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SBIR 2004 Year in Review - (12/30/04)
Milton D. Stewart - In Memoriam - (12/30/04)
HSARPA Pre-Releases SBIR FY05.1 - (12/21/04)
Update: New Major SBIR Rule Changes More to Come - (12/15/04)
Update on HSARPA SBIR Release - (11/30/04)
VC & Biotech Lobbyists Push for SBIR Eligibility Rule Change - (11/15/04)
NIST Releases FY2005 SBIR Solicitation - (11/05/04)
DoD Releases FY05.1 SBIR Solicitation - (11/01/04)
DOC NIST Releases SBIR Presolicitation Announcement - (10/22/04)
DOC NOAA Opens FY-05 SBIR - (10/20/04)
SBA Announces FAST/ROP Winners - (10/05/04)
NOAA SBIR Presolicitation Announcement - (10/05/04)
NIH PA Encourages Mfg-Related Topics - (10/05/04)
DOE Opens FY2005 SBIR/STTR - (9/28/04)
Congress May Change SBIR Law Without Hearings or Public Comments - (9/20/04)
DoD Opens FY2004.4 SBIR - Changes to MDA Solicitation - (9/16/04)
NIH 2005 Contracts SBIR Adds 6 Topics - (8/31/04)
DOE Announces SBIR/STTR Dates - (8/24/04)
NIH 2005 Contracts SBIR Modification - (8/19/04)
DoD Releases FY2004.4 SBIR Solicitation - (8/2/04)
NIH SBIR Opens SBIR "Contracts" Solicitation - (8/2/04)
NSF Releases FY-05 SBIR/STTR Solicitation - (7/26/04)
NASA 2004 SBIR/STTR Opens - (7/7/04)
DoD FY2004.3 SBIR Opens - (7/2/04)
HHS/ACF SBIR Opens - (7/02/04)
USDA Releases SBIR Offering - (7/1/04)
Forum on NRC's Review of SBIR - (6/29/04)
HHS/ACF SBIR Presolicitation Notice - (6/17/04)
USDA Delays SBIR Offering - (6/11/04)
NASA Issues SBIR/STTR Presolicitation Notice - (6/08/04)
Army Adds Topic to 04.3 SBIR - (5/24/04)
DHS HSARPA SBIR FY04.2 Released - (5/13/04)
DoD Releases 2004.3 SBIR Solicitation - (5/03/04)
3 Navy Topics Added to DoD SBIR - (4/22/04)
Dept. of Education (OSERS) Opens SBIR Grants Solicitation - (04/06/04)
SBA Releases ROP Program Announcement - (4/05/04)
EPA Opens 4 SBIR Solicitations - (3/25/04)
Important NIH Submission Tips - (3/11/04)
SBA Releases FAST Program Announcement - (3/11/04)
DoD adds Fourth SBIR Solicitation for FY 2004 - (3/02/04)
NSF Releases FY2004 SBIR/STTR Solicitation - (3/01/04)
DoD Releases 2004.2 SBIR Solicitation - (3/01/04)
SBA Questioned on FAST and ROP - (2/26/04)
President Issues Executive Order Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing - (02/24/04)
Compatibility Problems with PDF Forms - (2/19/04)
DOT Releases 2004 SBIR Solicitation - (2/17/04)
SBA Reassigns Maurice Swinton - Action Will Impact SBIR - (2/09/04)
NIH, CDC, and FDA Omnibus Solicitation for SBIR/STTR Grants Open - (01/09/04)
NIST Issues Solicitation Amendment - (1/09/04)
DoD Releases STTR FY04 Solicitation
New Business & Technology Insider Internet Radio Program

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RETURN TO SBIR GATEWAY

HSARPA Issues SBIR FY-05.1 Pre-Release (12/21/04) - HSARPA has issued their FY-05.1 SBIR Pre-Release. The solicitation will officially open and start accepting proposals on January 20, 2005 and close on February 22, 2005 at 4:00pm EST. The term Pre-Release has different connotations depending on the agency, but in the case of HSARPA the pre-release is very much like that of the DoD. Starting with this FY-05 offering, HSARPA, like the DoD, will allow the small business to directly contact the SBIR topic's technical point of contact during the pre-release stage only. On or after January 20 direct contact is no longer permitted but the small business can submit written questions to [email protected] . The questions will be answered and posted electronically for general viewing to the HSARPA website, www.hsarpasbir.com.

This HSARPA solicitation has 6 technical topics. They are:

  1. ADVANCED SAMPLE PROCESSING OF LIQUID, OR SOLID OR AEROSOL SAMPLES, OR A COMBINATION OF TWO OR THREE TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Biological Sensors, Biological Defense Countermeasures

  2. IMPROVED SPECTROSCOPIC GAMMA RAY DETECTORS TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Radiological

  3. IMPROVED HIGH PURITY GERMANIUM COOLING MECHANISMS TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Radiological

  4. LOW COST UNDERWATER THREAT DETECTION SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Critical Infrastructure Protection, Borders and Transportation Security, Maritime

  5. INNOVATIVE LESS-LETHAL DEVICES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY AREAS: State and Local

  6. SECURE CARTON SYSTEM - (updated topic)

  7. SMART CONTAINER / SMART CARTON SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Border Watch, Container Security, Borders and Transportation Security

The topics are included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine. Visit the HSARPA SBIR web site at www.hsarpasbir.com for complete information on the HSARPA FY-05.1 SBIR solicitation.



SBA Issues New Size Regulations / More to Come / Wants Public Comments (12/15/04) - The SBA has issued a new Final Ruling concerning small business size regulations that determine small business eligibility for participation in the SBIR program. The new regulations are now included in 13 CFR Part 121 and were published December 3, 2004 in the federal register.

In brief this new rule makes changes to 13 CFR � 121.702 which now provides added flexibility concerning the ownership and control of a small business. Starting with this new rule which goes into effect on January 3, 2005, a small business can be majority owned and controlled by another entity such as Venture Capital Companies (VCCs), Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOPs), Joint Ventures (JVs), Trusts, or other small business concerns.

This does not satisfy the BIO/NVCA lobbyists who want an exemption from the SBA size standard rules. [More...]



Update on HSARPA SBIR Release (11/30/04) - The HSARPA FY-05.1 SBIR solicitation originally scheduled for release on November 14, 2004 has been delayed. The SBIR Gateway has learned that the HSARPA solicitation should be released "soon" but the actual release date is unknown. However, when HSARPA releases its FY-05.1 SBIR, the opening and closing dates will also be changed to compensate for the delayed release date.

NEW HSARPA Policy: Starting with the HSARPA FY-05.1 pre-release, you will be able to contact the topic author point of contact (TPOC) during the pre-release phase (until the official solicitation opening date). This procedure is similar to the model used by the DoD.

It is not an uncommon occurrence in the SBIR arena that an agency incurs a delay in their anticipated release date. Although they do make strong efforts to stay on schedule, most agencies SBIR/STTR dates are subject to change and many announce their release date as "on or about" mm/dd/yy.



