Navigating the NSF SBIR/STTR Program: Creating a Winning NSF Project Pitch
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur with a groundbreaking innovation looking for funding?
By Bella Milo and Colleen Spiegel
09 August 2024
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs might be your ticket to success. Let’s dive into the process and understand how you can kick start your journey towards securing NSF funding.
**Understanding the NSF Project Pitch**
Before you can submit a full NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal, you need to receive an invitation by submitting a Project Pitch. Here’s how it works:
1. Submission Process
- Potential proposers must create a login and submit a Project Pitch via the online form. This pitch should include details about the technology innovation, key technical objectives, market opportunity, and the company and team.
2. Ongoing Review
- Project Pitches are reviewed on an ongoing basis, regardless of whether there is an open solicitation at NSF. This means you can submit your pitch at any time, even outside of solicitation windows.
3. Invitation to Submit
- If your proposed project aligns with the program objectives, you'll receive an invitation via email to submit a full proposal within 12 months. This invitation is your ticket to the next phase of the process.
4. Resubmission
- If your Project Pitch is not invited to submit a full proposal, you can revise and resubmit it in the next submission window.
**Creating Your NSF Project Pitch**
Now, let’s break down what your Project Pitch should include
1. Technology Innovation
- Describe your research and development (R&D) or technological innovation in up to 500 words. Explain why it meets the program's mandate to focus on supporting R&D of unproven, high-impact innovations.
2. Technical Objectives and Challenges
- In another 500 words, outline the technical objectives and challenges of your proposed Phase I project. Discuss how your work will prove the technical feasibility of your product or service and significantly reduce technical risk.
3. Market Opportunity
- Use up to 250 words to describe the market opportunity, customer profile, and pain points your innovation addresses. Highlight the commercial potential of your project in the near term.
4. Company and Team
- Provide background information about your small business and key team members in 250 words. Show how your team's expertise will drive the technical and commercial success of the project.
**What Not to Include**
Avoid proposing activities that are not responsive to the solicitation, such as evolutionary development of established products, straightforward engineering efforts, or basic scientific research unconnected to a specific market opportunity. Additionally, proposals involving certain controlled substances or activities like clinical trials are not supported.
By understanding the NSF Project Pitch process and crafting a compelling pitch that aligns with NSF’s objectives, you can increase your chances of receiving an invitation to submit a full proposal.
Remember, persistence is key—don’t be discouraged if your first pitch is not invited. Revise, resubmit, and keep pushing forward on your journey to NSF funding success!