The Technical and Business Assistance, or TABA, program is a comprehensive initiative by several agencies participating in the SBIR/STTR innovation grant aimed at helping small businesses identify and address their most pressing product development needs. As an SBIR applicant, it’s essential to understand what TABA funding can and cannot be used for.
What TABA Funding CAN Be Used For
- Assistance with product sales
- Intellectual property protections
- Market research and/or validation
- Development of regulatory plans
- Development of manufacturing plans
- Access to technical and business literature available through online databases
What TABA Funding CANNOT Be Used For
- Activities that the recipient can provide internally
- General maintenance of or investment in an applicant/division within the small business, an affiliate/investor of the small business, or a subcontractor/consultant required as part of the awarded Phase I or Phase II
- Contributions to the SBIR/STTR fee
- Audit services
- Bookkeeping services, including payroll management or general accounting services
- Patent costs above and beyond those outlined for the NIH-funded program
- Contingency costs or costs associated with the research and development activities of the award
Eligibility and Limitations
While this funding provides valuable support, there are certain limitations. Awardees who request and receive funding through the grant award, either as part of the application or through an administrative supplement, cannot utilize centralized NIH services for the phase of the SBIR/STTR that received funding. Small businesses may request up to $6,500 per year for a Phase I project and up to $50,000 across all years per Phase II project. Fast-Track applications combine both Phase I and Phase II, and small businesses can request TABA funding in both phases within their Fast-Track application, up to the specified amounts for each phase.
How to Request TABA Funding
To request TABA funding, you should include a detailed description of the technical or business assistance that your vendor will provide, including the name of the vendor and the expected benefits and results of the technical or business assistance provided in the Budget Justification. If you need to request TABA funding after receiving notice of the award, refer to NOT–OD–21–062, which identifies the institutes or centers that allow for supplemental funds to use these services
Needs Assessment
The TABA Needs Assessment Report provides a third-party, unbiased assessment of a project’s progress in technical and business areas that are critical to success in the competitive healthcare marketplace. There is no cost for this report, and the time commitment for participation is minimal.
The Needs Assessment Report helps companies strategize for the project’s next steps. It analyzes the current state of your Phase I project and identifies strengths and weaknesses across four categories. The information in each report will be tailored to the participating company’s project, but the structure and scope of the report are fixed. View a sample Needs Assessment Report.
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