VC & Biotech Lobbyists Push for SBIR Eligibility Rule Change (11/15/04) - The VC/BIO lobbyists hope to get legislation passed quickly and quietly during the Congressional "Lame Duck" session scheduled to convene on Tuesday, November 16, 2004. It is anticipated that VC/BIO may try to get the language of these bills included in the SBA reauthorization bill which has yet to be passed. The SBA is currently running on a continuing resolution (CR).

By acting in this last minute "quiet" manner, the VC/BIO special interest groups hope to avoid hearings, studies, and public comments, all of which could threaten their special interests. The lobbyists know that there is opposition to their special interests, especially from the smaller and rural states that feel their small businesses could not compete a large entity masquerading as a small business vying for SBIR dollars. [More...]



NIST Releases SBIR FY2005 Solicitation (11/05/04) - The Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)has issued their FY-2005 SBIR Solicitation. The solicitation opened on November 5, 2004 and will close January 28, 2005.

NIST has 14 topic areas that comprise 35 technical subtopics for their FY-2005 solicitation. The Topics areas are:

  • 9.01 Advanced Biological and Chemical Sensing Technologies
  • 9.02 Analytical Methods
  • 9.03 Healthcare and Medical Physics
  • 9.04 Homeland Security
  • 9.05 Information Technology
  • 9.06 Intelligent Control
  • 9.07 Manufacturing System Integration
  • 9.08 Microelectronics Manufacturing
  • 9.09 Microfabrication and Micromachining
  • 9.10 Microwave Technology
  • 9.11 Nanofabrication
  • 9.12 Optics and Optical Technology
  • 9.13 Technologies to Enhance Fire Safety
  • 9.14 X-ray System Technologies
Subtopics include:
  • High Efficiency Low Dark Count Ingaas Detector For IR Photon Counting Development Of Meso Scale Machine Tools
  • Instrument For Characterization Of Environmental Soot
  • Applying AI Tools And Techniques To The Real-Time Control Of Intelligent Systems
  • Imaging Variable Kinetic Energy (0.1 To 8 Kev) Electron Analyzer
  • Ontological Engineering Applied To Manufacturing System Integration Research
  • Sampling Broadband Radio-Frequency Signals For Precision Nonlinear Network Analysis
  • Development, Manufacture, And Commercialization Of Traceable 400 Ghz On-Wafer Sources
  • Development, Manufacture, And Commercialization Of 110 Ghz Traceable Electrical Phase Standards
  • High Acceptance Area X-Ray Detector For Analytical Electron Microscopy
  • Analytical Method For Quantifying The Water Vapor Transmission Rate Of Woven Fabrics
  • Cross-Layer Design For Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
  • Instrumentation For Integrated Nanofabrication And Optical/Electronic Characterization
  • Development Of A High Throughput Foam Fabrication Device
  • Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator Precision Controller For X-Ray Microanalysis
  • An Optical Coherence/Multi-Photon Fluorescence Microscope For Imaging Of Tissue Engineered Medical Products (Temps)
  • Multi-User Collaborative Tools For Immersive Scientific Visualization
  • Wireless Smart Sensor Network With Localization Capability
  • Product Model-Based Simulation For Manufacturing
  • Step Ap210-Based Stackup Design & Warpage Analysis Tool For Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing
  • Development Of Field Detectors For Radiological Measurements
  • Mixing/Dispensing System For Combinatorial Polymer Formulations Libraries
  • High-Resolution, Two-Dimensional Electronic Neutron Detectors For Imaging
  • Improved Fabrication Of Silicon Single-Electron Transistors
  • Distributed Multi-Nodal Voice/Data Communication For Fire Fighters
  • Enhanced Fire Fighter Visibility
  • Autocollimator Instrument For High Precision Micro Mechanism Devices
  • Removing Superfluous Functions From Cots Executables
  • Integrated Process Modeling
  • Multi-Element Forward Scatter Detector For An Fe-SEM/EBSD System
  • Manufacturing Data Exchange Standards Interoperability Testing Tools
  • Femtosecond Optical Frequency Synthesizer Based On Yb-Doped Fiber Laser For Precision Measurements
  • Very High Accuracy Probe For Micrometer Scale Structures
  • Multiaxial Extensometry For Sheet Metal Forming Control
  • Sensor Infrastructure For Multi Modal Interfaces And Smart Spaces
  • New Process And Apparatus Development For Manufacturing Novel Semiconductor Nano-Whiskers.

The NIST FY-2005 SBIR solicitation is posted on their web site at http://patapsco.nist.gov/ts_sbir/. The Solicitation Topics will be included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine by COB Wednesday, November 10, 2004.



DoD Releases SBIR FY2005.1 Solicitation (11/01/04) - The DoD has released its FY-2005.1 SBIR solicitation scheduled to open (start accepting proposals) on December 15, 2004 and closing on January 14, 2005 (at 6:00am EST). Participating DoD Agency Components for this solicitation are the Air Force, Navy, CBD, DTRA, NGA and SOCOM.

The complete solicitation material is available from the DoD SBIR web site at: www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir051/. The DoD topics will also be available on the SBIR Gateway Search Engine by Friday, November 5, 2004.

NOTE: In the past we have cautioned our readers that the DoD can and does make changes in the solicitation during the release period until the solicitation officially opens (FY2005.1 Opens December 15, 2004). The DoD now has a web page that features changes to their solicitation. We recommend that interested parties frequently check this page located at: www.dodsbir.net/solicitation/sbir051/modlist.htm.



DOC NIST Releases SBIR Presolicitation Announcement (10/22/04) - The Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)has issued a presolicitation announcement for their FY-2005 SBIR offering. The solicitation will be issued on or about November 3, 2004 and will close January 28, 2005.

NIST proposes 35 technical topics for their FY-2005 solicitation. They are:

