How to Break Into Federal Innovation: Meet the Tech Transfer Office
- Tom Kenny
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
If you're looking to commercialize federally funded innovation, your first instinct may be to reach out directly to a federal lab scientist or engineer. But according to firms likes Early Charm Ventures and tech transfer experts across the board, that’s not your best first step.
Instead, start with the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). In this post we explain
TTOs Are the Front Door to Federal Lab Collaboration
Federal labs house extraordinary innovations, but they don’t license or collaborate without structure. The TTO is your entry point to lab engagement, overseeing the compliance, agreements, and legal frameworks that make partnerships possible.
Engaging a TTO ensures you:
Follow federal rules around IP ownership and licensing
Navigate the right agreements like CRADAs (Cooperative Research and Development Agreements)
Structure your engagement to align with federal missions and compliance requirements
What TTOs Manage
When working with a federal lab, the TTO serves as your strategic liaison and legal foundation. Here are three key roles:
1. Intellectual Property (IP) Ownership & Licensing
If a lab invention is disclosed and patentable, the TTO manages its protection and licensing. Whether you're negotiating an exclusive license or a field-limited agreement, they determine terms aligned with federal interests.
2. CRADA Agreements
Want to co-develop a product or validate a technology inside a federal lab? A CRADA allows for that collaboration. TTOs structure these agreements to outline roles, responsibilities, IP rights, and cost-sharing mechanisms.
3. Startup Engagement & Structure
For startups looking to license technology or pursue joint development, TTOs help structure that relationship. They can assist with:
License terms
Lab access
Researcher engagement policies
Compliance with SBIR/STTR alignment
Learn from Early Charm Ventures
Early Charm, a venture studio that has created 40+ companies from federal and university IP, emphasizes:
"We always start with the TTO. It protects the relationship, aligns expectations, and makes everything smoother."
Startups that bypass the TTO risk violating IP rights, misaligning with federal mandates, or worse—missing the opportunity entirely.
FLC: A National Network of TTOs
The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) was founded in 1974 to improve U.S. productivity by promoting the movement of technologies from federal labs into the private sector. It now supports over 300 federal labs and research centers across agencies.
Every lab within the FLC has a TTO or ORTA. These offices are staffed by professionals who specialize in building partnerships with external entities, including:
Startups
Academic institutions
Nonprofits
Local and state governments
Programs like SBIR (1982) and STTR (1992) were created to encourage these partnerships. The FLC offers:
FLC Business: a searchable platform to find federal technologies and labs
Lab Showcase webinars: to highlight partnership-ready research
Member Connect events: to meet TTO leaders and federal collaborators
TTOs in Action: Real Examples
Managed by the Department of the Air Force Technology Transfer and Transition Program Office (DAFT3PO), AFT3 ensures that science and engineering innovations developed for defense use are accessible to companies, academia, and state agencies. Their TTO manages CRADAs, IP licensing, and helps structure public-private collaborations aligned with national security and economic growth.
NASA’s TTO oversees a deep portfolio of patents created for space exploration, many of which have untapped commercial potential. From environmental sensors to aerospace-grade materials, Ames makes its IP available for licensing to U.S. companies. NASA has turned countless lab discoveries into market-ready technologies—and invites entrepreneurs to explore and license these assets.
GMA's Role: Making These Partnerships Fundable
Grant Management Associates (GMA) works with both sides of the tech transfer relationship:
For Startups & Private Partners:
We help you become funding ready through commercialization planning
We secure non-dilutive funding through SBIR/STTR, DOE, DOD, and NSF
We ensure compliance and optimize for follow-on funding
For Federal Labs & TTOs:
We support grant writing for CRADA-based collaborations
We help labs demonstrate economic impact and partner readiness
We align lab-originated innovations with real funding pipelines
Want to collaborate with a federal lab? Start with their TTO—and start with a funding strategy.
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