Each year, the Department of Commerce sponsors the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). This non-dilutive grant is a chance for small businesses to obtain funding for innovative proof of concept research on a novel, high-risk idea or project.
The application opens in January each year with the 2022 solicitation release scheduled for January 14th, 2022 with deadlines in April 2022 (to be announced).
The SBIR program was established in 1982 by the Small Business Innovation Development Act (P.L. 97-219). Subsequent legislation has extended the program until September 30, 2017. Eleven federal agencies set aside a portion of their extramural research and development budget each year for SBIR.
The SBIR Program goals are:
- to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D;
- to use small business to meet federal research and development (R&D) needs;
- to stimulate small business innovation in technology; and
- to foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation.
| Purpose | Duration | Funding Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Feasibility | 6 months | Up to $100,000 |
| Phase II | R&D | 2 years | Up to $400,000 |
| Phase III | Commercialization | No limit | Non-SBIR funds (no limit) |
While this opportunity is indeed exciting, it can also be incredibly intimidating. There are so many requirements to be aware of from required federal registrations to documentation and formatting regulations. Project and process management, timeline management, and proposal preparation can be overwhelming especially to founders and small business owners who are often already stretching themselves thin to keep company operations properly managed. Fortunately, a little help can go a long way in making the proposal preparation and submission process manageable.
Throughout every step our team will ensure you are on the path to SBIR success by meeting deadlines, completing proposal documents properly, and sharing our vast repository of industry knowledge and subject matter expertise. Applying to SBIR does not have to be scary with a little bit of support, and the rigors of drafting the proposal itself should never stand in the way of a company that is otherwise qualified for the opportunity to consider applying.
SBIR is one of the more competitive proposals out there and with a Phase I award rate with only 12 proposals funded annually on average it is never too early to start preparing a competitive proposal for NIST SBIR. If you think you could be a fit for the NIST SBIR FY 2022 schedule a consult call today.
We work with high-growth startups and organizations that support the startup and innovation ecosystem. We build highly specific non-dilutive funding menus, provide proposal preparation services, and measure outcomes of funding through evaluation. Schedule a consult call with us HERE.