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Time Sensitive!
DoD Pre-Solicitation is Out
The Dept. of Defense has issued its pre-solicitation including topics for the 2014.1 SBIR program. Although there will be two more SBIR solicitations in FY 2014 (2014.2 and 2014.3), this is generally the largest. The following components are participating:
- Army (80 topics)
- Navy (82 topics)
- Air Force (253 topics)
- Chemical and Biological Defense/CBD (5 topics)
- DARPA (5 topics with 4 eligible for Direct to Phase II Pilot Program)
- Defense Health Program/DHP (11 topics)
- Office of Secretary of Defense/OSD (2 technology focus areas with 7 topics)
- Special Operations Command/SOCOM (6 topics)
From now until December 19, 2013, companies may contact the Topic Author or TPOC (Technical Point of Contact) for each topic directly to discuss any questions of a technical nature. Beginning December 20 until January 8, 2014, no direct contact is permitted
and all questions must be posted on DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS) only. The submission deadline is 6:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, January 22, 2014.Be sure to check out BBC's upcoming DoD-focused webinars:
If you have any questions or would like assistance preparing your proposal, contact BBC. See more DoD-related articles below!
Becky Aistrup, Principal Consultant
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Support for Commercial Assistance
 SBIR and STTR funding is intended for R&D funding, but if your SBIR award is to have its maximum impact on your company's development, the technology/product must be converted into a revenue-generator. Contradiction? Not at all.
As it happens, your funding agency has the same goal and, as a result, several agencies (e.g., DOD, HHS, DOE, NSF) have started Commercialization Assistance Programs (CAPs) over the past several years [for Army, Navy, and Air Force the term is Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP)]. Depending on the agency, CAPs are available to both Phase I and Phase II awardees and provide services by independent consultants in defined subject areas. Typically, slots are limited so be certain to consult your SBIR/STTR program manager about the agency's application procedures and deadlines to insure your participation.
The latest reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs has added a new option. Applicants can now request an additional $5,000 per year to pay for commercialization assistance by the consultant of their choice. This budget item is above and beyond the maximum budget limits. For example, a Phase II proposal that requests the maximum budget to execute its technical plan, can add an extra $10,000 for commercialization assistance over the two-year project. This expense must be described in the Budget Justification and supported by a letter of commitment from the consultant that will provide the assistance. Carefully review your specific Funding Opportunity Announcement to be certain this option is available in your situation. BBCetc is also available to help with your commercialization needs.
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Not Just Letters of Support for Your SBIR/STTR Proposal...Letters of Commitment!
With the National Institutes of Health (NIH) SBIR deadline drawing near, don't forget to include the letters from partners who will be included on your SBIR project. Partners include consultants, sub-contractors, key personnel and commercialization resources included in the proposal.
Now, although called Letters of Support, these letters are really "Letters of Commitment"! They are IOUs from your team members to the company. It's important to note that they are always addressed to the Principal Investigator (PI) on the project or the Business Official at the company - not to NIH.
Let's take a look at some of these letters and what goes into them. - A letter from a Senior/Key person (including the PI) needs to be included if the person your company is planning to hire is currently employed elsewhere, but plans to join the company at the time of award. The letter will state that they will be employed at the applicant company at the time of award, and include their anticipated time commitment and role on the project.
- Letters from Subcontractors need to mention clearly who at the sub-contracting organization is working on the project, clarify their role and time commitment on the project and the budget for the sub-contract. These letters must be on the sub-contracting organization's letterhead.
- Letters from Consultants must specify their time commitment, the specific guidance they are providing on the project, and the compensation they are being offered by the applicant company.
- Letters from Commercialization Partners are typically part of a Phase II proposal. They are provided by potential investors, distributors, strategic partners, prospective customers, potential licensees, etc. Such letters must be "tangible," i.e., they must demonstrate a market need and clear commercial path for the product being developed and the company's ability to attract the right resources to carry though to successful commercialization.
While a commitment of personnel, finances, resources and  partnerships is definitely helpful, generic excitement on a "revolutionary" technology is not.... So keep these tips in mind as you start collecting Letters of Support (read: Commitment!), and keep BBC in mind if you have any questions along the way.
Andrea Johanson, Principal Consultant
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Tips from NIH
Don't Miss Important Information about Receipt and Referral of Your Application
The Center for Scientific Review's (CSR) Division of Receipt and  Referral processes over 80,000 NIH grant applications each year. Sometimes during this process, they may need to give you critical and time-sensitive information about the status of your application.
Some Key Points You Need to Know- Email notifications will be sent to you from era-notify@mail.nih.gov. Make sure "era-notify" is in your trusted senders list so that these important emails are not blocked by your spam filter.
- The email address CSR uses is the last one you entered in your eRA Commons account profile. Be sure your account is updated with your current email address.