  • High Efficiency Low Dark Count Ingaas Detector For IR Photon Counting Development Of Meso Scale Machine Tools
  • Instrument For Characterization Of Environmental Soot
  • Applying AI Tools And Techniques To The Real-Time Control Of Intelligent Systems
  • Imaging Variable Kinetic Energy (0.1 To 8 Kev) Electron Analyzer
  • Ontological Engineering Applied To Manufacturing System Integration Research
  • Sampling Broadband Radio-Frequency Signals For Precision Nonlinear Network Analysis
  • Development, Manufacture, And Commercialization Of Traceable 400 Ghz On-Wafer Sources
  • Development, Manufacture, And Commercialization Of 110 Ghz Traceable Electrical Phase Standards
  • High Acceptance Area X-Ray Detector For Analytical Electron Microscopy
  • Analytical Method For Quantifying The Water Vapor Transmission Rate Of Woven Fabrics
  • Cross-Layer Design For Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
  • Instrumentation For Integrated Nanofabrication And Optical/Electronic Characterization
  • Development Of A High Throughput Foam Fabrication Device
  • Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator Precision Controller For X-Ray Microanalysis
  • An Optical Coherence/Multi-Photon Fluorescence Microscope For Imaging Of Tissue Engineered Medical Products (Temps)
  • Multi-User Collaborative Tools For Immersive Scientific Visualization
  • Wireless Smart Sensor Network With Localization Capability
  • Product Model-Based Simulation For Manufacturing
  • Step Ap210-Based Stackup Design & Warpage Analysis Tool For Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing
  • Development Of Field Detectors For Radiological Measurements
  • Mixing/Dispensing System For Combinatorial Polymer Formulations Libraries
  • High-Resolution, Two-Dimensional Electronic Neutron Detectors For Imaging
  • Improved Fabrication Of Silicon Single-Electron Transistors
  • Distributed Multi-Nodal Voice/Data Communication For Fire Fighters
  • Enhanced Fire Fighter Visibility
  • Autocollimator Instrument For High Precision Micro Mechanism Devices
  • Removing Superfluous Functions From Cots Executables
  • Integrated Process Modeling
  • Multi-Element Forward Scatter Detector For An Fe-SEM/EBSD System
  • Manufacturing Data Exchange Standards Interoperability Testing Tools
  • Femtosecond Optical Frequency Synthesizer Based On Yb-Doped Fiber Laser For Precision Measurements
  • Very High Accuracy Probe For Micrometer Scale Structures
  • Multiaxial Extensometry For Sheet Metal Forming Control
  • Sensor Infrastructure For Multi Modal Interfaces And Smart Spaces
  • New Process And Apparatus Development For Manufacturing Novel Semiconductor Nano-Whiskers.

The NIST FY-2005 SBIR solicitation will be posted on their web site at http://patapsco.nist.gov/ts_sbir/ and the topic material will be included in the SBIR Gateway Search Engine shortly after the official release. The presolicitation notice can be found on FedBizOpps at www1.eps.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/NIST%2D05%2DSBIR/SynopsisP.html



DOC NOAA Opens FY-05 SBIR (10/20/04) - The Department of Commerce (DOC) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has opened its NOAA 2005-1 SBIR Solicitation. The opening date is October 20, 2004 and the closing date is January 19, 2005. This year in accordance with E.O. 13329, the NOAA SBIR program will give a high priority, where feasible, to proposals that are directed toward innovations that will aid the manufacturing sector of the Nation�s economy.

NOAA's solicitation is divided into 4 main topic areas with a total of 44 subtopics. They are:

8.1 Ecosystems - (15 subtopics)
8.2 Climate - (7 subtopics)
8.3 Weather and Water (17 subtopics)
8.4 Commerce and Transportation (5 suptopics)
  View All NOAA Topics  

NOAA anticipates making about 20 Phase I firm fixed-price contracts of no more than $75,000 each (except for subtopics with the suffix �SG�, which are limited to $50,000).

The NOAA topics are included in the SBIR Gateway Search Engine at www.zynsys.com/sbir/sbres/sbcss.htm The complete NOAA SBIR solicitation and all forms are available directly from the NOAA SBIR site at www.oar.noaa.gov/ORTA/SBIR



SBA Announces FAST/ROP Winners (10/05/04) - The SBA has announced the 21 winners of the Federal & State Technology Partnership (FAST) Awards and the 5 winners of the Rural Outreach Program (ROP) Awards. The FAST and ROP are awards given to states to assist them with funding for increasing the competitiveness of small businesses participating in the SBIR and STTR programs. States compete for matching funds from the SBA that will be used for outreach and training for small businesses wishing to compete in the various SBIR and STTR programs.

This years winners can be found at www.zynsys.com/sbir/fast04a.htm



NOAA SBIR Presolicitation Announcement (10/05/04) - Beginning October 20, 2004, proposals are sought from small business firms for participation in the FY 2005 NOAA SBIR Program. The purpose of the Phase 1 of the program is to conduct feasibility research and development (R&D) to determine the scientific or technical merit/feasibility of concepts/ideas as a prerequisite for further NOAA support under Phase 2. Individuals receiving awards under Phase 1 will be eligible to compete for Phase 2 contracts. The following are NOAA research topics available for Phase 1: Ecosystems, Climate, Weather and Water, and Commerce and Transportation. To obtain the solicitation online, the URL is: www.ofa.noaa.gov/~amd/. General SBIR related inquiries may be directed to the NOAA SBIR Program Manager, Dr. Joseph M. Bishop, at 301-713-3565, e-mail: [email protected].

NIH PA Encourages Mfg-Related Topics (10/05/04) - In its commitment to support President Bush's Executive Order 13329 (PDF) which encourages innovation in manufacturing-related research and development, NIH has released Program Announcement PA-04-161 that focuses on our SBIR/STTR program to encourage biomedical research related to advanced processing, manufacturing processes, equipment and systems; or manufacturing workforce skills and protection. Small businesses may also be interested in reading a U.S. Department of Commerce 2004 report, "Manufacturing in America: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address the Challenges to U.S. Manufacturers (PDF)."

DOE Opens FY 2005 SBIR/STTR Solicitation (09/28/04) - The Department of Energy has opened their FY 2005 SBIR/STTR solicitation which opened on September 28,2004 and closes December 13, 2004. The DOE cautions prospective offerors that you MUST have a Dunn and Bradstreet Data Universal Number (DUNS)before submitting your proposal. A DUNS number is free by calling 1-866-705-5711. Obtaining a DUNS may be time consuming, therefore, DO NOT DELAY.

The solicitation and the topics are available from the DOE SBIR site at www.science.doe.gov/sbir/.



Congress May Change SBIR Law Without Hearings or Public Comments (09/20/04) - In the 11th hour of this Congressional session, lobbyists of influential and well-funded organizations such as the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), have been quietly working the halls of Congress in order to try and get their special interest legislation passed that will change the SBIR eligibility rules. They seek to allow large scale venture capital operating companies and/or pension plans, which would include Fortune 500 owned organizations, to own and control small businesses competing for SBIR funding.   [More...]

DoD Opens FY2004.4 SBIR - Changes to MDA Solicitation (09/16/04) - The DoD SBIR 2004.4 solicitation is open for proposal submission from September 15 through 6 a.m.(est) October 15, 2004. Two DoD components -- the Department of the Navy and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) -- have R&D topics in this solicitation under which Phase I proposals are sought.

The Solicitation, which contains detailed information on the parameters of the SBIR program and how to submit a proposal, and Topics are available at www.dodsbir.net/solicitation. You may also search the topics by using the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine or by going to the DoD's Topic Search at www.dodsbir.com/Topics.

Please note : There have been two revisions to the MDA 04.4 SBIR Solicitation Instructions:

1. MDA will now allow a $50,000 option for a period of 6 months on Phase I proposals. The total value of a Phase I proposal with option can not exceed $150,000.

2. MDA will continue its Fast Track program.

Please review the MDA Instructions at the beginning of the MDA Topics file at www.dodsbir.net/solicitation before proposal submission.



NIH 2005 Contracts SBIR Adds 6 Topics: (08/31/04) - The CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention (NCHSTP) has added 6 topics to the PHS/NIH 2005 SBIR Contracts Solicitation.

