Accessing Federal SBIR/STTR Funding for Your Technology/R&D Business

What is SBIR/STTR?

The federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide well over $2 billion of non-dilutive capital every year to small businesses developing high risk, high return technology-based products. The money is targeted specifically to fund R&D activities to reduce the technical risk, thereby helping to facilitate access to follow-on funding.

To bring technology from ideas to commercialization, both programs utilize a three phase approach:

Phase I
Feasibility/ Proof of Concept
Up to $150,000

6 months
Phase II
Full Research and Development
Up to $1 Million

Up to 2 years
Phase III
Commercialization
No SBIR/STTR Funding

May take several years

How Can the SBDC Help You?

The Delaware SBDC wants to see more SBIR wins, so we’ve developed this program to help you. The program is designed to provide qualified entrepreneurs and early-stage research and development companies with:

SBIR speaker series of information-sharing and networking events
Publication of a quarterly Delaware SBIResource electronic newsletter
Accessing post-award resources for continued funding and grant management
Establishing liaisons with researchers and technology transfer personnel at research institutions
Locating space, equipment, & talent
Helping partner with a prime contractor
Helping partner with a professor or business mentor

Special Program Features

Single point of contact for proposal submission applicants
Customized agency research & focused submission advice for applicants
Customized tailored writing assistance for applicants

Proposal development & advisory services to develop a comprehensive winning submission
Consulting package valued at $50,000 per applicant submission

Delaware CAT Grant
The Bioscience CAT’s mission is to support and grow Delaware’s economy and bioscience community by fostering innovative applied research collaborations between Delaware businesses and academic institutions.
Delaware SBIR Bridge Grant
A grant program designed to assist SBIR Phase II applicants bridge the funding gap between Phase I and Phase II awards.
National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) Sites Program
Provides specialized training and mini grants of $3,000 to teams interested in exploring the commercial viability of their ideas for products and businesses that are based on their own inventions, University intellectual property, or any STEM-related technology.
First State Innovation
FSI helps technology-based and early stage businesses find traditional seed capital, alternative funding, skilled human capital, commercialization assistance, intellectual capital, and other entrepreneurial resources.
Horn Program in Entrepreneurship’s Hen Hatch Startup Funding Competition
Hen Hatch is the University of Delaware’s premier startup funding competition. It provides entrepreneurial students, alumni, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to make connections and collect feedback on their ideas while competing for startup cash and prizes totaling $100,000.

Other Sources of Funding and Training

About SBIR/STTR

SBIR Eligibility

Only United States small businesses are eligible to participate in the SBIR program. An SBIR awardee must meet the following criteria at the time of Phase I and II awards:

Organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States;
More than 50 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, or by another for-profit business concern that is more than 50% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States; and
No more than 500 employees, including affiliates
For awards from agencies using the authority under 15 U.S.C. 638(dd)(1), an awardee may be owned and controlled by more than one VC, hedge fund, or private equity firm so long as no one such firm owns a majority of the stock.
Phase I awardees with multiple prior awards must meet the benchmark requirements for progress toward commercialization.

STTR Eligibility

Only United States small businesses are eligible to participate in the STTR program. The small business must meet all of the following criteria at time of award:

Organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States;
At least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals
who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, and;
No more than 500 employees, including affiliates.

The nonprofit research institution must also meet certain eligibility criteria:

Located in the US
Meet one of three definitions:
1. Nonprofit college or university
2. Domestic nonprofit research organization
3. Federally funded R&D center (FFRDC)

STTR vs SBIR

The SBC and its partnering institution are required to establish an
intellectual property agreement detailing the allocation of intellectual
property rights and rights to carry out follow-on research, development
or commercialization activities.
STTR requires that the SBC perform at least 40% of the R&D and
the single partnering research institution to perform at least 30% of
the R&D.
Unlike the SBIR program, STTR does not require the Principal
Investigator to be primarily employed by the SBC.

SBIR.Gov E-Training Modules

Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights Taking Your High Tech Product to Market Market Research SBIR.Gov Training Modules

Videos from Events

R&D Tax Credit: State of Delaware’s Perspective

R&D Tax Credit: Practitioner’s Perspective