Identifying Topics and Solicitations

Is there a schedule
Have any agencies funded similar research?
Let's go to the source

Is there a schedule?

Not really. Some agencies release annual solicitations for Phase I proposals and allow multiple Phase I submissions throughout the year with rolling submission due dates. Some agencies only release one Phase I solicitation per year.

SBIR.gov has a tool to look at all of the currently open solicitations at https://www.sbir.gov/solicitations/open and this is a great start.

We like to start by looking at which agency (or agencies) may be a good fit for you and then check out that agency's SBIR program website for upcoming funding opportunities. Going to the agency-specific website is a great way to also learn about their research areas (or topics), how they run their SBIR programs, and access resources they've developed to help investigators be successful with their SBIR programs.

Have any agencies funded similar research?

You may be surprised to learn that more than one agency may be a fit for your research. But where to start? Let's look at which agencies may have funded similar or related research via their SBIR programs.

Go ahead, open https://www.sbir.gov/awards in a new tab. This is the full list of all SBIR/STTR-funded projects (with a slight lag time). You can enter a simple keyword like "quantum" or "neuromodulation" or "coatings" to pull up all awards that have that term in their abstract. In the resulting list, you'll see which agency funded these projects, what year they were funded, the awarded companies, etc.

On the left sidebar of that page, you can also filter by specific agencies, by whether the awards were Phase I or Phase II, by SBIR or STTR, by year, and by state.

Now you have an idea of one or more agencies whose SBIR programs you want to learn more about. Many of the agencies have their own award search engines, too, like NIH RePORTER or NSF's award search. Yes, you can filter to just the SBIR or STTR awards on these tools. But give them a go and have fun!

Let's go to the source

Once you have narrowed down which agency or agencies may be the best fit, it is time to go to the source - their specific SBIR program website. Components within agencies like the Department of Defense and Health & Human Services/National Institutes of Health may also have a dedicated small business page highlighting their SBIR/STTR success stories, research focus, and program details.

You got this. We can help you navigate and narrow down how to get started. The agencies are also committed to providing resources, webinars, and guidance to small businesses that have technological innovations that can address their missions.

Reach out today to start your journey.

Identifying Topics and Solicitations

Contents

Is there a schedule

Have any agencies funded similar research?

Let's go to the source