The added topics are:

  1. 022 Technology To Develop Handheld Amplification Test For Sexually Transmitted Infections

  2. 023 Technology To Develop An Ambient Temperature Specimen Transport System

  3. 024 System To Concentrate And Purify Nucleic Acids From Whole Blood

  4. 019 Development Of Novel Genotyping Procedures For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

  5. 020 New Laboratory Tests for Tuberculosis and Detection of Drug Resistance

  6. 025 A Delivery System for Patient-Delivered Partner Treatment for Sexually Transmitted Disease Control

The solicitation closes on November 5, 2004. Complete information on the solicitation is available from the NIH SBIR web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm. The modification (04) topics are now included in the NIH solicitation at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm#contracts



DOE Announces SBIR/STTR Dates: (08/24/04) - The Department of Energy plans to issue its FY 2005 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Combined Program Solicitation on September 28, 2004. Applications will be accepted ONLY in electronic format by the deadline of December 13, 2004.

The solicitation will include opportunities for manufacturing-related projects in accordance with President Bush's Executive Order 13329, "Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing."

Most of the SBIR programs are incorporating manufacturing related topics as prescribed by the Executive Order. You can download PDF version of the EO at:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-4436.pdf

The DOE SBIR/STTR solicitation will be available on the DOE Website (www.science.doe.gov/sbir) beginning September 28, 2004. At that time the topics will be included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Solicitation Search Engine.



PHS/NIH 2005 Contracts SBIR Modification: (08/19/04) - The NIH 2005 SBIR Contract Solicitation (PHS2005-1) that was released in early August has been amended to accept Fast Track applications for the following two National Cancer Institute topics: (1) Topic 211, "Developing Item Response Theory Software for Outcomes and Behavioral Measurement"; and (2) Topic 212, "Integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Oncology Practice." This amendment does not affect the proposal receipt date of November 5, 2004.

Official announcement of this amendment is available on the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbirsttr_news.htm#20040819 and also on FedBizopps at www1.eps.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/PHS%2D2005%2D1/listing.html



DoD Releases FY2004.4 SBIR: (08/2/04) - The DoD has released its FY2004.4 SBIR solicitation which will will begin accepting proposals on September 15, 2004 and will close to proposals on October 15th, 2004 at 6 a.m. EST.

This solicitation includes topics from the Navy and MDA. Complete details and the solicitation are available on the DoD's SBIR web site at www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/. The DoD topics will be included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search engine by August 4.



PHS/NIH Opens SBIR "Contracts" Solicitation : (08/2/04) - The Public Health Service (PHS) has released its PHS 2005-1 SBIR "Contracts" Solicitation. The solicitation opened August 2, 2004 and will close November 5, 2004 at 5:00pm EST.

Unlike the omnibus NIH SBIR/STTR "Grants" solicitation (which is open all year), this contracts solicitation is SBIR only. There are topics from the NIH as well as the CDC. The PHS/NIH topics will be included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search engine by August 4.

Complete information is available from the NIH SBIR web site at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm.



NSF Releases FY-05 SBIR/STTR: (07/26/04) - The NSF has released it FY-05 SBIR/STTR solicitation. The solicitation opens November 8, 2004 and closes December 8, 2004. Proposal must not be submitted prior to the November 8 opening date.

The main topic is Manufacturing Innovation (MI) which is in line with the Presidential Executive Order 13329 Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing. Manufacturing Innovation has been grouped into four broad areas of interest:

A. Unit Process Level Technologies
B. Machine Level Technologies
C. Systems Level Technologies
D. Environmental or Societal Level Technologies.

Proposals must be market-driven and identify the end users of the proposed technology and its potential for commercialization. The proposed technology must target the private sector (Government and non-profits do not qualify). It is mandatory that one or more letters of technology support from a manufacturing strategic partner be submitted as part of the proposal.

Complete details and the official NSF solicitation is available on their SBIR web site at: www.eng.nsf.gov/sbir/



NASA 2004 SBIR/STTR Opens: (07/7/04) - NASA has opened their 2004 SBIR and STTR programs. Although there is only one solicitation, there are separate topics and procedures for SBIR and STTR. Both programs have the same due date of September 9, 2004.

The NASA SBIR Program Solicitation topics are developed in coordination with the established NASA management structure of the Strategic Enterprises (www.hq.nasa.gov/hq/enterprise.htm). There are seven Enterprises fulfilling either Mission Direct or operational functions.

The Enterprises identify, at the most fundamental level, what NASA does and for whom. Each Strategic Enterprise is analogous to a strategic business unit employed by private-sector companies to focus on and respond to their customers' needs. Each Strategic Enterprise has a unique set of goals, objectives, and strategies. SBIR research topics and subtopics are organized under the five research and technology Enterprises: Aeronautics, Biological and Physical Research, Earth Science, Exploration Systems, and Space Science.

Exploration Systems was created in 2004 to reflect the new vision for NASA encompassing a broad range of human and robotic missions, including the Moon, Mars, and destinations beyond.

Exploration Systems assumed the innovative research activities conducted by the Space Flight Enterprise in prior SBIR Solicitations. The Space Flight Enterprise still exists as an operations organization.Many of the research topic areas found in the 2003 Solicitation under Space Flight are now found in Exploration Systems.

In addition, the Education Enterprise is a crosscutting organization: It works to coordinate with the other Enterprises' in outreach activities for K-12 and universities and colleges. There are subtopics in this SBIR Solicitation that have an outreach and Education focus, matching the needs of one of the five technical Enterprise's missions.In addition, the required involvement of research institutions in the STTR Solicitation, which is announced concurrently with the SBIR Solicitation, adds an additional potential linkage to the Education Enterprise.

STTR: Each NASA STTR Program Solicitation Topic corresponds to a specific NASA Center. One or two subtopics per Topic (rotating from year to year) reflect the current highest priority technology thrusts of that Center. The centers participating are: Ames Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Langley Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Stennis Space Center.

All NASA 2004 SBIR and STTR topics are included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine. The complete NASA solicitation, and their very popular electronic submissions Handbook (EHB) are available at: http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/



DoD FY2004.3 SBIR Opens: (07/02/04) - The DoD's 04.3 SBIR has opened with a few minor changes since it was released on May 1, 2004. Most notable is the cancellation of Army topic Topic # A04-137 (Network Scalability and Performance Analysis) as of June 30, 2004. Note: If you downloaded the DoD SBIR solicitation prior to May 4, 2004, the Army added topic # A04-053 Controllable Direct Electrical Conversion of Isotopic Radiation. DoD solicitations downloaded from May 4, 2004 on did not have this omission (see Zyn Article).

Other changes are merely housekeeping corrections i.e.: Added an 8th reference to topic # A04-179 in the Army's solicitation and The 2nd reference of topic # N04-228 in the Navy's solicitation has been removed.

