Located off-campus in Dunkirk, NY, the incubator is an economic development project of the State University of New York at Fredonia designed to create jobs in the southern-western region of New York State. Housed in a new 22,000 square foot LEED-certified building, the incubator provides a wide range of business support services to new, technology-based businesses.

The incubator is part of the State University of New York at Fredonia and we work in close cooperation the state, county and city organizations that support economic development and the growth of technology based business in the region.

Initially, each space in the new incubator is being built as a plain box which can be built-out to accommodate many different kinds of businesses from those requiring simple office spaces to those needing lab space or assembly areas. Some modifications will be carried out by the Lessor while others are the responsibility of the client tenant.

Tenants share an office work area, meeting rooms, a kitchen and some limited storage space. All advising and office support is provided on a shared basis.

Located on the shore of Lake Erie, Dunkirk is in close proximity to the major industrial areas and markets of the Northeast United States as well as Canada. The area is served by all major transportation assets including rail, highway and airports. The city has a modern infrastructure and is close to the major technology centers of New York State.

Our incubator program is designed to attract and develop a broad range of technology based startup companies with strong growth potential. Our project is best described as a mixed-use technology incubator.

It is best that a potential applicant call for an appointment to meet with a member of the incubator staff when they are ready to begin operating as a business. However, since we are only one of several resources available to entrepreneurs in this region, if we meet with someone who has not begun their business plan or who is looking for other kinds of assistance, we are able to refer them to local business resources who are able to help them with their particular needs.

Every entrepreneur has three commodities usually in smaller amounts than they really need: time, capital and a working knowledge of all the issues that contribute to a successful business. Locating in an incubator gives the entrepreneur access to the expertise they need when they need it without having to take the time to search it out. They receive many support services at reduced or no cost and also do not have to invest their valuable capital in the basic equipment every business needs such as copiers, conference rooms, smart classroom, etc. These are made available as part of their tenancy. Finally, the staff and consultants at the incubator are able to assist clients with most, if not all, of the issues they will face in growing their business through its initial phases.

The first step in becoming a client/tenant is to call us and set up an appointment to talk with a member of the incubator staff. If qualified, staff will assist an applicant in filling out an application that is the beginning of the process of becoming a tenant.

The details of what kinds of businesses are eligible to become clients of our incubator are listed in the Entrance Criteria section of this website.

Besides tenant clients, we do have a limited number of opportunities for Affiliate clients who are not located within the incubator building. These client opportunities are usually reserved for high potential businesses whose facility requirements cannot be accommodated within the incubator building.

The staff, advisors and other resources of the incubator is made available to clients to assist them in being successful in reaching their business goals. At all times, the responsibility for and management of any client business is in the hands of its owners and managers.

While clients of the incubator are required to report on their financial performance to the Director of the Incubator, this information is not made public.

Every tenant is required to execute a formal Permit with us that details all the rules governing their occupancy of space in the incubator as well as the conditions of their acceptance into the incubator program.

Statistics and our experience show that the first three years of any start-up are the most critical. For this reason, our normal beginning lease is for a three year term. In some cases, businesses are permitted to stay longer or may leave earlier if they wish. As businesses become self-sufficient enough to move out of the Incubator and contribute to the economic growth of the region they are assisted in finding a location to move to. Graduate businesses are able to continue to access some of the mentoring, consulting and networking resources of the Incubator.