It has been a pleasure

I hope that all is well as you prepare for the holidays. Regrettably, for those who don’t already know, I wanted to inform you that I have resigned from the SBDC effective as of the end of the year. Today, will sadly be my last day with the SBDC. I have accepted a position that will not involve the SBIR program. Therefore, this will officially be my last post on the SBIR Pittsburgh Blog. It has been a pleasure and I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thanks.

DOD Pre-releases 2010.1 Topics

The DoD SBIR 2010.1 solicitation was pre-released at http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation on November 12, 2009. The Air Force, Army, Navy, DARPA, CBD, DTRA, and SOCOM invite small businesses to submit proposals under this solicitation. During the pre-release period, which ends on December 9, you may contact the topic authors directly (contact information is listed with the topic) to ask technical questions about specific solicitation topics. The DoD will begin accepting proposals on December 10, 2009 and will close to proposals on January 13, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. ET.

Department of Homeland Security releases SBIR pre-solicitation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate invites small business concerns to submit proposals under this Solicitation for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Small business concerns with the capability to conduct research or research and development (R/R&D) in any of the homeland security-related topic areas described below, and to commercialize the results of that R/R&D are encouraged to participate.

DHS S&T DIRECTORATE TOPICS -- DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

H-SB010.1-001 Rechargeable, High Efficient, High Capacity Energy Storage
H-SB010.1-002 Rare Variant Detection Using Next Generation Sequencing Technology
H-SB010.1-003 Precision Information Environments
H-SB010.1-004 Molecular Recognition for Explosives Detection
H-SB010.1-005 Synthetic Biometrics
H-SB010.1-006 GPS Resolution in Denied Location (GRIDLOC)

Important dates:

· November 2, 2009: Pre-release issued
· November 18, 2009: Full Solicitation issued
· November 18, 2009 through January 4, 2010: Phase I Proposals Submitted and Accepted
· January 4, 2010: Deadline for Submission of Phase I Proposals is 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Point of Contact - Susan D. Eicher, Contracting Officer (susan.eicher@dhs.gov)

Link to the Fed Biz Opps announcement:
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=cbe7d797ee20b1fc244ab65f18110dc4&tab=core&_cview=0

Link to the full solicitation:
https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=9d0288df76bd3fb184b969058080cc3d

TEN AGENCY SBIR/STTR PROGRAMS EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2010

(From the SBIR Insider) The SBIR/STTR programs will be extended through January 31, 2010, except for the DoD which was addressed separately by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, and will run through September 30, 2010. This is another temporary reauthorization while the Senate and House negotiate their differences in opinion regarding the final reauthorization. More info on the reauthorization can be found at http://www.zyn.com/sbir/insider/sb-insider10-29-09.htm#two.

Senate Passes Bill To Extend SBIR/STTR For 6 Months

(From the SBIR Insider) On October 26, 2009, the Senate passed S. 1929 that extends SBIR/STTR for all agencies (except DoD) as well as other small business programs for 6 months, expiring on April 30, 2010. This bill does not effect the earlier DoD SBIR/STTR 1 year extension passed by Congress as part of the DoD 2010 Authorization expected to be signed by the President on Wednesday. The bill will now be sent to the House to be evaluated by the House Small Biz Committee. For more info on the reauthorization:

http://www.zyn.com/sbir/insider/sb-insider10-26-09.htm

NIST Pre-releases 2010 SBIR topics

The Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has pre-released its list of 2010 SBIR Topics. Full Solicitation will be released on November 2nd, but a list of intended topics is available now at the following link:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=49ea28d16207d996adbb58345f7b85cd&tab=core&_cview=0

Proposals will be due on January 22nd and Phase I Awards will have a maximum value of $90,000.

Find more info about NIST's SBIR at:http://tsapps.nist.gov/ts_sbir/.

