What is the process that I have to go through to work on my idea/need with the Enterprise Center?
The Enterprise Center at Calvin is basically a match maker. The Center will evaluate your idea/need and determine whether the appropriate resources of people and equipment are available at Calvin. If there is a match, the Enterprise Center will bring the parties together via the appropriate contracts, confidentiality agreements and an agreement on sharing any intellectual property. The Enterprise Center will work with you to develop a preliminary feasibility analysis with focus on the market value of any new product, manufacturing process or procedure/service. The emphasis is on a rapid decision on whether the new idea should be developed or not so funds are not expended needlessly. After a decision to continue is made based on the market evaluation, a technical evaluation will be made with the Calvin faculty member(s) who will be working on the project. When feasibility is determined, the Enterprise Center will back away except for administrative work and allow the Calvin faculty and students to work directly with you. However, the Enterprise Center will always be available to provide help on your project.
Overall, the Enterprise Center at Calvin's goal is to be an honest broker between you and the resources at Calvin so a win-win situation can be developed.