- Email is not 100% reliable, but your status screen in eRA Commons is always updated with the latest information. Be sure to check the status screen for each application in eRA Commons periodically throughout the receipt, referral and review process to ensure that you receive all important notifications.
NIH Peer Review Process Revealed
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is the portal for NIH grant applications and their review for scientific merit. CSR's mission is to see that NIH grant applications receive fair, independent, expert, and timely reviews - free from inappropriate influences - so NIH can fund the most promising research. Gain an understanding of how the process works and how to navigate it to your best advantage in an informative video on the CSR website.
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Tips from DARPA SBIR/STTR Program Manager
On Nov. 19, BBCetc hosted a webinar presented by Susan Nichols, SBIR/STTR Program Manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Susan reviewed DARPA's 2014 SBIR/STTR program and offered tips for those considering a proposal for DoD's upcoming solicitations. The DoD's SBIR 2014.1 (see above) solicitation was pre-released on Nov. 20, so these tips are certainly timely:- READ and FOLLOW solicitation instructions - Susan emphasized that even small steps missed in instructions can trip up an otherwise competitive proposal. She also noted that the instructions can vary significantly from component to component, so be certain you're aware of any component-specific requirements.
- Focus on the topic and information provided by the author - It might seem obvious, but sticking strictly to the stated problem that seeks a solution, and only that, is a must. If you want to put forth your own idea, consider the agency's Broad Area Announcements (BAA).
- Take advantage of the 30-day pre-release period - This is the time to talk to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC), who is often the author of the topic. This is your opportunity to learn the topic's parameters, ask technical questions, get clarification, and gauge whether and how well your technology meets the objective.
- Emphasize your innovative approach - Highlight how your approach is different/better than your competition.
- If there are technical barriers, address them - Reviewers can only evaluate a proposal by what's in it. If you know there's a technical problem that might come up, but you don't address it, they can't assume you are aware of it and that will count against you.
- Highlight past successes - particularly Technical & Commercial success - If you've had previous technical and commercial successes outside the program, be sure you note them since it demonstrates your ability to deliver and will not necessarily show in your Company Commercialization Report.
- Update Company Commercialization Report - If you've participated in the program before, be sure to update you company commercialization record in the Company Commercialization Report database at www.dodsbir.net and at the SBA site, www.sbir.gov.
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Other DoD Funding Opportunities
The Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is seeking environmental R&D proposals for funding beginning in FY 2015.
The Core Solicitation provides funding opportunities for basic and applied research and advanced technology development related to the SERDP program areas of Environmental Restoration (ER), Munitions Response (MR), Resource Conservation and Climate Change (RC), and Weapons Systems and Platforms (WP). Core pre-proposals are due Thursday, January 9, 2014 .The SEED Solicitation provides funding opportunities for work that will investigate innovative environmental approaches that entail high technical risk or require supporting data to provide proof of concept in the Environmental Restoration and Weapons Systems and Platforms program areas. SEED proposals are due Tuesday, March 11, 2014 .Details are available on the website under FundingOpportunities.
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 Onsite
Proposal Prep for DoE
Dec 3 - Detroit, MI
Dec 5 - Warren, OH
SBIR/STTR 101: Introduction & Overview
Dec 10 - Ann Arbor, MI
Jan 8 - Detroit, MI
Overview of SBIR/STTR Agencies & Proposal Prep
Jan 14 - Cleveland, OH
Commercialize Your Technology!
Jan 29 - Ann Arbor, MI
Webinars
Dec 4 - DoD Topics and Component Review
Dec 5 - Budget Prep for DoD and DoE
Dec 12 - ABC's of SBIR/STTR Funding
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NSF Deadlines Nearing
Save the Date
National SBIR/STTR Conference June 16-18, 2014 in Washington DC. More information
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"The information that you presented during the webinar helps me feel as though I have a footing on how to devise a strategic plan going forward in the application process. I especially appreciate how the knowledge that you shared emphasized the individuality of applying for a NIH SBIR in contrast to SBIRs from other government funding agencies."
Valarie Thomas
Research Scientist, Akervall Technologies, Inc.
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Michigan SBIR/STTR Assistance Program
Training and one-one-one proposal preparation assistance to qualified companies, with the costs of these services covered in whole or in part by a Michigan Strategic Fund grant. More
Matching Funds
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BBCetc is nationally recognized for its expertise in helping technology-based entrepreneurs win federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and use it strategically to propel growth. Its Michigan clients have been awarded over $120 million in funding since 2002. BBCetc capabilities include:
- Technology Assessment
- Commercialization Planning
- SBIR/STTR/Other Research Grant Assistance
- Entrepreneurial Training
- Grants/Contracts Management
734-930-9741
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