|
How To Participate In
The SBIR or STTR Program
Ten federal agencies make awards under
the SBIR program and five under the STTR* program: The
program is very competitive, with approximately 15% of
proposals being funded out of those submitted.
If you intend to participate in the
SBIR Program, the first step is to obtain the
solicitation of the agency or agencies where you might
apply by going to the appropriate website listed above.
Each agency has its own specific rules and regulations
governing how to apply that are detailed in the
solicitation. However, there are some general rules that
pertain to all:
- Each agency releases a
solicitation. The solicitation contains the
specific requirements for applying to that agency,
instructions for applying, topics the agency is
willing to fund, required forms and all the
relevant dates.
- You must identify a topic in
the solicitation to which your proposal will
respond. The research and development expertise of
the small business must match a topic listed in a
solicitation.
- The application is in the
form of a proposal not to exceed 25 pages.
(Enclosures vary depending on agency.)
- The small business submits
the proposal. In Phase I, a minimum of two-thirds
of the work must be performed by the small
business; in Phase II the small business must
conduct one-half. Subcontracts and consulting
agreements can account for no more than one-third
of the total cost of Phase I and no more than
one-half of Phase II costs.
- Only small businesses that
successfully complete Phase I are eligible to
compete for a Phase II award.
- A Principal Investigator for
the project must be named in the proposal. Also
known as the PI, this person is the single
individual responsible for the scientific and
technical direction of the project.
- Multiple proposals may be
submitted between agencies and within one agency
and a good strategy.
If the deadline for proposals has
passed for the particular agency which is most promising,
you may still wish to obtain the Pre-Solicitation
Announcement (PSA), a
quarterly publication from the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) that
lists research topics available during the current
funding period. It is often worthwhile to obtain a copy
of a previous solicitation; some of the topics and rules
may change but much of the information remains the same.
In addition, take a look at our section on Preparing An SBIR
Proposal.
SBIR Eligibility
To be eligible to compete for funding
in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program,
a business must satisfy all the following criteria:
- Have no more than 500
employees (including employees of affiliates) at
the time of award. The rules for determining number
of employees are published in 13 Code of Federal
Regulations 121.
- Be organized for profit. The
business can be in the form of a sole
proprietorship, partnership, corporation, joint
venture, association, trust or a cooperative.
- Be located in the United
States.
- Be at least 51% owned and
controlled by an individual(s) who is (are) a
citizen(s) of the United States or a lawfully
admitted permanent resident.
Additionally, the principal
investigator of an SBIR project must have his or her
primary employment be with the small business concern at
the time of the award and during the conduct of the
project. Primary employment means that more than one-half
of the principal investigator's time is spent in the
employ of the applicant organization.
Primary employment with a small
business concern precludes full-time employment at
another organization.
Solicitation Schedule
Annually, each agency releases a
solicitation. The Department of Defense and the
Department of Health and Human Services each release
multiple solicitations throughout the year. On the
release date, the agency makes hard copies of the
solicitation available to the general public. The closing
date is generally the date when proposals must be
received by the agency. However, check each agency
solicitation carefully for specific rules and
regulations.
SBIR Solicitation Schedule
Click here for the
most current solicitation listing courtesy of the SBIR
Resource Center
SBIR Program Solicitations
by Participating Agency – FY2001
| Agency |
Release Date |
Closing Date |
|
Department of
Agriculture
|
June 1, 2001
(est.) |
August 31, 2001
(est.) |
|
Department of
Commerce |
October 30, 2000 |
January 17, 2001 |
|
Department of
Defense 01.1 |
October 2, 2000 |
January 10, 2001 |
|
Department of
Defense 00.2 |
May 1, 2001 |
August 15, 2001 |
|
Department of
Education |
January 24, 2000 |
April 3, 2000 |
|
Department of
Health & Human Services, Public Health Service
(CDC) |
January 13, 2000 |
December 1, 2000 |
|
Department of
Health & Human Services, Public Health Service
(NIH & FDA) |
January 13, 2000 |
April 1, 2000
August 1, 2000
December 1, 2000 |
|
Department of
Transportation |
February 12, 2000 |
May 1, 2000 |
|
Environmental
Protection Agency |
March 30, 2000 |
May 25, 2000 |
|
National
Aeronautics & Space Administration |
April 23, 2000 |
July 14, 2000 |
|
National Science
Foundation |
October 1, 2000 |
January 4, 2001 |
STTR Solicitation Schedule
STTR Program Solicitations
by Participating Agency – FY2001
| Agency |
Release Date |
Closing Date |
|
Department of
Defense |
January 2, 2001 |
April 11, 2001 |
|
Department of
Energy |
November 20, 2000 |
February 20, 2001 |
|
Department of
Health & Human Services, Public Health Service |
January 15, 2001 |
April 1, 2001
August 1, 2001
December 1, 2001 |
|
National
Aeronautics & Space Administration |
March 28, 2001 |
June 6, 2001 |
|
National Science
Foundation |
March 1, 2001 |
June 12, 2001 |
With the growth of the Internet,
participating agencies often release their solicitations
online prior to the "Release Date." The Department of
Defense is one such example. Make sure to check the
agencies' home pages periodically.
|