The 2009 Mid-Atlantic SBIR/STTR Conference Will Be Close to Home in Morgantown WV from November 30th through December 2nd

The 2009 Mid-Atlantic SBIR/STTR Conference will bring together federal agencies, entrepreneurs, small companies, large companies, researchers, colleges and universities, venture capitalists and angel investors, federal laboratory and university representatives, as well as experts who provide assistance to or have an interest in doing business with ventures at various maturity levels. The Conference will feature presentations from Federal agencies, as well as valuable presentations from the SBIR/STTR arena.

Federal Agencies presenting include:
National Science Foundation
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
DARPA
NASA

Additional Presentations include:
DoD TechMatch: Helping Industry Find DoD R&D Opportunities
Opportunities in Energy Research
Collaboration and Partnership Opportunities
SBIR Reauthorization Update
SBIR Waste, Fraud and Abuse: Dangers to your Small Business
Intellectual Property and Patent Issues

Special Guest Speakers and Presenters:
Mark Skinner, Vice President: State Science and Technology Institute
Rick Shindell, President, Zyn Systems; SBIR Insider; SBIR Gateway
Marlene Owens, Technology Transfer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Susan Zelicoff, The Department of Defense National Center of Excellence for First Responder Technology Transfer
Dr. James P. Clements, President, West Virginia University
John Davis, SBIR Resource Center
Paul Gottloieb, Assistant General Counsel for Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property, U.S. Department of Energy

Pre- and Post-Conference Workshops:
Phase I Proposal Writing: Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.
Web Resources for Better SBIRs: Jocelyn Sheppard, Red House Consulting
SBIR Competitive ChecklistSM Seminar: John Davis, SBIR Resource Center

Go the event website at http://www.midatlanticsbir.com for more info.

Department of Transportation Releases SBIR Solicitation

The Department of Transportation released its FY10 SBIR Program Solicitation. Proposals will be due by November 16th with a maximum limit of $100,000. More info on the solicitation can be found at:

http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/sol10/docs/dtrt57-10-r-sbir.pdf

The DOT is interested in the following topics for this round of funding:

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION 1 AWARD
10.1-FA1 NextGen Human Factors Transition Tool

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION 3 AWARDS
10.1-FH1 Transportation System Performance Measurement
Using Existing Loop Infrastructure
10.1-FH2 Expert System Traffic Signal Analysis Tool
10.1 FH3 Simulating Signal Phase and Timing with an Intersection
Collision Avoidance Traffic Model

FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION 6 AWARDS
10.1-FR1 Flangeway Gap Material or Device
10.1 FR2 Low Cost Detection of Vehicle or Person in Grade Crossing
10.1 FR3 Constant Warning Time Grade Crossing Activation System
10.1 FR4 Advanced Rail Yard Inspection Vehicle
10.1 FR5 Improvements to Continuous Welded Rail (CWR)
using Innovative Field Welding Techniques
10.1 FR6 Non-Contact Track Gage Measurement Device

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION 3 AWARDS
10.1 FT1 Safer, Greener, User-Friendly Bus and Rail Transit

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 2 AWARDS
10.1 NH1 Driver Behavior and Crash Avoidance Monitoring System for Vehicles
10.1 NH2 Radio Frequency Identification Licensing System for Motor Vehicles

PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 1 AWARD
10.1-PH1 In-service Testing of Composite Cylinders

Senate Temporarily Extends the SBIR & STTR Programs

The United States Senate on September 29, 2009 passed legislation to temporarily extend programs that fall under the Small Business Administration (SBA). The amended bill, H.R. 3614, provides for a clean extension of all SBA programs through October 31, 2009.

Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today issued the following statement on the passing of the extension: "While the goal remains to send to the President comprehensive reauthorization legislation for all of the SBA's programs, including for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that the Senate passed in July, this temporary extension ensures that in the short-term these programs will continue to create jobs and provide resources to entrepreneurs across the country. With the need to reauthorize SBA's contracting programs, counseling programs, capital programs, and the SBIR and STTR programs, I would have preferred a longer, more realistic extension to provide more stability for small businesses. However, in the interest of swift passage, the Senate agreed to the House's request for a one-month extension."

Click here for the full article.