The solicitation closes August 12, 2004 6:00 a.m. EST. All details are available from the DoD SBIR site at www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir043/



HHS/ACF SBIR Opens: (07/02/04) - The HHS's Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has opened their SBIR Solicitation Number 04Y005016. The closing date is August 11, 2004. The topics for this offering are:
  1. ACYF-01-04 - Identification and Development of Effective Models and Implementation Strategies for Same-Race or Cross-Race Mentoring Programs for African-American Youth

  2. ACYF-02-04 - Developing Innovative Analytical Tools, Methods and Materials for use by Head Start Grantee Agencies in Conducting Wage Comparability and Related Studies

  3. ADD-01-04 - Identification and Development of Effective Program Models and Implementation Strategies to Enhance the Effectiveness and Efficiency of State and Local Projects Supported by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), under its Three Major Programs ? State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Protection and Advocacy Systems, and University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service

  4. ANA-01-04 - Enhancing the Potential Impact of Federally Designated Special Initiatives Designed to Foster Economic Development in Native American Communities: Effective Models and Policy Implications

The HHS/ACF SBIR program is a contracts form of award. General questions regarding policy and procedures should be addressed to Dr. Hossein Faris at (202) 205-4922. The contracting portion of this program is handled by the HHS Division of Acquisition Management, Program Support Center (PSC).

The solicitation is available on the FedBizOpps web site at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/HHS/PSC/DAM/04Y005016/listing.html.



USDA Releases FY-2005 SBIR Offering: (07/01/04) - After a delay of almost 3 weeks, the USDA has released their FY-2005 SBIR Solicitation. The closing date is August 31, 2004.

Note: As of 8:00pm July 1, 2004, the official USDA SBIR site (www.reeusda.gov/sbir) still had last year's (FY-2004) solicitation posted instead of their new FY-2005 offering. The new offering is available on the USDA site at: www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/sbir_rfa.html.

The topics for this USDA offering are:

8.1 Forests and Related Resources
8.2 Plant Production and Protection
8.3 Animal Production and Protection
8.4 Air, Water, and Soils
8.5 Food Science and Nutrition
8.6 Rural and Community Development
8.7 Aquaculture
8.8 Industrial Applications
8.9 Marketing and Trade
8.10 Wildlife
8.11 Animal Waste Management

The official announcement can be found at http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/CSREES/OEP/USDA-GRANTS-070104001/Grant.html.



Forum on NRC's Review of SBIR: (06/29/04) - As part of NDIA's National Small Business Conference, July 19-21, 2004 in San Diego, CA, there will be an SBIR Field Hearing entitled: Our Views and Yours.

Congress has directed the National Research Council to undertake a review of the SBIR programs of the DoD, NIH, DOE, NASA and the NSF. This is your chance to hear the status of the review and provide direct feedback regarding your concerns and suggestions with members of the review team.

Topics to be discussed include restrictions on venture capital, benefits of the program to government and private sector, program execution issues, and potential changes for consideration by Congress.

The session will be moderated by Dr.Charles W. Wessner of the National Academies and include the Honorable Jacques Gansler, Ph.D., Former Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L), OSD, as a Candidate Speaker.

The overall goal of the NDIA National Small Business Conference is to increase small business access to government contracts. Targeted primarily at an audience of small businesses already established in the federal marketplace, the conference will feature plenary session speakers focusing on the important role of small business in the defense industrial base, concurrent breakouts on a variety of specific related topics and one-on- one "matchmaking" sessions.

Details are available from the NDIA web site at:
http://register.ndia.org/interview/register.ndia? PID=Brochure&SID=_19T16MEQ6&MID=4140



HHS/ACF SBIR Presolicitation Notice: (06/17/04) - The HHS's Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has issued a presolicitation notice of their upcoming SBIR solicitation. The solicitation opening date is not set but is expected to open by July 5, 2004. The topics for this offering are:
  1. ACYF-01-04 - Identification and Development of Effective Models and Implementation Strategies for Same-Race or Cross-Race Mentoring Programs for African-American Youth

  2. ACYF-02-04 - Developing Innovative Analytical Tools, Methods and Materials for use by Head Start Grantee Agencies in Conducting Wage Comparability and Related Studies

  3. ADD-01-04 - Identification and Development of Effective Program Models and Implementation Strategies to Enhance the Effectiveness and Efficiency of State and Local Projects Supported by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), under its Three Major Programs ? State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Protection and Advocacy Systems, and University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service

  4. ANA-01-04 - Enhancing the Potential Impact of Federally Designated Special Initiatives Designed to Foster Economic Development in Native American Communities: Effective Models and Policy Implications

The HHS/ACF SBIR program is a contracts form of award. General questions regarding policy and procedures should be addressed to Dr. Hossein Faris at (202) 205-4922. The contracting portion of this program is handled by the HHS Division of Acquisition Management, Program Support Center (PSC).

The presolicitation notice is available of the FedBizOpps web site at: www1.eps.gov/spg/HHS/PSC/DAM/04Y005016/listing.html.



USDA Delays SBIR Offering: (06/11/04) - The USDA has delayed the release of their 2005 SBIR Solicitation till the end of June. The Solicitation was originally to be released on June 7 with a closing date of August 31. Informed sources tell the SBIR Gateway that the new opening date will most likely be July 1, 2004 and the closing date will remain the same, August 31, 2004.

USDA states that this solicitation will be similar to last years with the addition of an Animal Waste Management Program, and an increased interest across the board in agriculturally related manufacturing technology. The latter is most likely a response to the President's Executive Order Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing (see SBIR Gateway Article ). You can view the details directly from the USDA SBIR site at: www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1128.



NASA Issues SBIR/STTR Presolicitation Notice: (06/08/04) - NASA has issued a presolicitation notice for their 2004 SBIR/STTR offering which will open July 7, 2004 and close September 9, 2004 at 5:00pm EDT. Although there will be only one solicitation which will combine both the SBIR and STTR components, the review, selection and award processes will be conducted separately for each program. Although NASA's SBIR and STTR have different topics, there can be some technical overlap. Proposals must be submitted as either an SBIR or an STTR and will only be considered for award under one program.

To participate in the NASA SBIR program, firms must have Internet access and an e-mail address. All proposals will be required to be submitted electronically as described in the solicitation instructions.

The NASA SBIR/STTR solicitation will be available July 7 on the NASA web site at: http://sbir.nasa.gov/  The presolicitation notice is available from FedBizOpps at: www1.eps.gov/spg/NASA/GRC/OPDC20220/SBIR2004/listing.html . The NASA SBIR/STTR topics will be available on the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine by July 8, 2004.



Army Adds Topic to 04.3 SBIR: (05/24/04) - On May 4, 2004, one day after the official release of the DoD 2004.3 SBIR solicitation, the Army added the topic A04-053 Controllable Direct Electrical Conversion of Isotopic Radiation to their offering. Those who downloaded the Army solicitation on the first day (May 3) are not only missing the new topic, but are also subject to wrong topic numbers from A04-054 to A04-259.

If you downloaded the topics on Monday May 3, please revisit the DoD SBIR site at www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir043/ and download the latest version.



