Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is a highly competitive three-phase award system which provides qualified small business concerns with opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet the specific research and research and development needs of the Federal Government.
- Phase I is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. Awards are made for periods of up to six months in amounts up to $150,000.
- Phase II is to expand on the results of and further pursue the development of Phase I. Awards are made for periods of up to two years in amounts up to $1,000,000. You must have participated in a Phase I award to be considered for a Phase II.
- Phase III is for the commercialization of the results of Phase II and requires the use of private sector or non-SBIR Federal funding.
For continuously updated information concerning the STTR programs, you should visit the Small Business Administration SBIR website.
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program
STTR is a highly competitive three-phase program that reserves a specific percentage of Federal research and development funding for award to small businesses in partnership with nonprofit research institutions to move ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace, to foster high-tech economic development and to address the technological needs of the Federal Government.
- Phase I is the startup phase for the exploration of the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of an idea or technology. Awards are for periods of up to one year in amounts up to $150,000.
- Phase II is to expand Phase I results. During this period the R&D work is performed and the developer begins to consider commercialization potential. Awards are for periods of up to two years in amounts up to $1,000,000.
- Phase III is the period during which Phase II innovation moves from the laboratory into the marketplace. There is no STTR funding in this phase.
HHS SBIR and STTR programs operate at each of the 24 participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a robust SBIR and STTR program, offering support conferences, technical assistance, and opportunities for participating businesses to engage and connect.
For continuously updated information concerning the SBIR and STTR programs, you should visit the Small Business Administration SBIR website.
