BBC has helped Michigan businesses land more than $80 million in federal funding since 2002. Over that eight-year period, BBC received an average of $300,000 annually from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to run the consulting program.

The firm helps companies craft federal funding applications, identify commercialization opportunities and navigate the funding process.

“I think this is a program that is not appreciated nearly as much as it should be,” BBC founder Lisa Kurek said. “The companies in Michigan that participate in this program are getting funded at twice the national rate.”

But with uncertainty clouding the future of the MEDC as the gubernatorial transition approaches in Lansing, Kurek is concerned about the future of her MEDC funding. She said her program is funded through May 2011.

The effectiveness of MEDC-funded programs like BBC are sure to be examined closely when a new governor takes office.

“I’m hopeful that once things settle down in Lansing after the first of the year we’ll be able to continue the program. I’m a little nervous,” she said. “We’re passionately trying to figure out how this program doesn’t end in May 2011. We’re looking at ways to make it more effective, and the partnership with InfoReady is one way.”

Federal funding is the lifeblood of many startup companies. Initiatives like the Small Business Innovative Research program, which provides grants to emerging technology companies, have given a significant boost to the Ann Arbor region.

For example, companies like T/J Technologies - an advanced materials startup launched by Maria and Levi Thompson in the early 1990s and sold to A123Systems in 2006 - probably wouldn’t exist without the SBIR program. BBC played an important role helping T/J’s get to the point where it was ready to be sold.

Now, T/J’s technology advancements are critical to A123’s lithium-ion batteries - and A123 plans to hire thousands of workers in Michigan after opening a 291,000-square-foot facility in Livonia on Monday.

Federal funding can be a godsend to companies in nascent sectors like batteries, but navigating Washington’s funding bureaucracy - and filing successful applications - is extremely challenging for companies not used to completing the maze.

Simply identifying funding opportunities can be challenging.

InfoReady, a spinoff of GDI Infotech, says its web-based software application helps corporate clients quickly search federal databases to spot funding opportunities. The application also incorporates social networking functions to allow users to collaborate and communicate more effectively about their funding prospects. InfoReady is attracting a high-profile list of consultants, including former HealthMedia CEO Ted Dacko and angel investor Terry Cross.

Bhushan Kulkarni, GDI founder and CEO of InfoReady, said the software is “getting excellent traction in the marketplace.”

“We really want to strive very hard to hit the home run with this company,” he said.

Kulkarni said a partnership with BBC is a perfect fit.

“Lisa and her staff have done a tremendous job in terms of helping with the coaching, mentoring and training to increase federal grant revenue in the state,” Kulkarni said. “So we want to capitalize on that and try and figure out ways to provide ways to provide scalability to what they already have done.”

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.