IBID helps North Dakota businesses, existing and startups, improve their competitiveness by providing access to the technical assistance resources at NDSU thereby helping to solve specific technical questions or needs. These services are provided on a confidential basis. Whether you are in the product concept, design, or production stage, IBID can assist you. We provide beginning inventors and entrepreneurs with information so they can understand the pathway to product commercialization. We can assist in preliminary technical evaluation of design and manufacturing issues as well as marketing issues. IBID can also assist you by performing a preliminary search of patent and trademark literature. If you are looking for new product opportunities, IBID can link you with resources at NDSU or other research universities. IBID can also provide you with business planning and marketing resources to support your commercialization efforts.

• Provide the beginning entrepreneur with product commercialization process skills
• Literature search for pertinent technical and market information
• Preliminary patent and trademark search
• Preliminary feasibility analysis
• Assistance obtaining regulatory and safety information
• Connection with other business assistance resources

• Provide assistance with research and development resources
• Preliminary evaluation of design and materials
• Preliminary evaluation of manufacturing issues
• Provide assistance with or help in locating prototype development resources
• Provide assistance with product evaluation and testing resources
• Provide assistance with the development of a manufacturing, marketing and business plan
• Provide connection with potential contract manufacturers
• Provide connection to various funding sources

• Preliminary evaluation of product performance issues
• Product redesign assistance
• Technical assistance with determining manufacturability and process issues
• Provide assistance with sales and marketing issues.

IBID assistance will be prompt and one-on-one. All proprietary information will be held confidential. We will provide assistance through the expertise we have on our staff, the faculty, researchers and students at NDSU, the Higher Education Library System, or by connecting you to the network of resources we have developed in providing assistance North Dakota businesses for over 13 years. After we provide the assistance, we will send you a brief evaluation survey to determine your satisfaction and the economic impact of our assistance.

Initial interviews and services are provided without charge. If the project requires major research or investment, a cost proposal will be prepared. Agreement on cost will be made before extended services are provided.