CONNECT with SBIR/STTR Program Managers

Meet SBIR/STTR Program Managers from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health
Monday October 19, 2009
8-11:30am
Newell Simon Hall 1507
Carnegie Mellon University

“CONNECT with SBIR/STTR Program Managers” is an opportunity to learn from program managers at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) what they look for in an application, proposal dos and don’ts, and tips to improve your chances of success to receive an award. Two regional companies that have received SBIR grant funding from the NSF and NIH will share their insights and perspectives.

Potential applicants will also have an opportunity to meet privately one-on-one with the NSF and NIH program managers by appointment following the presentations.

“CONNECT with SBIR/STTR Program Managers” is sponsored by: Carnegie Mellon University’s Project Olympus, Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation, and the Don Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Enterprise Development, Office of Technology Management, and Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

Please go to the following link for more info and registration: http://olympus.cs.cmu.edu/events/sbir.pdf

2010 DOE Phase I Funding Opportunity Announcement

The Department of Energy is accepting Phase I grant applications from qualified small businesses for the FY 2010 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. Small businesses with strong research capabilities in science or engineering in any of the research areas sought in the announcement are encouraged to apply. The FY 2010 SBIR/STTR Phase I Funding Notice is available at www.grants.gov , click on Apply for Grants, then click on Download a Grant Application Package and enter the Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0000161. The deadline for receipt of Phase I grant applications to either program is November 20, 2009, 8:00 p.m. EST. All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. The Funding Notice and Technical Topic Descriptions are also available under Phase I Funding Opportunities at www.science.doe.gov/sbir. Download the application instructions or the technical topic descriptions pdf files. Applications will only be accepted electronically through Grants.gov.
Successful applicants (approximately 300 for SBIR and 30 for STTR) may receive up to $100,000 for a Phase I grant for a period of about nine months to develop the feasibility of the idea.

House Passes a Bill to Extend the SBIR & STTR Programs until October 31, 2009

The House overwhelmingly (417 to 2) passed a bill, H.R. 3614 on 9/23/09 that extends the SBIR, STTR, the Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP) and many other SBA programs through October 31, 2009. Click here for more info.

NSF Announces 2010 SBIR Solicitation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the release of its 2010 SBIR Phase I solicitation. $45,000,000 will be available for 200-300 awards. These competitive research awards will be capped at $150,000 per award. Companies must outline how they will utilize these funds to conduct a 6-month feasibility study. Companies must prepare proposals that will address subtopics found under each of these main Topics:

Biotechnology and Chemical Technologies
Education Applications
Information and Communication Technologies
Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials, and Manufacturing

Successful proposers will conduct R&D on projects that provide evidence of a commercially viable product, process, device, or system AND/OR meet an important social or economic need. All projects should have High potential commercial payback and High-risk efforts.
For more details and proposal preparation instructions, refer to the NSF solicitation.

Proposals will not be accepted until November 3rd and all proposals will be due before 5:00 PM on Thursday, December 3rd.

University of Pittsburgh SBDC to hold SBIR/STTR The Basics Seminar on October 14th

Join the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center for a special funding workshop and learn the nuts and bolts of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Show me the money!
SBIR/STTR: The Basics

Wednesday, October 14
7:30 – 9:30 AM
104 Mervis Hall • University of Pittsburgh, Oakland

The program will cover:

• Strategies to make your technology appealing to funders.
• Pre-qualification issues for potential participants.
• Steps for applying for federal SBIR research.
• Proposal writing tips to make your innovation stand out.
• Trends in innovation.
• Overview of participating agencies.

The funding you need is waiting for you – now learn how to get it! Space is limited and reservations are required. Register today by calling 412.648.1542 or emailing ieeregistration@katz.pitt.edu. To learn more, visit:

http://www.pittentrepreneur.com/sbdc/sbir_sttr.php

University of Pittsburgh Seeking SBIR and STTR Industry Partners

Faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering have recently expressed possible interest in a number of topics for Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) for early stage research and development projects. The University is currently seeking industry partners to develop proposals for submission. If you are planning on submitting a proposal, or if you have an interest in partnering opportunities, please contact:

Paul J. PetrovichAsssistant Director, Technology Commercialization
Office of Enterprise Development,
University of Pittsburgh
office 412.624.3138

For a complete listing of interested topics to the University, please click through to the full announcement.

