Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center

What Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center does

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is a non-profit, university-based economic development program founded in 1980 and headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, operating under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. It delivers free, confidential one-to-one business consulting, proprietary market research using more than 20 specialized databases and licensed GIS mapping software, business planning assistance, financing guidance, technology commercialization support, and SBIR/STTR federal funding navigation to for-profit Arkansas small businesses at any stage of development. The organization operates through a statewide network of 7 regional offices embedded in partner universities (University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Arkansas State University, Arkansas State University Mid-South, Southern Arkansas University, and Arkansas Tech University), collectively covering all 75 Arkansas counties, and also runs structured programs including the Ready, Start, Grow initiative and the Lab2Launch Accelerator.

ASBTDC's business model is grant- and sponsor-funded rather than revenue-generating: core operations are financed by an SBA cooperative agreement with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as lead institution, supplemented by mission co-sponsors and invested partners including ACC Capital and Arkansas Federal Credit Union (2026 Lead Center Champions). Services are provided at no charge to qualifying Arkansas small businesses; educational events and training carry affordable fees. The customer base is a long-tail of Arkansas SMBs and entrepreneurs across all verticals — hospitality, food and beverage, healthcare, retail, professional services, childcare, manufacturing, and technology — with named clients including Sacred Pines Resort and Event Center, Southern Tail Brewing, Pea Ridge Urgent Care, Wishfluence, and Code 4 Weaponry.

In 2025, ASBTDC served 3,274 Arkansans, supported 5,808 jobs, helped start 188 businesses, and helped clients obtain $66.2 million in capital; cumulative decade-long impact includes $1.1 billion in client financing, $1.3 billion in client sales increases, and 5,922 jobs created. The organization is governed by a State Advisory Board and maintains a 96% client satisfaction rate, with a documented outcome of assisted businesses creating 18.3% more jobs than the average Arkansas business. Distribution is consultative and direct, primarily through office appointments, toll-free phone support, an online signup platform, live events, and referral partnerships with SBA, lenders, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations.

Name

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center

Legal name

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center

Website

https://asbtdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASBTDC is a non-profit, university-based economic development program founded in 1980 that provides free consulting, market research, and SBIR/STTR funding assistance to Arkansas small businesses through a statewide network of 7 offices embedded in partner universities and covering all 75 Arkansas counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Consulting and Economic Development Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Small business consulting
• Market research services
• Technology commercialization
• SBIR STTR funding assistance
• Business plan development

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SBA Cooperative Agreement Funding: ASBTDC is funded primarily through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, in partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and other institutions of higher education across Arkansas. Additional funding comes from mission co-sponsors and invested partners.
2. Free Consulting Services: All one-to-one confidential consulting and market research services are provided at no charge to Arkansas small businesses. Events and training are offered at affordable prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ASBTDC provides free, one-to-one confidential business consulting, cutting-edge market research using proprietary databases and GIS mapping software, business plan development, financing assistance, and affordable training events to for-profit Arkansas small businesses at any stage of development. It also offers specialized technology commercialization services including SBIR/STTR federal funding assistance, alongside veterans (Boots to Business), export, manufacturing, and disaster preparedness resources. All services are delivered through a statewide network of seven offices embedded in Arkansas universities.

Product overview

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is a university-based economic development organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of no-cost and low-cost business assistance services. The core offerings include one-to-one confidential consulting, market research and analysis, business planning, and events/training. Specialized services include Technology Commercialization (with SBIR/STTR federal funding assistance), Manufacturing Resources, Export Resources, Veterans Resources, and Disaster Preparedness Resources. The center also provides free e-books covering topics from startup guides to hiring and funding. The Ready, Start, Grow program and Lab2Launch Accelerator represent branded initiatives for specific business stages. All services are delivered through seven regional offices across Arkansas in partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and other institutions of higher education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ready, Start, Grow: A program initiative to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses with free resources, consulting, and training.

