1. Determining the appropriate SBIR agency
When considering SBIR funding as part of the corporate strategy to fund research, keep in mind that several agencies fund like topics. For example, if a small research firm is seeking funding for bio-medical research may only consider the National Institute of Health, but in fact NASA, Army, Air Force, NSF, NIST, and DARPA have all had numerous solicitations on a wide variety of bio-medical topics. It pays to search more than one agency when choosing a solicitation.

2. Read and re-read the solicitation carefully
Once you have found a solicitation and decided to submit a proposal, read and re-read the solicitation to ensure you fully understand all the requirements. One of the major reasons companies are not successful in winning the SBIR is they fail to answer all the questions. The information they submit often times does not directly relate to the information that has been requested in the solicitation. It will pay dividends spending extra time re-reading the solicitation so you are sure what the agency is asking fore before you begin writing your proposal. Ensure you are providing information that is relevant to the topic, and avoid going off on tangents that do not directly apply to the topic. It is best to have a impartial third party read your proposal for accuracy. Remember, grammar and spelling count!

3. Be clear in your proposal when describing the following items:
a. The technology to be developed
It is crucial that you distinguish the technology in your proposal from technology that has already been developed. To be successful in distinguishing your technology, be specific about what makes it unique or innovative. This is not to say that you cannot capitalize on existing technology, but in doing so you again, must be specific about how your use of that technology makes it unique or innovative. The agency reviewers include subject matter experts in your field, so they will have fundamental understanding of your industry.

b. The project team
The Principal Investigator (PI) must be technically credible. This does not mean they have to be a PhD in the field of research but they must demonstrate a technical competence that will withstand close scrutiny. Certainly, adding a PhD with experience in the field of research will strengthen the proposal. If you do not know of a PhD with research capability in your field of research consider seeking technical support through university resources. Most large federally funded research institutions can have technology transfer office that can be very helpful or contact a federal laboratory for guidance. The federal laboratories can be found by visiting www.federallabs.org. Often, a need for greater technical support is evident when a proposal lacks sufficient detail to adequately address item a (above). Conversely, a project team light on commercial experience raises doubts about the likelihood of the product ever reaching its intended market.

c. The potential product to be developed
While this may seem like an obvious point, proposals often lack a clear picture of the resulting end product of the project. Your proposed work needs to lead to something concrete.

d. The end users
Often a "pure technologist" will be convinced that everyone will desire the technology as much as he/she does. However, don't make such assumptions. The proposal must clearly and concisely demonstrate who can benefit from your technology; identify one or more categories of users with a significant problem for which this product potentially offers a reasonable solution. Keep in mind that it is not always the case that the end user pays directly for the use of the potential product. Often, a producer or service provider sells their output to a third party who further packages it or adds additional value and sells the combined offering.

e. The competitive landscape
How are your potential users’ needs currently being met? What are their available alternatives from other sources, and what is known to be in the works?

4. Know that your intellectual property is protected
Most SBIR contracts contain an intellectual property and patent rights allocation clause. This clause specifies that you retain the rights in the research and inventions developed under the SBIR grant or contract. Normally you can retain title to patents granted for inventions that developed while performing work under the SBIR grant or contract. Although you retain rights to the intellectual property or patent, you must grant a nontransferable license to practice the IP or invention to the federal government. The government may practice the invention on its own behalf or authorize others to practice it for the benefit of the federal government.

Omitting essential elements when describing your plans for the sake of protecting your intellectual property not only wastes this opportunity, but also casts doubt as to whether your project offers genuine technical innovation. The federal review of SBIR grant proposals are performed by reviewers bound by confidentiality agreements with the various funding agencies. If you are uncomfortable disclosing enough information to permit an objective assessment of your technology development plans, federal funding may not be an appropriate option for you.

To learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs go to www.sba.gov/sbir. Included in the helpful information on this site you will find a link to a comprehensive SBIR Handbook for Proposal Preparation. Besides providing general guidance in preparing a proposal, this website also provides more insight into the workings of the programs.