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VIAB representing US-Israel Binational R&D (BIRD) Grants ($1.5M)

The Virginia Israel Advisory Board was appointed a representative of the US-Israel Binational R&D grant managed through the BIRD Foundation that funds joint Industrial R&D projects between US and Israeli companies in various technological sectors.

The BIRD Foundation is funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, US Departments of Commerce (Office of Science and Technology Cooperation) State; Treasury; Homeland Security and Energy, as well as the corresponding Israeli government ministries.

BIRD provides conditional grants of up to $1.5m for collaborative product development. Funding cannot exceed 50% of a project’s budget starting with R&D through initial sales. The Foundation does not acquire equity or intellectual property rights from participating companies. Rather, funding is repaid through royalties if the companies are commercially successful. If the ventures fail, there is no claw back mechanism. The Israel Virginia partnerships establish their commercial ventures in the Commonwealth thus contributing to the tech sector and GDP.

Virginia-based MIL-SAT and Israel’s Over-SAT received $1M BIRD Grant and a year later built a commercial venture in Virginia to bring to market their RIGEL Satcom Terminal.