 Thank you so much!
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."--William Arthur Ward, American scholar
At BBC we have the privilege of working with clients, both entrepreneurs and economic development partners, who share the gifts of their ideas and enthusiasm every day. A special thanks to all of you from the BBC team as we approach Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season! Lisa Kurek, Managing Partner
More thankfulness from the team:
- "I'm thankful for entrepreneurs who constantly ask "what would the customer do? Bravo!" - Michael Kurek, Partner
- "I'm thankful for those wonderful clients who don't start drafting one week before the submission deadline. Hooray!" - Andrea Johanson, Principal Consultant
- "That I'm lucky enough to get a peek at the incredible technologies our clients are working on that will ultimately improve our lives, our health, and our safety and security." - Becky Aistrup, Principal Consultant
- "For all of the plentiful resources there are to assist Michigan entrepreneurs, especially as I get our FASTconnect program underway." Kristin Burgard, Principal Consultant, FASTconnect Program
- "That the passion of our entrepreneurs ensures that life at BBC is always interesting and never, ever boring." - Kris Bergman, Consultant, Grants & Contracts Management
- "I'm thankful for our terrific group of partners who understand the meaning of collaboration and help us in so many ways to pursue our mission," - Jayne Berkaw, Director, Marketing & Outreach
|
|
Agency News
 National Institutes of Health has announced the availability of a Niche Assessment Program for its SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees funded in fiscal years 2012 and 2013. All active NIH SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees (by grant or contract) as well as those small businesses selected to receive a Phase I award in the first three months of the upcoming fiscal year will be eligible to participate. This program can help "jump-start" a company's commercialization efforts by providing the market insight and data that can be used to strategically position its technology in the marketplace, by assisting companies with their development of commercialization plans for Phase II applications, and by introducing small businesses to potential partners. Click here for more information.
 The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Assay Development Program (CADP) provides unique assay development and validation services such as assay optimization, design of assay standards or calibrators, determination of assay specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility, platform migration, and statistical consultation. This free but competitive resource (i.e., you need to apply and get approved) can help companies establish analytical validity as well as preliminary clinical validity of their in vitro diagnostics, and help them along the path toward submissions to the FDA or integration of the tests into clinical trials. Visit the NCI CADP website for more information.  NASA Technology Days, a regionally focused three-day public technology showcase, is set for Nov. 28-30 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium/Conference Ctr. The space technology showcase will bring together stakeholders from industry, academia, and the U.S. government to engage in partnership building and discuss methods of fostering technology transfer and innovation.
The showcase will feature technologies from NASA in-house researchers, as well as NASA-funded Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) companies, higher education institutions, and industrial organizations located in the Midwest. Technologies will be mature enough to be considered for either classical technology transfer/ commercialization or externally funded co-development efforts. More information and registration
|
|
Collaborating for Progress - BBC and iBIO Institute's PROPEL
In addition to working with individual companies and entrepreneurs, BBC collaborates with state, regional and local economic development organizations and universities in providing training and one-on-one assistance programs for technology entrepreneurs and companies in their areas. In 2012 alone, BBC has worked with clients in 19 states. Profiled here is the PROPEL Center of the iBIO Institute.
 Created by iBIO and the iBIO Institute in 2007, PROPEL's mission is to help develop the thriving Illinois and surrounding Midwest life sciences industry into a vibrant entrepreneurial community. Based in Chicago, PROPEL is a group of programs aimed at increasing the number and success rate of early-stage life sciences companies by providing entrepreneurs with access to specialized resources that will help them secure very early-stage funding. Programs include knowledge- and skill-building for entrepreneurs through one-on-one guidance, technical assistance and workshops, as well as sustained coaching and mentoring.
Last month, PROPEL launched the PROPEL SBIR/STTR Awards Program to help increase the number of PROPEL companies that apply for and receive approval of SBIR and/or STTR federal research grants. The awards program will provide small grants to help companies prepare stronger grant submissions and be more prepared for managing approved SBIR/STTR grants.
BBC has worked with PROPEL on SBIR/STTR training for more than five years and will be providing one-on-one proposal assistance and grants and contracts management services as part of the Awards Program.
"The BBC team is a strong supporter of life sciences entrepreneurs," Barbara Goodman, Senior Vice President of PROPEL, said, "and PROPEL is excited to partner with BBC on this awards program."
|
 Submitting to NIH? Get to the Point in Your Project Summary
By Andrea Johanson, Ph.D., BBC Principal Consultant
In a previous post, I advised those preparing SBIR/STTR proposals for NIH to consider the Specific Aims section the most important page in their submission. Also right up there in significance is the  Project Summary/Abstract.
The Project Summary/Abstract includes a summary of the proposed project activity suitable for dissemination to the public and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader. It should be a self-contained description of the project with a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. If the one page Specific Aims section is an executive summary of your proposal, think of the Abstract as an executive summary of your Specific Aims.
NIH Says: Be Brief, Pick Useful Keywords, and Use Lay Language
That's it in a nutshell, but here are a few more tips:
- Expect all the peer reviewers to read your Abstract, and it may be all they read, so make it good!
- The very first sentence should state the significance of your research to your field and relevance to the NIH mission: to improve human health. Read on
|
 |
|
upcoming...
deadlines
NIH SBIR Ph I/II Contract Solicitation - Extended to
Dec 3 from Nov 13
Dec 5
Dec 11
DoD SBIR - Jan 16
DoE SBIR/STTR Ph I - Feb 5
training
SBIR/STTR Proposal Prep-DoD Focus
Nov 27 - Recap of SBIR/STTR Nat'l Conference
Just Added! Dec 6 - DoE Overview and Proposal Tips
Dec 12 - SBIR/STTR Commercialization Plans for DoD
Our 2013 training schedule is under development. Watch for new sessions to be added in the next few weeks!
|
|
Can't Make the Nat'l. SBIR/STTR
Conference? Join Us for the Recap.
This year's National SBIR/STTR Conference (in Portland, OR, Nov. 13-15) is designed to promote discovery of the key issues to successful grant applications. BBC's Lisa Kurek, Becky Aistrup and Kristin Burgard will be there attending keynotes and break-outs, making connections and getting answers. They will report back, answer your questions, and offer their insights on information coming out of the conference during a FREE webinar on Nov. 27 from 2 to 3 p.m (ET). Have a question you'd like them research for you at the conference? Let them know, and they'll do their best to get an answer.
|
|
SBA Tool "Sizes Up" Competition
The Small Business Administration has introduced a free online tool, called SizeUp, that allows users to identify prospective customers and compare their performance against others. SizeUp enables businesses to:
> Benchmark an existing business by comparing performance to other competitors in the same industry;
> Map competition to see where competitors, customers, and suppliers are located; and
> Find the best places to advertise by choosing from pre-set reports to discover areas with the highest industry revenue and the most underserved markets. Custom demographic reports can also be created. Learn more |
who we are
BBCetc is nationally recognized for its expertise in helping technology-based entrepreneurs to win federal grants and contracts through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and to use that funding strategically to propel growth. BBC-assisted proposals have a success rate 2-3 times the national average across several federal agencies. Through training courses and one-on-one consulting, experienced BBC consultants guide client companies through the proposal preparation, grant management, commercialization and business planning, and obtaining follow-on funding. For more information, email or call us at 734-930-9741.
|
|