DHS HSARPA SBIR FY04.2 Released: (05/13/04) - The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) HSARPA has released their FY04.2 solicitation which officially opens on June 14, 2004 and closes on July 14, 2004. There are 6 topics for this offering. They are:

  Topic Number       Click on Topic for Description
H-SB04.2-001   Cross-Domain Attack Correlation Technologies
H-SB04.2-002   Real-Time Malicious Code Identification
H-SB04.2-003   Alternatives To CL2 In Municipal Water Purification
H-SB04.2-004   Wide-Area TIC Neutralization
H-SB04.2-005   Innovative Techniques For Concealed Weapons Or Explosive Detection At A Distance
H-SB04.2-006   Improved And Innovative Cooling Garments For Emergency Responders

HSARPA Help Desk: All questions about this solicitation, the proposal preparation and electronic submission should be submitted via the website: www.hsarpasbir.com Or, call the Help Desk toll free number: 1-800-754-3043.

HSARPA SBIR website: www.hsarpasbir.com offers electronic access to the SBIR solicitation, submission of frequently asked questions (FAQs), answers to FAQs, and hyperlinks to other useful information. All Phase I and Phase II proposals must be submitted via the electronic submission website at www.hsarpasbir.com.

General questions about HSARPA SBIR Program: General questions pertaining to the HSARPA SBIR program should be submitted to [email protected] or call the HSARPA SBIR Program Contact: Mr. Tim Sharp, SBIR Program Manager, 703-797-4527.

Technical Questions about Solicitation Topics: This solicitation is issued for pre-release on the HSARPA Website from 14 May, 2004 through 14 June, 2004,. During this time, you may email topic questions to [email protected], before you prepare a proposal for the FY04.2 solicitation. Technical questions will be researched and answers provided in a timely manner. Contact with HSARPA after the 14 June, 2004, pre-solicitation closing date, is restricted for reasons of competitive fairness, and therefore, all written questions submitted to [email protected] will be answered and posted electronically for general viewing to the HSARPA website, www.hsarpasbir.com.

All proposers are advised to monitor the www.hsarpasbir.com website during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other information relevant to the topic under which they are proposing.

The HSARPA presolicitation is available from FedBizOpps at: www1.eps.gov/spg/DHS-DR/OCPO/DHS-OCPO/HSSCHQ%2D04%2DRSAR00016/listing.html



DoD Releases 2004.3 SBIR Solicitation: (05/03/04) - The DoD has released its FY 2004.3 SBIR solicitation with an opening date of July 1, 2004 and a closing date of August 12, 2004 (at 6:00AM EDT).

The DoD Agency Components participating in this solicitation are: Army, Navy, DARPA, SOCOM, and OSD.

The entire solicitation and all forms are available from the DoD SBIR web site at: www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir043/index.htm . The DoD 2004.3 topics will be included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine by COB Wednesday, May 5, 2004.



3 Navy Topics Added to DoD 2004.2 SBIR: (04/22/04) - The DoD has added the Navy's special 3 Rapid Response Topics to the DoD's SBIR 04.2 solicitation. The 3 topics originally appeared in a Navy presolicitation notice for a Rapid Response SBIR solicitation. This presolicitation notice has now been cancelled and the topics are now a special part of the DoD SBIR 04.2 solicitation.

The Navy and DoD state: These are special Navy topics recently added to the DoD SBIR 04.2 solicitation. The three topics below need a quick response to assist Operation Iraqi Freedom and the research and development is expected to be accelerated to provide results quickly. The topics are:

The DoD also notes: While the submission requirements generally follow those for the Navy 04.2 topics, there are a couple of significant differences: Small businesses shall apply first for a three to six-month phase I award of up to $100,000 (with no option) to test the scientific, technical, and commercial merit of a particular concept. If phase I proves successful, the firm may be invited to apply for a phase II award of up to $1,000,000 to further develop the concept.

The solicitation opens May 1, 2004 and closes June 17, 2004 at 6:00am EDT. You can download the solicitation from the DoD SBIR web site at
www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir042/



Dept. of Education (OSERS) Opens SBIR Grants Solicitation: (04/06/04) - The Department of Education (ED), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has issued a program announcement for the opening of its CFDA: 84.133S-1SBIR SBIR Grants solicitation.

Although the closing date for this solicitation is June 1, 2004, this offering requires a letter of intent (LOI) which must be submitted by April 30, 2004.

For fiscal year 2004, there is one priority (with four invitational priorities) proposed by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) under CFDA Number 84.133S with awards up to $75,000.

The following four invitational priorities relate to innovative research utilizing new technologies (including nanotechnologies and biotechnologies) to address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. Ed is particularly interested in applications that meet one of the following priorities.

Invitational Priority 1. - Development of Technology to Support Access, Promote Integration or Foster Independence of Individuals with Disabilities in the Community, Workplace, or Educational Setting.

Invitational Priority 2. - Development of Technology to Enhance Sensory or Motor Function of Individuals with Disabilities.

Invitational Priority 3. - Development of Technology to Support Transition into Post-secondary Educational or Employment Settings for Individuals with Disabilities.

Invitational Priority 4. - Development of technology that incorporates universal design principles and promotes access to information in educational, employment and community settings.

It is anticipated that ED will fund 15 awards under this program. The complete Dept. of Education solicitation can be found at www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/2004/84133s-1.html



SBA Releases ROP Program Announcement: (04/05/04) - The SBA has released their Rural Outreach Program (ROP) solicitation SBIRROP-04-R-0003. Although the due date on the current PDF file is April 30, 2004, the SBA has confirmed to the SBIR Gateway that the new closing date is May 12, 2004.

Here are a few important points on the ROP solicitation:

Only eligible states may submit applications under this Announcement and not more than one proposal may be submitted by any eligible state. Eligible states include 1) Alaska 2) Arkansas 3) Delaware 4) the District of Columbia 5) Hawaii 6) Idaho 7) Indiana 8) Iowa 9) Kentucky 10) Louisiana 11) Maine 12) Mississippi 13) Missouri 14) Montana, 15) Nebraska 16) Nevada 17) North Dakota, 18) Oklahoma 19) Puerto Rico 20) Rhode Island 21) South Carolina 22) South Dakota 23) Vermont 24) West Virginia and 25) Wyoming. Each proposal must provide for statewide assistance to small technology businesses, and must bear the endorsement of the Governor of the state for which the effort is proposed. Please see the Glossary of Terms for a more explicit definition of eligible state.

SBA anticipates that funding per project will range up to $49,470. The number of awards may vary, based upon number and the quality of eligible applications received; the evaluations; and the amount of available funds. Awards will be made on a matching funds basis. Awards will be made in a ratio of Federal dollars to non-Federal dollars of 2:1, to a maximum Federal contribution of $24,735.

