The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and its sibling, the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, are federal initiatives that provide over $2 billion in grants and contracts each year to small and start-up companies to develop new or enhanced products and services based on advanced technologies. About 40% of the SBIR Phase I awards made each year go to firms with no prior SBIR experience. SBIRs are administered by ten federal agencies for the purpose of helping to provide early-stage Research and Development funding to small technology companies (or individual entrepreneurs who form a company). Solicitations are released periodically from each of the agencies and present technical R&D topics that the agency is interested in funding. Companies are invited to compete for funding by submitting proposals answering the technical topic needs of the agency's solicitation. How to Develop a Winning Small Business Innovation Research Proposal (published by GOVPROP.com), provides 60 pages of easy-to-understand guidance and examples for each section of a typical SBIR proposal. It was written by two recognized government acquisition experts. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION STEP 1: SBIR PROCESS OVERVIEW STEP 2: WRITING BASICS STEP 3: IDENTIFICATION & SIGNIFICANCE STEP 4: TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES STEP 5: WORK PLAN STEP 6: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE STEP 7: COMMERCIALIZATION PLAN STEP 8: KEY PERSONNEL & RESUMES STEP 9: COST PROPOSALS STEP 10: PHASE III PROPOSALS SBIR PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide a wonderful opportunity for small, technology-based businesses to receive research and development grants from the Federal government while they retain all rights to the technology. However, in order to win awards in these highly competitive programs, small businesses must convince reviewers that there is an important technical problem worth solving, that there will be significant benefits if the problem is solved, that the approach to solving it is innovative, that the research team is up to the task, and that the technology has commercial potential. There is a right way and a wrong way to write these proposals. The book begins by understanding who reviews these proposals and what they are looking for. The book provides a step-by-step approach to proposal preparation, clearly showing how all proposal components fit together. It will demystify the proposal preparation process for small businesses that have been unsuccessful in the past or that have barriers to proposal writing"--P. 3.

In response to a Congressional mandate, the National Research Council conducted a review of the SBIR program at the five federal agencies with SBIR programs with budgets in excess of $100 million (DOD, NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF). The project was designed to answer questions of program operation and effectiveness, including the quality of the research projects being conducted under the SBIR program, the commercialization of the research, and the program's contribution to accomplishing agency missions. This report describes the proposed methodology for the project, identifying how the following tasks will be carried out: 1) collecting and analyzing agency databases and studies; 2) surveying firms and agencies; 3) conducting case studies organized around a common template; and 4) reviewing and analyzing survey and case study results and program accomplishments. Given the heterogeneity of goals and procedures across the five agencies involved, a broad spectrum of evaluative approaches is recommended.

AUDIENCE: High-tech professionals, small businesses, economic development centers, universities & libraries. KEYWORDS: Entrepreneurs, small business, R&D, funding resources, careers, jobs, high-technology, new product development, new business ventures, innovation, SBIR, SBA. PURPOSE: Provides detailed instructions for using the newly-expanded Federal SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program to fund the development of new high-tech products. Program encourages innovation, is easily accessible to newcomers. Up to $850,000 available per project over a three year period. STYLE: A "how-to" book. TOPICS: An overview of SBIR & STTR programs, deciding whether the SBIR program is right for you, selecting proposal topics, assembling a powerful project team, drawing on your innovative potential, formulating a winning technical proposal, preparing a cost proposal, managing your SBIR project, & obtaining additional information. CONTENTS: 245 pages, 16 chapters, 12 appendices, 34 charts & figures, & a comprehensive index. FOR INFORMATION: CALL 617-235-8800, FAX 617-235-8801, INTERNET [email protected]. TO ORDER: Please send order to SPHINX Technologies, Inc., P.O. Box 81287-B, Wellesley Hills, MA 02181. Please include $3.00 S/H for first book, $1.00 for each additional book, & 5% MA tax where appropriate.