Indiana Economic Development Corporation

SBIR Assistance

The following sections will provide a brief description of the services offered by the IEDC SBIR Initiative. Insertion into the program can be at any stage of the SBIR/STTR process and will be customized to each client needs and requirements. No matter where you are in the process,….. we can help.

Topic Matching:

It can be very difficult to search thru the thousands of SBIR/STTR topics and interest areas published by the participating agencies. The SBIR/STTR programs are solicited programs and each agency requests support of specific needs and requirements. Contract agencies (see Differences chart located on Overview page) typically solicit very specific topics that require closely targeted proposals. Grant agencies (see Differences chart located on Overview page) describe broader areas of interest, and those topics are open-proposed generated ideas, as long as they match up with an area of interest with their organization.

Identifying topics and the agencies that might be of interest is a task that should be accomplished over a period of time. Searching the closed solicitations will provide a glance at the agencies that are investing within your technology area. We recommend for you to experiment with the SBIR/STTR Search engine SBIR/STTR Gateway to better prepare yourself for an upcoming open solicitation.

Once you find an agency that has a technology area or topic match, note the solicitation timeline and begin preparing for your submission.

SBIR/STTR Counseling:

IEDC counselors are available to conduct one-on-one and telephone counseling for high-tech small business clients who are interested in pursuing SBIR/STTR funding. Counselors can provide initial feedback as to the business’s state of readiness for the funding pursuit, the technology match with the topic, the qualifications of the team and determine the level of support needed to proceed. The counselor and company will collectively determine the strategy and services needed to successfully navigate the submission process. The following sections will provide information on the services offered by the IEDC SBIR Program Office.

Proposal Assistance:

Proposal/Grant writing support may be offered to clients that demonstrate a strong potential for SBIR/STTR success. Previously submitted applicants that were unsuccessful and first time applicants are eligible for this service. You will be paired with a successful SBIR/STTR writer that will assist during the initial submission process and provide you with the skills needed for future SBIR/STTR endeavors. The IEDC SBIR Initiative believes that education on the proposal writing process is one of the critical steps in achieving Indiana’s goal as a front runner in SBIR/STTR awards.

Technical and Proposal Reviews:

Technical and Proposal reviews are available for clients that feel comfortable with their proposal writing skills but would like a critique prior to their submission. This is a great opportunity to have a third party evaluation by experienced SBIR/STTR technical writers. The evaluation will critique the:

Innovativeness of the technology
Solidify the technology match with the topic
Look at the articulation of the proposal writing
Review the flow of the proposal formatting

Once the critique is complete, you will be provided a document with comments and suggestions on how to strengthen your submission. The typical turnaround time of a technical and/or proposal review is approximately 5 days. Plan ahead and watch your solicitation timeline.

Training:

The IEDC SBIR Program Office will be conducting/hosting various workshops across the state to educate participants on the SBIR process. Workshops will be tailored to a specific topic. Some of the workshop topics will be:

SBIR/STTR 101
Phase I Proposal Writing Techniques
Writing a Successful Cost Proposal
Phase II Proposal Writing
Achieving Successful Commercialization Plans.

All workshops will be announced in the SBIR “Tech Talk” Newsletter and posted on the website. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in holding a workshop in your area.

SBIR/STTR Enhancement Program:

The Phase I Enhancement Program is matching any SBIR/STTR Phase I awards that are won by Indiana Companies. The dual purpose of this matching grant program is to both increase the numbers and competitiveness of Indiana SBIR/STTR proposals, and to increase the success of Indiana companies in moving from Phase I to Phase II. Click Here for a Phase I matching grant application.

Indiana SBIR/STTR Commercialization Enhancement Program (ISCEP):

The IEDC established the Indiana SBIR/STTR Commercialization Enhancement Program (ISCEP) to support the commercialization of new products and services created through SBIR and STTR research and development projects. ISCEP is designed to provide commercialization costs and to reduce the time-to commercial-market of SBIR/STTR developed technologies, which are costs that are not allowed with the Phase II SBIR and STTR program. Proposals are solicited for projects involving an active Phase II contract/grant with a federal agency. To be eligible for the ISCEP awards, the applicants must be a small business that maintains a principal place of business in Indiana and the benefits from commercialization must accrue to an Indiana small business. An unlimited number of proposals may be submitted, however, only one award per company will be made per RFP cycle.

The ISCEP will receive allocation of approximately $1 Million to apply to each cycle. This Request for Proposal (RFP) process will be repeated every six months. The next RFP is scheduled for mid- to late July. Between two and four awards of up to $350,000 may be made per funding cycle. The awards will be made with performance periods of up to 2 years and are contingent on the availability of funds.

Successful applicants must adhere to specific reporting requirements, including: quarterly progress reports, annual reports, annual site visits and a final report.

All ISCEP RFP's will be published on the IEDC’s website (http://www.iedc.in.gov/).

Grants and Incentives