The solicitation can be downloaded directly from the SBA's SBIR page at www.sbaonline.sba.gov/SBIR/



EPA Opens 4 SBIR Solicitations: (03/25/04) - The EPA has issued 4 separate SBIR solicitations all of which open March 25, 2004 and close May 25, 2004. Similar to last year, the EPA has issued their regular SBIR solicitation which runs concurrently with 3 special EPA SBIR solicitations. Complete details are available directly from the EPA SBIR web site at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/

The EPA SBIR Soliciations are:

Special Phase I for Hazardous Waste Minimization [PR-NC-04-10311]
(approximately 10 awards)
Topics for this solicitation are: A) new products and technologies that reduce or eliminate generation of hazardous waste containing any of 30 Hazardous Waste Priority Chemicals and B) Clean Waste-to-Energy Gasification Technologies and Systems.
This solicitation can be viewed at:
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2004/2004_sbir_phase1_haz-waste.html

Special Phase I for Pollution Prevention [PR-NC-04-10309]
(approximately 10 awards)
Topics for this solicitation are: A) Automobile and Other Green Supplier Networks; B) Hospitals for a Healthy Environment; C) Flame Retardants; D) Diisocyanates; E) Fragrances; F) Industrial Design; and G) Printed Wiring Boards.
This solicitation can be viewed at:
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2004/2004_sbir_phase1_poll-prev.html

Special Phase I for Technology Solutions for Pacific Southwest Environmental Problems [PR-NC-04-10310]
(approximately 10 awards)
Topics for this solicitation are: A) Air Pollution in Arid Climates; B) Drinking Water in Arid Climates; C) Wastewater in Arid Climates; D) Solid Waste in Arid Climates; E) Stormwater from Construction and Industry; F) Dairies and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations(CAFOs); G) Chronic Wasting Disease; and H) Green Buildings.
This solicitation can be viewed at:
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2004/2004_sbir_phase1_pac-swest.html

The Regular EPA SBIR solicitation: [PR-NC-04-10308]
(approximately 15 awards)
Topics for this solicitation include: A) Nanomaterials; B) Control and Monitoring of Air Pollution; C) Drinking Water Treatment and Monitoring; D) Water and Wastewater; E) Hazardous Waste Management and Site Remediation; F) Hazardous Waste Monitoring; G) Solid Waste Recycling; H) Safe Buildings; and I) Drinking Water and Wastewater Security.
This solicitation can be viewed at:
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2004/2004_sbir_phase1.html





Important NIH Submission Tips: (03/11/04) - Jo Anne Goodnight, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator offers some important and useful NIH SBIR/STTR submission tips:

I know that many of you are working hard to prepare an application for the upcoming April 1 submission date, so I thought I would pass along some guidance and advice to help you get through the next few weeks. Specifically, I wanted to focus on what I believe to be the essential ingredient to a successful application: Communication.   [More...]



SBA Issues FAST Program Announcement: (03/11/04) - The SBA has released its FY-2004 Federal & State Partnership (FAST) Program Announcement stating a release date of March 8, 2004 and a closing date of May 5, 2004. FAST is a competitive grants program that allows each state to receive funding in the form of a matching grant to provide an array of services to small businesses in support of the SBIR program.

Although Congress enacted the FAST program under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, the funding was zeroed out for FY-2003. Many states mobilized to fight for the survival of the FAST program. Long time SBIR proponent Jere Glover, of the Small Business Technology Coalition (SBTC), led a successful effort to persuade congress to restore FAST funding, although it was at a reduced amount. This effort is primarily responsible for the current FAST Program Announcement by SBA.

With the recent change in the SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Technology, the status of FAST for FY-2004 was unclear and several members of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee requested a progress report (see SBA Questioned on FAST and ROP).

Eligibility for FAST Funding:

Organizations and individuals in every state (including state economic development agencies, Small Business Development Centers, or any other entity involved in the development of small technology firms) are eligible to apply for a cooperative agreement award.

Proposals may be submitted on behalf of an individual state or on behalf of multiple states. Not more than one proposal may be submitted for inclusion in the FAST program to provide services in any one state in any one fiscal year. Applications must be accompanied by a Letter of Endorsement signed by the appropriate state governor or his/her authorized designee.

The SBA FAST Program Announcement can be found on the SBA SBIR web site at www.sbaonline.sba.gov/SBIR

The companion program to FAST is the smaller Rural Outreach Program (ROP). ROP was created under the same legislation as FAST and is administered by the SBA. No date has been disclosed by SBA as to the release of the FY-2004 ROP Program Announcement.



DoD adds Fourth SBIR Solicitation for FY 2004: (03/02/04) - The DoD has announced that it will add a fourth SBIR solicitation to its FY-2004 schedule. The DoD schedule for the remainder of FY 2004 is:

SolicitationReleaseOpensCloses
SBIR 2004.2
small
March 1, 2004May 3, 2004June 17, 2004
SBIR 2004.3
large
May 1, 2004July 1, 2004August 12, 2004
SBIR 2004.4
small
August 2, 2004September 15, 2004October 15, 2004

The current SBIR 2004.2 offering is rather small in that there are 30 topics from the Navy and 3 topics from DARPA. It is expected that the 2004.3 SBIR will be a major release with hundreds of topics and the 2004.4 SBIR will be a smaller offering similar to the 2004.2.



NSF Releases FY2004 SBIR/STTR Solicitation: (03/01/04) - The NSF has released its FY 2004 SBIR/STTR solicitation NSF 04-551. NSF will start accepting proposals May 9, 2004 and must receive proposals by June 09, 2004 at 5 p.m. proposer's local time.

There are two major topic categories:
Information-Based Technologies (IT) - The IT topic solicits proposals to develop the innovations necessary to support the Nation�s information, knowledge, and computational needs in the first decade of the 21st century. The emphasis of the IT topic is on the support of high-risk innovation in products, services, or processes that have the potential for a large payoff to industry, business, or society.

Security Technologies (ST) - The NSF SBIR/STTR program solicits cross-disciplinary proposals to address specific opportunities that enhance America�s security. Under this solicitation, NSF will support priority areas that are addressed by the convergence of at least two of the following three technologies: nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology (both hardware and software).

The solicitation and all forms can be found on the NSF SBIR web site at: www.eng.nsf.gov/sbir/



DoD Releases 2004.2 SBIR Solicitation: (03/01/04) [Updated 3/2/04] - The DoD has released its 2004.2 SBIR Solicitation which opens on May 3, 2004 and closes June 17, 2004 at at 6:00 a.m. EST   In previous years the DoD issued two large SBIR solicitations during a fiscal year, but for FY 2004, a total of four solicitations (two large and two small) are offered (see SBIR Gateway Article: DoD adds Fourth SBIR Solicitation for FY 2004).

The DoD 2004.2 SBIR is a small solicitation and contains offerings from two DoD agency components, Navy and DARPA. The 2004.2 topics are included in the SBIR Gateway Search Engine or you can browse the topics below.

The complete solicitation and all forms are available directly from the DoD SBIR web site at: www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir042 .



SBA Questioned on FAST and ROP - 8 Senators Question Program Status and Support: (02/26/04) - In an effort led by Senator John Kerry (D-MA), eight senators from the Senate Small Business Committee are expressing concerns about the SBA's proposed elimination of the Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) program and the Rural Outreach Program (ROP) for FY-2005. [More..]

