by Karen West, SBIR/STTR Consultant to MTI
On Monday, Sept. 28th, Dr. Portnoy will be leading a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Workshop being held at MTI’s office at Brunswick Landing.
MTI: Why should companies consider applying to NIH for a grant for biotech related products?
The SBIR/STTR program is the largest seed funding program in the United States for early stage research & development of new and innovative products, processes and services. It is a grant/contract program that does not require a match or payback, does not take ownership of any Intellectual Property, allows companies the right to keep their data rights and is considered non-dilutive funding that, down the road, can help attract follow-on funding for commercialization.
MTI: What happens if I can’t find a topic from one of the Institutes that matches my technology?
It really doesn’t matter if there is a topic or not. Although I will say, there are over 150 pages of topics from 24 Institutes. Companies apply under the yearly Omnibus solicitation and as long as their idea fits into the biomedical space, we encourage companies to apply.
MTI: If I have a very small business, will that hurt my chances for receiving an award?
Not at all, SBIR/STTR evaluates proposals on a number of issues. They consider the project, the company, the team and all proposals are peer reviewed. Most awards go to companies of less than 10 people. But it’s important to put together a credible team.
MTI: If I already submitted a proposal and it was declined, can I resubmit?
Yes, you can. You can choose to resubmit or submit as a new proposal one more time.
MTI: Will NIH be my customer once I go through the program?
Good question! No, NIH will not be your customer. Unlike other agencies, we provide funding for you to develop your technology so that it can be sold into the open market space.
MTI: What sort of support will NIH give my company once I go through the program?
NIH offers a full suite of commercialization assistance including for Phase I awardees a Niche Assessment Program and for Phase II awardees, the Commercialization Accelerator Program. More information can be found on the NIH SBIR/STTR website.
MTI: Thank you for your time today. Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share to encourage companies to attend the workshop?
There are 11 federal Agencies and 11 different ways to execute the program. It’s important that a company understand the Agency and the process. There are challenges to submitting a quality proposal but it can be done and we encourage companies to talk to our program managers early on and throughout the process. In addition my office is available to help direct your conversations or provide more information.
MTI: MTI offers a robust assistance program to help companies submit quality proposals and will guide companies through the process. Come to the workshop to learn more.
For more information and to register – it’s free but you need to pre-register – go to NIH SBIR Workshop