OCTOBER 2015top
Cheerleading for SBIR/STTR 
BBCetc's Managing Partner, Lisa Kurek, recently authored an essay featured on NPR affiliate, Michigan Radio's "The Next Idea" web page. Discussing the key role played by the SBIR and STTR programs in helping young tech companies span the "Valley of Death," Lisa highlights BBC client and SBIR success story Backyard Brains as an example in the essay titled, "What do a Federal Grant and Robot Cockroaches have in Common?"  Lisa and Backyard Brains co-founder, Greg Gage, were also interviewed on the Michigan Radio's "Stateside" program.  Read the essay and listen to the interview (Interview link follows the essay)

Upcoming Solicitations
The U.S. Dept of Transportation's16.1 SBIR solicitation opens Oct. 14 with a Dec. 16 deadline. It will include the following topics:
  • 16.1-FA1: External Lighting Enhancements to Reduce Bird Strike Events
  • 16.1-FH1: Technological Enhancements to Improve and Expand Casual Carpooling Systems
  • 16.1-FH2: Connected Bicycle: Communicating with Vehicles and Infrastructure
  • 16.1-FT1: Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection Devices for Transit Buses
The solicitation, with more details on these topics and instructions for submission, will be published on the DoT website and www.FBO.gov on Oct. 14. Visit this page for a synopsis of the solicitation.

Webinar: U.S. DoT will host a pre-proposal webinar on Oct. 21, from 1:30 -2:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide information on the application process and featured solicitation topics. Register

Suggest a Future Topic: The DoT SBIR Program Office and its participating agencies will consider suggested topic areas in terms of relevance to DoT and its mission, critical agency requirements, uniqueness of the research topic, and other programmatic priorities. Learn more
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The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will release its 2016 Phase I SBIR solicitation on or about Oct. 15 with a submission deadline of Jan. 14, 2016. For Phase I, NOAA awards up to $120,000 to fund a six-month feasibility project. Proposals are solicited in areas corresponding to NOAA's four strategic R&D goals:
  • Weather-Ready Nation 
  • Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
  • Healthy Oceans
  • Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies.
Watch for more details coming soon.

From Extramual Nexus
Use NIH ASSIST to Prepare and Submit 
Applying to one of NIH's small business research programs? You now have a new application submission option. You can continue using downloadable forms from Grants.gov or one of the system-to-system submission systems used in some institutions, or you can now use ASSIST, NIH's online system for application preparation and submission. ASSIST is a web-based system developed by NIH in part to address common application submission challenges. ASSIST has many great features that are unavailable in downloadable forms.
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TIME SENSITIVE:  Make Changes to Your Institution's FY15 Award Data Now
NIH makes data on all of its NIH grants available to the public on the RePORT website. If you have ever explored the Awards by Location feature, you will have seen that one of the ways the information is provided is by school/department. If you haven't played with this feature, you might be interested in seeing the distribution of NIH grant awards across your institution, or others.
Because of inconsistencies in the way information on department and school names are provided in grant applications, grantee officials sometimes want to make changes in how that information is reflected in NIH systems. This has now been made easier with a new feature in eRA Commons that allows signing officials at your institution to make changes to school/department assignments for your institution's FY15 grant awards. NIH recommends that signing officials verify the accuracy of their FY15 award information now before the 2015 data is frozen data for reporting purposes. Any corrections to the data must be made by 8:00 PM ET Monday, October 12 to be reflected in NIH reports.

Get the Right Tools to Manage Your SBIR/STTR Grant or Contract
When a company receives a government grant or contract, it is imperative that they be able to manage the funds received. BBCetc assists clients one-on-one post award in the areas of:
  • Financial policies and procedures
  • Budget development 
  • Indirect cost negotiation 
  • Just-in-Time response 
  • QuickBooks for SBIR/STTR funding recipients 
  • Preparing for government audits.
Toolkit: BBCetc's Grants and Contract Management Toolkit includes an inventory of documents and templates typically required by federal agencies, plus two hours of consulting time to allow for customization to the client's specific needs. Toolkits are agency specific and includes such things as: DCAA-compliant chart of accounts, time sheet by project & time-keeping requirements, reimbursement expense report, grant/contract budget management spreadsheet, agency-specific registrations & processes and various policy templates. View One-on-One Flyer and Toolkit information.

Recorded Webinars: In addition to one-on-one consulting services, BBCetc makes available recorded webinars on Budgets, Indirect Rates, Audits and QuickBooks and Compliance. 

Contact BBCetc for more information: info@bbcetc.com or 734-930-9741
 
who we are
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.  BBCetc capabilities include:
  • Commercialization Planning
  • Research Grant Assistance
  • SBIR/STTR Training (Course Catalog)
  • Grants/Contracts Management 
  • Tech-Based Economic Development Programs   
734-930-9741
Copyright © 2015 
BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, LLC

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  training on tap
Onsite Training 

SBIR Overview and Proposal Prep for NIH
Oct 12-14 - St. Louis, MO
Nov 4 - Chicago, IL

Proposal Prep for NIH
Oct 14 - Plymouth, MI

Proposal Development Workshop
Oct 21-22 - Farmington, CT

Proposal Prep for DoE
Nov 11 - Detroit, MI

SBIR/STTR 101: Intro & Overview
Nov. 12 - Ann Arbor, MI

Proposal Prep for DoD
Dec 16 - Southfield, MI
Webinars
Webinars are 1-2 PM

Oct 8 - QuickBooks & Compliance for SBIR/STTR Awardees

Oct 21 - Essentials of Commercialization

Nov 12 - Formatting & Readability Tips for SBIR/STTR Proposals

Nov 19 - Forms, Budgets and Electronic Submission for NSF

Free to Michigan Companies
Contact us for the code
  solicitationssolicitations  
HHS/NIH Omnibus
Closes Jan 5

Closes Oct 8

Closes Oct.19

Closes Oct 28

Opens Nov 8; closes Dec 8
NSF STTR Ph I 16-604
Opens Nov 11; closes Dec 11 

Opens Oct 14; closes Dec 16

DoC, NOAA SBIR Ph I
Opens on or around Oct 15, closes Jan 14, 2016
The National Service Foundation (NSF) has added a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to its website. The page features 50 questions and answers under the headings of:

* How appropriate is NSF funding for a company/project
* Proposal Preparation and submission via Fastlane
* Proposal budget preparation
* Proposal review
* Phase I awards and beyond

Back to the top
  voucher pilot
The Dept. of Energy recently launched its $20M Small Business Vouchers Pilot Program which will provide small business vouchers for research, design, and product development technical assistance at one of several National Laboratories. 

As part of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE), National Laboratory Impact Initiative, the pilot aims to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to the market faster by enabling them to access expertise and specialized equipment at DOE's national labs. Coordination of SBV services in Michigan will be done jointly through the Michigan Agency for Energy and NextEnergy.