Executive Order to Change SBIR? - DOC and OSTP Supported Changes: (02/24/04) - On February 24, 2004 President Bush issued an Executive Order Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing. Utilizing a plan mapped out by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) the White House issued the executive order that instructs SBIR agency program managers: to the extent permitted by law and in a manner consistent with the mission of that department or agency, give high priority within such programs to manufacturing-related research and development to advance the policy set forth in section 1 of this order; and

submit reports annually to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy concerning the efforts of such department or agency to implement subsection 2(a) of this order.

This order comes shortly after the White House zeroed out NIST's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) for FY-2005, and after decimating the NIST Manufacturing Extension Project (MEP) from $160 million to $39 million.

This has raised quite a controversy in the SBIR community. You can read the President's Executive Order at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040224-6.html



Compatibility Problems with PDF Forms: (02/19/04) - In the past couple of years, SBIR Agencies have migrated from paper based "hard copy" solicitations to electronic versions in various formats such as Word, HTML, and PDF. PDF, (Portable Document Format) requires the use of Adobe Acrobat or the free Adobe Reader.

As is customary in the computer software field, program upgrades often render old programs obsolete. Such is the case for the latest Adobe Acrobat version 6. If you are using an old version 4 or 5 Acrobat Reader to read PDF files that were made in version 6, you will receive an error message and not be able to read the file. This is very frustrating to users who resist upgrading even for free programs.

If you are having trouble reading a PDF, the chances are that you need to upgrade. A free Adobe version 6 Reader is available at: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

We have received many calls as to why the upgrade is necessary. Acrobat 6 has many new features that make it attractive to government and ultimately to the end users. The upgrade is necessary if you want to read new SBIR agency offerings.



DOT Releases 2004 SBIR Solicitation: (02/17/04) - The Department of Transportation's SBIR Program Office has released their 2004 SBIR Solicitation consisting of 12 Topics with a closing date of May 3, 2004.

The DOT allows hard copy and electronic submissions (select one or the other but not both). Electronic submissions must be in PDF format and sent via email rather than uploading to a web site. Note: If you intend to submit your proposal electronically you must register with DOT no later April 15, 2004. You can register at www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/sol04/04e-submit.html .

Due Dates: Electronic proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 3, 2004. Email delivery times vary greatly and unlike other forms of transmission, there are no reliable methods to prove that you sent a timely email transmission. Hard copy proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. on May 3, 2004 unless sent by U.S. mail. U.S. Mail submissions (not other carriers) with a postmark no later than May 3, 2004 will be accepted by DOT.

The entire DOT solicitation can be downloaded from the DOT SBIR web site at www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/sol04/   The DOT topics are included in the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine at www.zynsys.com/sbir/sbres/sbcss.htm



SBA Reassigns Maurice Swinton - Action Will Impact SBIR: - Without formal announcement or explanation, the SBA has moved Maurice Swinton from Assistant Administrator for the Office of Technology (in charge of SBIR/STTR oversite) to Assistant Administrator for the Office of Management and Technical Assistance (7a and other loan programs). The SBA has appointed Edsel Brown (from the 7a program) to Mr. Swinton's position of SBIR/STTR management and oversite. This managerial swap is causing great concern within all facets of the SBIR/STTR arena. [More..]

NIH, CDC, and FDA Omnibus SBIR/STTR Grants Solicitation Opens: (01/09/04) - The NIH has announced the release of the PHS 2004-2 SBIR/STTR Grants Solicitation. This omnibus solicitation combines the offerings of the NIH SBIR/STTR, the CDC SBIR and the FDA SBIR programs.

Zyn Correction/Update: 01/10/04 - Their ARE different receipt dates for AIDS/AIDS Related Applications. The Receipt Dates for non-AIDS related applications are April 1, August 1, and December 1, 2004. AIDS related applications receipt dates are May 1, 2004, September 1, 2004 and January 2, 2005. The PHS 2004-2 schedule is:

SBIR & STTR*
Submission Dates
Phase I + II
AIDS & AIDS-
Related
Applications
National
Technical
Merit Review
Advisory Council
Board Review
Estimated
Award Date
April 1, 2004May 1, 2004June/JulySept/OctNovember
August 1, 2004September 1, 2004Oct/NovJan/FebMarch
December 1, 2004January 2, 2005Feb/MarchMay/JuneJuly
* NIH, CDC and FDA now use the same three standard submission dates. CDC and FDA do not participate in the STTR program.

The NIH/CDC/FDA grant solicitation is one of the largest in the entire SBIR/STTR arena. It is also the most complex and difficult to define. It is in your best interest to study the rules and forms carefully. All of the necessary information is available from the NIH SBIR/STTR web site at: grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm#sol

All of the PHS 2004-2 SBIR/STTR solicitation topics are available for searching on the Zyn SBIR Gateway Search Engine.

Note: Due to the size and complexity of the NIH SBIR/STTR program, the NIH sponsors an annual conference specific to their program's needs. This is an invaluable asset for those interested in competing for NIH SBIR/STTR awards. This conference has limited seating capacity and is always a sell out. The 6th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference will be held in Bethesda, MD June 23-24, 2004. NIH will make additional details available. You can periodically check the NIH web site at grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm.



NIST Issues Solicitation Amendment: (01/09/04) - NIST issued Amendment01 to their current SBIR solicitation. The amendment is:

AMENDMENT 1 - NIST-04-SBIR
CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (CCR)

As of October 1, 2003, Federal Acquisition Regulations now require contractor registration in the CCR database prior to an award of any contract, basic ordering agreement or blanket purchase agreement. Offerors can register in the CCR database by going to www.ccr.gov.

This registration is not required by the due date for proposals to the SBIR 04 Solicitation. However, a vendor must be in the CCR database before an award can be made.

The amendment can be found at www.eps.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/Reference%2DNumber%2DNIST%2D04%2DSBIR/listing.html



DoD Releases STTR FY04 Solicitation: (01/02/04) - The DoD has released their FY04 STTR solicitation which will open on March 1, 2004 and will close on April 15, 2004 at 6am EST. The DoD agency components participating in this solicitation are: Air Force (27 topics), Army (28 topics), Navy (34 topics), DARPA (5 topics), MDA (24 topics).

The complete solicitation and all forms are available directly from the DoD STTR web site site at www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sttr04/index.htm



New Business & Technology Insider Internet Radio Program: Paladin International Inc. of Alexandria, VA, has launched a free 1 hour daily internet radio show for small businesses. The show is designed to help you find business opportunities and give you up-to-date information on the impact of new legislation (federal and state) along with other important business topics.

Each day focuses on a different topic. Monday: Policy, Tuseday: Technology, Wednesday: Health & Science, Thursday: Small Business, Friday: Federal Contracting. Recent guests on SBIR topics have included Maurice Swinton of SBA and Rick Shindell of Zyn Systems. The show features other topics of importance to small high tech businesses such as e-government and electronic filing of patent applications featuring Nick Godici, the Commissioner for Patents USPTO.




Please address any comments to: [email protected]


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