Army SBIR
A09-127 TITLE: FPGA Low Power Design Rules ITAR
A09-156 TITLE: Development of a Multiplex Hand-held, Field-deployable Assay for the Detection of Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV), Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV), and Rickettsia in Ticks
A09-157 TITLE: Portable Device for Noninvasive Quantization of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (M-TBI)
A09-173 TITLE: Smart Sensor Network for Platform Structural Health Monitoring
A09-175 TITLE: Development of Silicon Based Lithium-ion Battery Technology
A09-178 TITLE: Development of High Power Lithium-ion Batteries
A09-179 TITLE: Phasing Multiple High Power Impulse RF Sources ITAR
A09-180 TITLE: High Performance Power Generation for High Altitude Platforms

AIR FORCE SBIR
AF093-065 TITLE: Advanced Li-ion Battery Cathode ITAR
AF093-072 TITLE: Lithium Ion Battery and Ultracapacitors Hybrid for Satellite Power ITAR
AF093-079 TITLE: High Temperature Heat Pipes and Passive Two-Phase Cooling Systems
AF093-124 TITLE: Passive, Wireless Sensors for Turbine Engine Airfoils
AF093-184 TITLE: Energy Harvesting for Efficient Power Generation
AF093-191 TITLE: Non-Intrusive Direct Part Marking

NAVY SBIR
N093-172 TITLE: Compact Energy Harvesting Power Supporting an “A” size Sensor
N093-173 TITLE: Dielectric Resonator Antenna
N093-189 TITLE: Smart Power Load-Leveling Control for Energy Efficient, Advanced Distribution Systems
N093-190 TITLE: Opportunistic Energy Harvesting ITAR
N093-195 TITLE: Long Life Energy Storage Systems for Shipboard Sensor Applications ITAR N093-197 TITLE: Improved Safety in Large Format Lithium-Ion Cells and Batteries
N093-199 TITLE: Increased Submarine RF Capacity for Sensors and Surveillance ITAR
N093-221 TITLE: Highly Efficient Transmitter for High Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) Waveforms

DARPA SBIR
SB093-014 TITLE: Energy Collection and Storage Systems for Re-Entry Modules
MDA SBIR
MDA09-008 TITLE: Radiation Hardening Manufacturing Technology ITAR

AIR FORCE STTR
AF09-BT01 TITLE: Efficient Band-4 Energy Generation and Distribution
AF09-BT08 TITLE: Inducing Failures in to a Voltage Controlled Oscillator
AF09-BT14 TITLE: Advanced Nonlinear Transmission Lines as High Power Microwave Sources
AF09-BT15 TITLE: Network Information Flow Analysis
AF09-BT16 TITLE: Fusion of a Real-time Analytical Model with Facility Control Systems
AF09-BT19 TITLE: Extreme Wear-Resistant Materials
MDA STTR
MDA09-T001 TITLE: Producibility of Gallium Nitride Semiconductor Materials
MDA09-T004 TITLE: Low Cost, High Performance Transmit/Receive Integrated Circuits on a single Chip ITAR
MDA09-T006 TITLE: Development for Radiation Hardened Applications of Advanced Electronics Materials, Processes, and Devices ITAR

National Science Foundation Releases Multi-Functional Materials STTR Solicitation

NSF STTR Phase I proposals may be submitted for funding up to $150,000. STTR Phase I projects are for 12 months. The program expects to make approximately 35 fixed amount awards. Anticipated funding amount is approximately $5,000,000 (subject to the availability of funds and the quality of proposals). The Proposal Deadline is November 17, 2009. (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time), however, it is asked that you do not submit proposals prior to October 17, 2009.

