Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Texas Advanced Manufacturing Acceleration Cluster (TAMAC) is a free program for small businesses and startups between Austin and San Antonio. It helps them bring new technology to production, raise money, and win work with the region's manufacturers, utilities, and aerospace, defense, and military buyers. FedTech runs it, and it is funded in part through a contract with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Your company must: Be based in one of 15 counties between Austin and San Antonio (listed below) Be a for-profit small business under the SBA size standard for your industry, counting any parent or affiliated companies Be majority owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents Bring a new product, process, or technology Startups, product companies that also manufacture, and established manufacturers adding something new are all welcome.

It depends on your industry, but most manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees count as small, as do most other businesses with average yearly revenue under $7.5 million. To check your exact limit, use the SBA's free Size Standards Tool at sba.gov/size-standards. If you're not sure, choose "Not sure" on the application and we'll help you check.

Products or services the region's large buyers need, such as automation and robotics, test stations, tooling and fixtures, precision machined parts, battery safety and energy storage, field robotics and drones, inspection and testing, and advanced materials. If your work is related, apply and tell us about it.

Stage 1 (20 companies, online, six to eight weeks): practical workshops and one-on-one advising. You leave with a 90-day plan to win a customer, contract, or funding. Stage 2 (8 to 10 companies, about three months): a dedicated advisor, introductions to buyers, and help qualifying as a supplier, raising money, and writing grant proposals. Events: buyer sessions with the region's large companies, and a public Demo Day.

No. Everything is free for selected companies.

Stage 1 takes 2 to 5 hours a week for six to eight weeks, all online. Stage 2 runs about three months, with some meetings in person at Tech Port San Antonio. You can bring more than one person from your team.

December 11, 2026: applications close. We review them as they come in, so applying early helps.January 2027: Stage 1 starts.April to July 2027: Stage 2 and buyer sessions.August 2027: Demo Day.

Fill in the online application. It takes about 20 minutes. Have these ready:A pitch deck, capability statement, or one-page product sheetYour revenue for the last full year (a range is fine)Your number of employeesThe funding you've raised so far (a range is fine)

We look at whether your product or service meets a need of the region's buyers, what's new about it, any customers or pilots you have, and which customer you most want to win. We select 20 companies for Stage 1. At the end of Stage 1, a panel of investors and industry experts reviews each company's 90-day plan and picks 8 to 10 for Stage 2.

Email tamac@fedtech.io.

Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Medina, Milam, Travis, Williamson, and Wilson.

Yes, if you're adding a new product, process, or technology, such as a new capability, automation, or a move into a new market. A shop that isn't adding anything new isn't a fit for this program.

Yes. Startups at the prototype or pilot stage are welcome. We look at how ready you are to act on a real customer need, not only at revenue.

Yes. The SBA asks us to check every company for foreign ownership, control, or influence, so the application asks about foreign owners, investors, and board members. Please answer fully. We review each case.

Please don't share trade secrets or technical details you consider proprietary. Business information such as revenue, headcount, and funding is used only by the FedTech team to review your application and to report program results to the SBA. It is not shared publicly.

You stay part of TAMAC, with access to events, our cluster partners, and referrals to other support.

SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) are federal programs that fund small businesses to develop new technology. The money comes as grants or contracts. It is not a loan, and the government takes no ownership in your company. You don't need any experience with them to apply. The program covers how they work, and some companies get help writing a proposal.

At the start, exact figures for revenue, employees, patents, and funding received. After that, short progress updates during the program and for 12 months after it ends. The SBA uses these to measure the program's results.

Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), APEX Accelerator, or SBA district office offers free support. The SBA also runs other Regional Innovation Clusters and SBIR/STTR help programs across the country.