Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I | 2019 NIST SBIR 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2019 NIST SBIR 01

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I opportunity from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), within the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a discretionary funding competition aimed at supporting early-stage R&D by eligible small businesses. Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), NIST is seeking Phase I research applications from science and technology-based small firms that can propose innovative work aligned with NIST mission needs. A key requirement is that each application clearly identifies a specific NIST technical program area and shows how the proposed research fits within one of the topic areas listed in Section 9 of the NOFO, or else directly leverages a NIST-patented technology that is available for licensing. In practical terms, proposals need to be tightly mapped to NIST priorities rather than broadly framed technology development.

This particular solicitation is limited to FY 2019 Phase I submissions only. Phase II proposals are explicitly not accepted under this NOFO. Instead, NIST typically issues a separate Phase II NOFO near the end of the Phase I performance period (about 30 days before the end of the prior year’s Phase I period of performance). That later announcement provides instructions and deadlines for Phase II submissions, and only prior-year Phase I awardees are eligible to apply for Phase II funding. The structure reflects the standard SBIR progression: Phase I funds feasibility and proof-of-concept work, and Phase II (when offered later) supports more advanced development based on successful Phase I results.

SBIR itself is a long-running federal program created to strengthen the role of innovative small business concerns in federally funded research and development. Established in 1982 and expanded in 1992, SBIR has been repeatedly reauthorized, including an extension through 2022 cited in the NOFO. Across the federal government, eleven agencies run SBIR programs by setting aside a portion of their extramural R&D budgets for small businesses. The program’s core goals are to stimulate technological innovation, help meet federal research and development needs through small business participation, broaden participation in innovation by encouraging applications from socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses and women-owned small businesses, and increase commercialization of innovations that arise from federally supported R&D. NIST’s version of the program emphasizes topics that both advance its measurement science and standards mission and, when possible, support collaboration between NIST researchers and SBIR-funded companies.

From a funding mechanics standpoint, this opportunity uses a cooperative agreement, which generally implies a level of agency involvement during the project that can be more hands-on than a standard grant (the exact nature of collaboration and federal involvement would be spelled out in the NOFO’s terms). The program is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is listed under CFDA number 11.620. The eligible applicants are small businesses. For FY 2019 Phase I, the stated award ceiling is $106,500, and NIST anticipates making about 12 awards. The NOFO was created on February 19, 2019, with an original closing date of April 19, 2019 (meaning applications had to be submitted by that deadline under the original schedule).

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted feasibility-stage R&D funding call for small businesses with strong technical and research capabilities that can address specific NIST-identified topic areas or build on licensable NIST patents. Successful applicants would be positioned to pursue a later Phase II competition if NIST releases it and if the Phase I work demonstrates enough technical merit and commercialization potential to justify a follow-on effort.

• The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $106,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for 2019 NIST SBIR 01

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