SWIFT IV is an eight-day multi-State bus tour, which aims to fuel technology across growth and development across the Northwest by promoting awareness of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. This federal initiative offers more than $1.6 billion annually to U.S. small technology companies and research institutions. Program managers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other Federal agencies participate in state-sponsored small business conferences and meet one- on-one with business owners, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers that include teachers and educators, agriculture and healthcare professionals, medical practitioners, and engineers to offer insight on how to tap into the $1.6 billion SBIR and STTR funding earmarked for their successful research advancements.

Conference attendees in each city can participate in one-on-one meetings and informative seminars with research and development (R&D) program managers from Department of Health and Human Services (NIH), National Science Foundation, Department of Education, Department of Defense (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Special Operations Command, national Imagery and Mapping Agency, Departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force), Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Department of Energy. For specific agency participation, contact conference sponsors.