About SBIR/STTR
SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research)
STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer Research)
Notes: (a) SBIR can include a research institution such as UAH, STTR must include a research institution such as UAH; (b) SBIR requires the Principal Investigator to be primarily employed by the small business, STTR does not.
SBIR/STTR contracts are federal funding opportunities available to small businesses and research institutions (such as UAH) that are developing technology that has the potential to be commercialized. Many federal agencies offer SBIR/STTR funding. For example, DoD, DOE, DHHS, NASA, and NSF all offer both SBIRs and STTRs. Agencies that solicit only SBIR are USDA, DHS, NOAA and NIST, DOT, EPA, and Dept. of Ed.
The federal government mandates that agencies with budgets of $1B or greater provide SBIR and/or STTR contracts worth .3% of their total budgets. Due to the high concentration in Huntsville of high-tech industry companies, UAH is in a unique position to utilize SBIR/STTR contracts to partner with these small businesses that could use our research expertise and resources to develop their technologies. Either the small business or UAH researchers may initiate discussions on partnering.
Minimum amount of work to be performed
- SBIR: small business = 51%
- STTR: small business = 40%, university = 30%, remaining 30% workload distributed as needed or to other partners
Proposal Format (four volumes)
- Cover Sheet
- Technical Proposal (20 pages)
- Cost Volume
- Company Commercialization Report (usually performed by the small business)
Things to consider when searching for a small business partner include its:
- Record of commercialization
- Funding commitments from others to support your effort
- Commitments for follow-on efforts
- Indicators of commercial potential
SBIR or STTR Funding Contract
- Phase I: one year, $150k
- Phase II: two years, $1M
- Phase III: commercialization (no funding from federal agency)
Small businesses are eager to find partners, and government agencies are eager to provide funding for teams with developing technologies that can be commercialized to advance their fields. To discuss your work, or to learn of potential partners, please contact OPD at 256.824.3448 to make an appointment. For more information on SBIR/STTR, visit https://www.sbir.gov/.