This STTR solicitation has only one topic; "Multi-Functional Materials (MM)" . A firm MUST identify the appropriate subtopic on the cover page. The subtopics for this solicitation are:
A. Bio-inspired Materials and Systems (BMS)
B. Materials for Energy Generation and Storage (ME)
C. Materials for Sustainability (MS)
D. Nanostructured Materials (NM)
E. Smart Materials and Structures (SMS)

For more info on this solicitation go to http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09605/nsf09605.htm?govDel=USNSF_25

DOE Small Business Research Programs Funding Opportunity Announcement Emphasizes Investment in Clean Energy Technologies and U.S. Jobs

The Department of Energy is accepting Phase I grant applications from qualified small businesses with strong research capabilities in science or engineering in any of the following research areas:

1) advanced building air conditioning and refrigeration, thermal load shifting, and cool roofs;
2) water usage in electric power production and industrial processes ;
3) power plant cooling;
4) advanced gas turbines and materials;
5) sensors, controls, and wireless networks;
6) advanced water power technology development;
7) smart controllers for smart grid applications;
8) advanced solar technologies;
9) advanced industrial technologies development; and
10) advanced manufacturing processes.

Successful applicants (approximately 60) may receive up to $150,000 for a Phase I grant for a period of six months to demonstrate the feasibility of the idea.The Funding Notice is available at http://www.grants.gov/ , click on Apply for Grants, then click on Download a Grant Application Package and enter the Funding Opportunity Number: DE-PS02-09ER09-27. The deadline for receipt of Phase I grant applications to either program is September 4, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. EST. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. The Funding Notice and Technical Topic Descriptions are also available under Phase I Funding Opportunities.

DOD Releases SBIR & STTR Solicitations

The Department of Defense released two solicitations for its sub-agencies: one is an SBIR solicitation and one is an STTR solicitation. SBIR proposals will be ONLY accepted from the 2009.3 solicitation topics and STTR proposals will ONLY be accepted from the 2009.B solicitation topics. For more information and proposal preparation details, please go to: http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/


The DOD will begin accepting proposals on August 24th and will close at 6:00 AM on September 23rd. Prior to August 24th you may (and are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED) to contact the matching Topic Manager for the topic that fits your technical expertise to ask additional technical questions not outlined in the topic itself. To search specifically for DOD topics, visit http://www.dodsbir.net/Topics/Default.asp.

THE 2009 NATIONAL SBIR BEYOND PHASE II CONFERENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

This Advanced SBIR Conference will take place September 21 - 24, at the Marriott World Center Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Fl. This popular event is hosted by the Department of Defense with participation of other government SBIR agencies. A primary goal is to provide a forum to transition SBIR Phase II technology to government and private sector markets. Many of the DoD Prime contractors attend seeking the innovation they need in their supply chain. Get all the details at https://www.beyondphaseii.com.

SBIR SAVED FROM LAPSING BY AN 11TH HOUR CONTINUING RESOLUTION

According to the SBIR Insider, The House just passed the Senate's Continuing Resolution (CR), S.1513 that keeps the SBIR program, as well as a few other SBA programs running (as is) through September 30, 2009. Although significant progress has been made, there's still a good deal of work to be done and it was simply not possible to reconcile their views before the deadline. Look out for more information as it comes out.

Missile Defense Agency’s Announces its 5th Annual Industry Day

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will hold their 5th Annual Industry Day from August 11-12 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, California. A primary goal of the event is to provide key information for the small business community that will enhance their ability to submit stronger, more focused Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)proposals. Representatives from small and large businesses in the high technology Research and Development sector are expected to attend the conference. Registration information is available at www.ndia.org/meetings/9160.

DOD STTR Program Releases Presoliciation

The Department of Defense STTR solicitation 2009.B will be publicly released on the DoD SBIR/STTR Web Site (http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir) on Jul 27, 2009. The 2009.B STTR Solicitation will open for receipt of proposals on Aug 24, 2009 and will close at 6:00 AM EASTERN TIME, Sep 23, 2009. Five DoD components will participate in the STTR 2009.B solicitation - the Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD). The complete solicitation may be accessed at http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation.

