TECHNOLOGY
Questions?
Can the SBDC Network help me
find funding for technology research and development (R&D)?
The Technology Program of the SBDC Network has been established
to assist small businesses in seeking funding through the
Federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.
The SBIR program is a highly competitive 3-phase award system
which provides qualified small businesses with opportunities
to propose innovative ideas that meet the specific research
and development needs of the Federal government. Some of the
Federal agencies also reserve a portion of their R&D funds
to be awarded via the STTR program to partnerships formed
by small business and nonprofit research institutions such
as the University of Houston.
Do SBIR/STTR grants have to be
repaid?
The grants are provided under an agreement entered into between
an SBIR or STTR participating Federal agency and a small business
concern for the performance of experimental, developmental
or research work funded by the Federal Government and no repayment
is required.
How much money can I get under
the SBIR program?
There are 3 phases to the SBIR program. Phase I funding is
for a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical
merit of an idea. Awards are for periods of up to 6 months
for amounts up to $100,000. Phase II is an expansion of the
results of Phase I through further development. Awards are
for periods of up to 2 years in amounts up to $750,000. Phase
III is for the commercialization of the results of Phase II
and requires the use of either private sector funding or non-SBIR
Federal funding.
What agencies participate in
SBIR funding?
There are currently 11 Federal agencies participating in the
SBIR program:
 |
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) |
|
Department of Commerce (DOC:
NIST) |
|
Department of Defense (DOD:
Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, MDA, SOC, NGA, etc.) |
|
Department of Education (ED) |
|
Department of Energy (DOE) |
|
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS: including NIH, CDC, FDA, etc.) |
|
Department of Transportation
(DOT) |
|
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) |
|
Homeland Security Advanced
Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) |
|
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) |
|
National Science Foundation
(NSF) |
Will the SBDC Network
help write an SBIR or STTR grant proposal for me?
The SBDC Network will assist small businesses with their SBIR/STTR
proposals by:
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providing informational links
to SBIR and STTR websites; |
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assisting with the development of the financial
portion of the proposal; |
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critiquing the proposal to see if it meets
the agency guidelines; and |
|
offering SBIR/STTR conferences which include
1-on-1s with representatives from the participating Federal
agencies.
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