licensing of technology)?

Yes

No

[If you answer "No" to this question, please omit question 15.]

15. Between October 1, [year], and September 30, [year +1], in which of the following areas did your organization collaborate with small businesses participating in the cluster?

Please select all that apply:

on a joint funding application (e.g., SBIR/STTR)

on a joint contract for the provision of services and/or materials to a third party

on the creation of a joint venture

on licensing of technology

on other (Please specify)

16. Please rate the following eight statements about the impact of cluster participation on your organization by selecting the most appropriate option for each.

Cluster participation by my organization...

Strongly disagree Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree Strongly agree N/A

facilitated the hiring of new employees.

strengthened my organization’s supply chain.

enhanced my organization’s ability to innovate (e.g., develop new products, new processes, or new markets).

enhanced my organization’s ability to discuss economic development issues with local and regional governments.

helped my organization reduce costs.

enhanced my organization’s ability to transition technologies in research or in the early stages of development into marketable products.

enhanced my organization’s ability to discover and to identify unanticipated applications for technologies under research and development.

helped my organization create connections with companies and organizations outside my region of operation.

17. What services or actions on the part of the cluster would create greater benefit for your organization?

Suggestions to improve your engagement with small businesses:

18. In your experience, what is the most significant impediment to substantive engagement with small businesses within the cluster?

19. Do you have any advice on how the cluster can better assist or facilitate substantive engagement between your organization and small businesses within the cluster?

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