Senate Passes Their Version of the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization

Monday afternoon, July 13, 2009 the Senate put the finishing touches on their SBIR reauthorization bill, S.1233 and passed it via unanimous consent.The Senate bill, which differs from the House version, provides for an increase to the SBIR program allocation, raising it to 3.5 percent, spread out over 11 years. The SBIR allocation increase includes all agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. The bill also increases the STTR program allocation from 0.3 percent to 0.6 percent over six years. Additionally, the Senate bill would amend eligibility requirements to allow businesses owned and controlled by multiple venture capital firms to compete for a percentage of SBIR projects. To improve the diversity of the programs, the measure also reauthorizes the Federal and State Technology program and Rural Outreach Program.

The next step will be a conference of House and Senate "conferees" that will attempt to hammer the two bills into one cohesive bill (lots of work and compromising to be done). Then, if they come to agreement, the final bill gets sent to the President for his signature. If the two bodies cannot agree, we could be looking at another continuing resolution.

Learn more here.

Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse Announces the Third SBIR Advance Session of 2009

Mark your calendars for the third SBIR Advance session in 2009!

There have been and will be a number of changes with regards to NIH SBIR and STTR, some of which are:

- NIH Enhanced Peer Review Process
- Changes to SBIR/STTR Proposal Formats
- Status of SBIR/STTR Reauthorization

If you are pondering a (re-)submission to the NIH, this might be a good time to attend.The session will take place on August 25 and 26, 2009 and will target companies submitting applications for the December 5th NIH deadline or to other agencies in December 2009.
Since the program inception, almost $18M has been received by the PLSG SBIR Advance participants. This accounts for close to 70% of the NIH Life Sciences SBIR dollars coming to SWPA. We hope you’ll be joining these winning companies.

The deadline for applications is July 24, 2009!

To sign up contact:

Uwe Winzen, Ph.D.Director, Investment Programs
Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
(P) (412) 770-1647
(F) (412) 770-1276
Email: uwinzen@plsg.com

House Passess HR 2965 "The Enhancing Small Business Research & Innovation Act of 2009"

The U.S. House of Representatives on July 8 overwhelmingly approved legislation, HR 2965, entitled "The Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009," to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program through 2011. The bill significantly boosts the dollar value of SBIR awards but decreases their number because the overall level of available grants funds was not increased. The bill would also remove a 2003 rule barring venture capital backed firms from receiving SBIR awards. There are eligibility restrictions in the House bill. For example, the House bill prevents SBIR funding to companies that: have more than 500 employees; are majority owned by just one venture firm; or have the majority of board seats held by one venture firm.

The bill would increase the amount of Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research grants for early stage innovation to $250,000 and push SBIR Phase 2 grants to $2 million (Phase 1 grants are now $100,000; Phase 2 grants are $750,000). The House bill must now be reconciled with a Senate committee version, S.1233, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009, that limits how much of the SBIR awards can go to venture capital backed firms (18 percent of National Institutes of Health grants and 8 percent of grants from the 10 other federal agencies that make SBIR awards.) The Senate version would also increase awards to $150,000 for Phase 1 grants and $1 million for Phase 2 grants, and cap at 50 percent how far above the recommended amounts the grants can go, as well as increase the overall SBIR appropriation.

NASA Releases 2009 Solicitations

On July 7th, NASA released their 2009 SBIR and STTR Solicitations. Proposals must be submitted no later then 5 pm on September 3, 2009. Thier interests very widely, so be sure to check out the solicitation topics here. Also, see how we may be able to assist you with the development of your proposal at no cost at our website:
http://www.pittentrepreneur.com/sbdc/sbir_sttr.php.

Connecticut to host 2010 small business innovation research conference

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the 2010 National Small Business Innovation Research Conference will be held in Connecticut, the second time in three years that the national conference on encouraging technology transfer and boosting start-up technology firms will be held in Connecticut's capital city. Connecticut was chosen to host the national conference April 21-23, 2010, largely because of the success of the 2008 event held last November at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. For more info check out this article.

The remaining national 2009 events include:

2009 SBIR Beyond Phase II: Conference & Expo - Orlando Florida, September 21st - 25th

National SBIR Fall 2009 Conference - Reno Nevada, November 2nd - 5th

If you are serious about your SBIR strategy then I highly recommend attending a national conference. They provide the opportunity to meet program managers face to face, learn best practices, network with other successful SBIR recipients, get to know large companies interested in partnering with SBIR winners and learn about the best assistance providers.

