2001 Minnesota Statutes

     116O.091 Project outreach. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment; purpose.  Project 
 outreach is established.  The purpose of the project is to (i) 
 facilitate the transfer of technology and scientific advice from 
 the University of Minnesota and other institutions to businesses 
 in the state that may make economic use of the information; and 
 (ii) to assist small and medium-sized businesses in finding 
 technical and financial assistance providers that meet their 
 needs. 

    Subd. 2.  Repealed by amendment, 1993 c 363 s 4 

    Subd. 3.  Repealed by amendment, 1993 c 363 s 4 

    Subd. 4.    Duties.  The corporation shall: 

    (1) establish a technology assistance system to assist 
 business, specifically new and other small and medium-sized 
 businesses across the state, in gaining access to technical 
 information, including but not limited to technologies developed 
 by the University of Minnesota and other higher education 
 systems and their personnel; and in gaining access to 
 technology-related federal programs; 

    (2) establish and maintain a database or databases that 
 provide information for the technology assistance system under 
 clause (1) that may include information on (i) science and 
 technology experts, (ii) technical research projects underway at 
 public higher education institutions in the state, (iii) 
 licensable technology available at public higher education 
 institutions in the state, (iv) access to federal technology and 
 technical information, and (v) access to technical and business 
 education; 

    (3) provide literature search and document retrieval 
 services through the technology assistance system under clause 
 (1); 

    (4) establish and continually update a business assistance 
 referral system which includes a database of economic 
 development related technical assistance and financial 
 assistance providers or programs sponsored by federal agencies, 
 state agencies, educational institutions, chambers of commerce, 
 civic organizations, community development groups, local 
 governments, private industry associations, and other 
 organizations and individuals that provide assistance; 

    (5) establish and maintain or contract for the 
 establishment of a toll-free telephone number operated by 
 trained staff familiar with the business assistance referral 
 system and database; 

    (6) maintain a marketing and outreach program informing 
 persons interested in starting, operating, or expanding small 
 business and assistance providers of the technology assistance 
 system and the business assistance referral system; 

    (7) establish, where possible, regional bases and referral 
 systems for the business assistance referral system, and a 
 system to reference experts in the state university system; and 

    (8) make available the database of the business assistance 
 referral system to the legislature, the department of trade and 
 economic development, and other state agencies for evaluating 
 the effectiveness and efficiency of the provision of economic 
 development-related technical and financial assistance in the 
 state. 

    Subd. 5.    State agency cooperation.  The corporation 
 shall consult with the department of trade and economic 
 development in the development and marketing of the business 
 assistance referral system.  The corporation shall assist the 
 department of trade and economic development in establishing an 
 evaluation mechanism for the business assistance referral system 
 which at least includes a process for determining the 
 effectiveness of the economic development related technical or 
 financial assistance provider's service in meeting the needs of 
 the client referred to the provider. 

    Subd. 6.    Charges to clients.  (a) The corporation may 
 charge reasonable fees to a client for the technology assistance 
 system.  The corporation shall establish a fee structure for the 
 technology assistance system and may base the fee structure on 
 the type of service provided, the size of the client based on 
 number of employees or amount of annual revenues, the length of 
 time the client has been in operation, and other criteria. 

    (b) The corporation shall provide the business assistance 
 referral system at no cost to the client and may not charge the 
 client a fee or any other compensation for the referral to a 
 provider.  This subdivision does not prohibit the technical or 
 financial assistance provider from charging a fee or other 
 compensation to a client that has been referred to the provider 
 by the business assistance referral system. 

    Subd. 7.    Advisory committees.  An advisory committee 
 is created to assist in selecting vendors and evaluating the 
 corporation's project outreach activities.  The advisory 
 committee shall include the president of the University of 
 Minnesota or the president's designee, the commissioner of trade 
 and economic development or the commissioner's designee, the 
 chair of the Minnesota Technology, Inc., board of directors or 
 the chair's designee, a member of the state senate appointed by 
 the subcommittee on committees of the senate rules and 
 administration committee, a member of the house of 
 representatives appointed by the speaker, and at least five 
 users of project outreach services appointed by the named 
 members. 

    Subd. 8. Repealed by amendment, 1993 c 363 s 4 

    Subd. 9.  Repealed by amendment, 1993 c 363 s 4 

    HIST: 1989 c 304 s 137; 1989 c 335 art 1 s 143; 1990 c 423 s 
 1-3; 1991 c 322 s 19; 1993 c 363 s 4