Who’s Really Touching Your Proposal?
Some “U.S.-based” grant consulting firms are little more than a domestic P.O. box, a toll-free number, and a Slack channel that lights up at 2:00 a.m. because their core staff is actually overseas, or a loose network of 1099 contractors (some of whom may be foreign nationals) with no long-term accountability to you, your IP, or federal compliance requirements.
If you’re pursuing SBIR/STTR or other federal funding, that matters. A lot.
Compliance & IP Protection Start Before You Hit “Submit”
Federal innovation programs (SBIR/STTR) are built to invest in U.S. small businesses performing U.S.-based R&D with U.S. personnel. That expectation isn’t limited to post-award lab work; it implicitly includes who scopes, drafts, and refines the technical and commercialization narratives. Increasingly, agencies require disclosure of all substantive contributors. “Ghost preparers” who are offshore or unvetted contractors can place you in a gray zone you do not want to defend later.
The Hidden Risks of a “Floating” Talent Model
Using ad-hoc 1099s or overseas writers can introduce:
- Chain-of-custody gaps – Who exactly accessed your draft, and where did it live (and replicate) along the way?
- Jurisdictional exposure – Once sensitive material leaves U.S. soil (or controlled cloud environments), your protective recourse narrows.
- Inconsistent voice & strategy – Fragmented freelancers rarely internalize your long-term funding roadmap.
- Unconscious disclosure – Reusing “successful language” across clients can unintentionally leak differentiation.
- Documentation blind spots – If agencies request contributor details, can you confidently produce a clean, compliant roster?
Yes, most offshore professionals are honest and capable. However, regulatory intent (protecting domestic innovation, reducing foreign influence in strategic tech areas) is tightening. Why create friction when you can design clarity from the outset?
“Lower Invoice” vs. “Lower Risk”
A bargain hourly rate or flat fee built on a patchwork of transient contractors can look efficient. The hidden cost? Elevated diligence burden on you. If a reviewer, auditor, or partner asks, “Who actually drafted this section?” you shouldn’t need a detective, a spreadsheet, and three unanswered emails to find out.
Our Operating Standard (By Design, Not Accident)
We are 100% U.S.-based, 100% U.S.-citizen, Remote/Distributed W-2 employees, headquartered in Amherst, NY. No offshore subcontracting. No invisible 1099 ghostwriters on core narrative development. No ambiguity about who has eyes on your IP.
Security Is a Practice, Not a Slogan
We treat proposal development like a pre-award compliance zone:
- Controlled access & versioning (who touched what, and when)
- Consistent narrative architecture aligned with review criteria
- Integrated commercialization & evaluation perspective (not bolted on by a temp)
- Ethical guardrails: no recycling of your proprietary positioning into someone else’s package
You’re not just submitting a document; you’re submitting evidence of operational maturity. We help ensure that the evidence holds up.
Practical Litmus Test (Use This Anywhere)
Ask any prospective firm:
- Are all core writers W-2 employees? (If no, who are the 1099s, and where are they physically located?)
- Can you provide a list of everyone who will substantially contribute to our proposal?
- Do any non-U.S. persons or offshore entities access drafts, research notes, source code descriptions, or commercialization strategy?
- How do you prevent narrative elements from being reused across clients?
- If an agency requests contributor disclosure tomorrow, can you deliver it on the same day?
If the answers wobble, reassess.
Bottom Line
You invested serious time and capital to create defensible innovation. Don’t dilute that by outsourcing critical proposal authorship into an opaque talent mesh that introduces compliance questions before reviewers even read Page 1.
Work with a team whose structure strengthens, not strains, your eligibility, credibility, and IP security.
We’re that team. Purposefully.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.