PA SBIR Performance

Based on data collected by the State Science & Technology Institute Pennsylvania ranked 8th last year in the US in SBIR Phase I awards. Below, is a breif breakdown of the data:

• Awards - 129
• Proposals - 721
• Winning % - 17.89%

Performance stats for the State for the the 2 years previous are below:

• 2007: Awards - 141, Proposals - 729, Winning % - 19.34%
• 2006: Awards - 133, Proposals - 874, Winning % - 15.22%

In 2008, as a state we were most active in the following agencies:

• DOD: Awards - 67, Proposals - 435, Winning % - 15.4%
• NIH: Awards - 33, Proposals - 114, Winning % - 28.9%
• NSF: Awards - 11, Proposals - 48, Winning % - 22.9%
• NASA: Awards - 10, Proposals - 58, Winning % - 17.2%

See more data here

Stay tuned for a more detailed breakdown of the Pittsburgh region in the next couple of weeks.

NIH's Administration for Children and Families Releases Presolicitation

The NIH's Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Program Support Center (PSC), Division of Acquisition Management (DAM), has issued a presolicitation for their 09-233-SOL-00102 SBIR solicitation scheduled for release on or about July 7, 2009 with an estimated closing date of August 7, 2009.

This should not be confused with the larger NIH SBIR solicitations, as this one is from a small entity within NIH and is contracts based rather than grants, so submittals will not be via grants.gov. The proposed topics are:

Disaster Case Management Information System (OHSEPR-01-09)
ACF Green Business Initiative (OCS-01-09)
ACF Green Business Initiative (OCS-01-09)

The solicitation will be available on the FBO web site at www.fbo.gov/index?&s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1a37c0f687d55059dd41d3021832fa27&tab=core&tabmode=list

Pittsburgh Firm RE2, Inc. Wins Another SBIR Phase I Award

A Pittsburgh Firm RE2, Inc. was recently awarded an Army Phase I SBIR Grant to Research Robotic Door Opening Technology - http://www.resquared.com/. They are an excellent example of how local technology companies can leverage the SBIR program to achieve tremendous growth and success.

NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitations to be released on July 7th

NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitations will be released on July 7th, and will have a deadline of September 3rd. Find more info at: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=31618

Learn more about how we can help you develop a successful proposal at: http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epittentrepreneur%2Ecom%2Fsbdc%2Fsbir_sttr%2Ephp&urlhash=ZeHd&_t=disc_detail_link

USDA SBIR Soliciation Topics Currently Open

The US Department of Agriculture is currently seeking SBIR proposals in the following topic areas. The deadline for proposals is September 3rd. Learn more at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir_topics.html
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) SBIR Topics

* 8.1 Forests and Related Resources
* 8.2 Plant Production and Protection - Biology
* 8.3 Animal Production and Protection
* 8.4 Soil and Water Resources
* 8.5 Food Science and Nutrition
* 8.6 Rural Development
* 8.7 Aquaculture
* 8.8 Biofuels and Biobased Products
* 8.9 Marketing and Trade
* 8.11 Animal Manure Management
* 8.12 Small Mid Size Farms
* 8.13 Plant Production and Protection - Engineering

House Committee Passes Their Version of the new SBIR Re-authorization

The House Small Business Committee just passed a version of the SBIR authorization that would put NO caps on VC owned company participation in the SBIR program. Now, both the Senate and House have to have floor votes on their own respective bills. Assuming they both pass, it will set the stage for the negotiation of the final bill to be sent to the President. The House bill would also increase Phase I's to $250k, and Phase II's to $2 million, as well as create a $27.5 million Phase III pot to further catalyze commercialization. However, they did not include any funding allocation increases to the program, which would mean significantly less grants available to innovative small businesses. Check out the following article for more info:

http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/06/25/two-bills-to-redo-sbir-program-clash-on-vc-inclusion/