Products and services

• Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients create 18.3% more jobs than average Arkansas businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and invested.

• University of Arkansas at Little RockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead Center host institution providing administrative hub for ASBTDC statewide network. Partnership through the College of Business, Health, and Human Services.
• University of Arkansas at FayettevillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner hosting ASBTDC services for Northwest Arkansas, serving Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton, and Washington counties.
• University of Arkansas at Fort SmithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner with ASBTDC office located in the UAFS Center for Economic Development, serving Sebastian, Crawford, Scott, and Polk counties.
• Arkansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner at Neil Griffin College of Business, located in the Delta Center for Economic Development in Jonesboro, serving 10 counties in Northeast Arkansas.
• Arkansas State University Mid-SouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner in West Memphis, located in the Marion Berry Renewable Energy Center, serving 7 counties in East Arkansas.
• Southern Arkansas UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner at David F. Rankin College of Business in Magnolia, serving 11 counties in South Arkansas.
• Arkansas Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office partner at College of Business and Economic Development in Russellville, serving Pope, Conway, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, and Yell counties.
• Arkansas APEX AcceleratorinvestedStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent partner for government contracting and SBIR/STTR programming. Cooperates with ASBTDC on events like Innovation to Impact programs helping businesses access federal non-dilutive funding.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• America's SBDC (Small Business Development Center National Network): The national association representing America's SBDC network, of which ASBTDC is a state member. Both ASBTDC and the national SBDC network deliver free consulting, market research, and training to small businesses through SBA-funded university partnerships—essentially the same operating model executed at the national coordination level.
• SCORE: A nonprofit small business mentoring and education network providing free one-to-one business mentoring, workshops, and online resources. SCORE is the closest direct competitor to ASBTDC's free consulting and training model, though it relies on volunteer mentors rather than paid university-based consultants.
• California SBDC: California's state SBDC network, operating under the same SBA cooperative agreement model as ASBTDC. It is a direct state-level peer delivering free consulting, market research, and SBIR/STTR support to in-state small businesses.
• Texas SBDC: Texas's state SBDC network, structured identically to ASBTDC under the SBA SBDC program with university hosts across the state. Direct state-level peer delivering free consulting, market research, and training to small businesses.
• APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs): A DoD-funded national network of procurement technical assistance centers providing free government-contracting and SBIR/STTR support to small businesses. ASBTDC explicitly partners with Arkansas APEX Accelerator, and they overlap directly on federal R&D funding assistance and small business advisory services.

Broad incumbents

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: A Goldman Sachs philanthropic program providing free business education, mentoring, and access to capital for small business owners. It is a higher-profile, well-funded parallel to ASBTDC's free consulting/training program, with a national footprint and selective cohort-based curriculum.
• Kauffman Foundation: A national philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship and small business research. While not a direct provider of consulting like ASBTDC, Kauffman funds and shapes the U.S. SBDC ecosystem (including via FastTrac curriculum used by SBDCs) and is a structural peer in the entrepreneurship-support ecosystem.

Regional players

• Small Business Majority: A small business advocacy and research organization that provides research-backed policy support, entrepreneurship resources, and small-business-related services. It is a thematic peer addressing the same small business ecosystem in a U.S.-wide but advocacy-oriented capacity.
• Arkansas Economic Development Commission: Arkansas's state economic development agency, a close Arkansas-based partner of ASBTDC that offers complementary programs (SBIR matching grants, R&D tax incentives, workforce support). Operates in the same geographic market with overlapping but not directly competing services.

Emerging players

• Edward Lowe Foundation: A nonprofit foundation supporting second-stage small business growth through peer learning, education, and resource networks. Adjacent to ASBTDC's expansion-stage advisory services, with a narrower (second-stage) focus and national scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/ASBTDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ArkansasSBTDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/ASBTDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/asbtdc
• Instagraminstagram.com/asbtdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles31 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center