NEW YEAR, NEW SBIR/STTR SOLICITATIONS

Source: Vertue Lab, Jan 14 2020

We are excited for the events, awards, and other opportunities coming in 2020, and we’re kicking things off with an update of the newly released agency solicitations and approaching submission dates, including:

  • National Science Foundation
  • U.S. Dept. of Defense
  • U.S. Dept. of Transportation
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • U.S. Dept of Homeland Security
  • National Institutes of Health
  • U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
National Science Foundation (NSF)   The NSF has released its new SBIR and STTR solicitations (nsf20527, nsf20578) for calendar year 2020. You might remember that the 2019 solicitation closed on Dec 12, so the closed period was a mere five days!    There are some changes and significant news:   Maximum Award Amount Increased | The maximum award amount has been increased to $256,000, formerly $225,000. This is consistent with congressional legislation increasing the maximum award for 2020 across all agencies.   Submission Window Modification | The NSF now has four open “windows” when you can submit: Dec. 18, 2019 – Mar. 5, 2020March 6 – June 4, 2020June 5 – Sep. 3, 2020Sep. 4 – Dec. 3, 2020   VertueLab has no information on the review cycle, but we expect this might lead to faster notifications than the old spring/fall cycles.   In addition, there are a number of new program managers, as well as changes to ownership of topic areas.   Learn more about the latest solicitation
Department of Defense (DoD)   As of January 14, 2020, the DoD has opened its 20.1 and 20.3 Broad Agency Announcements, and the open question period is now closed. Proposals are due February 12.   There are too many topics to list, but here is a bit of teaser, with topics related to:   Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (i.e. drones)BiochemicalInformation systemsEnergy systems, storageAtmospheric water harvestingSensorsWearables… and so much more   See the full DoD topics list
Department of Transportation (DOT)   DOT released its annual SBIR notice with some big changes!    Question Period | There is a pre-solicitation question period from January 6, 2020 through January 29, 2020. Pre-solicitation instructions and full descriptions of U.S. DOT’s proposed FY20 Phase I solicitation research topics can be found here.   Streamlined Solicitation Process | The solicitation period will be shortened to 30 days, and the proposals requirements will be streamlined, reducing the page requirements for the technical proposal.   Evaluation Down-Selection | DOT evaluation teams will down-select the finalists being considered for awards. Finalists will be invited to participate in DOT’s new Pitch Day.   Pitch Day Added | Following on the success of the U.S. Air Force’s SBIR Pitch Day, DOT will introduce its own version of an in-person Pitch Day event for SBIR finalists, to take place at DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event will allow DOT evaluators to interact with the finalists to both hear their 15-minute “pitch” and engage in a Q&A session. Real-time evaluation enables quicker decision-making and streamlined Phase I awards.   Learn more about the DOT SBIR/STTR Program changes.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)   NOAA released its 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under CFDA number 11.021.   Research topics include:   AquacultureRecreational and commercial fisheriesWeather service improvement & evolutionNext generation NOAA platformsNext generation observation and modeling systemsFlood inundation   For more details, access the full solicitation here.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) CLOSING SOON!   DHS released their 2020 topics to include tech development of:   Handheld detection/imagingCrowded place securityData protection, and other topics.   Submissions are due January 20.   Note: This will be the DHS’s only release for 2020. More info here.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)   The NIH Omnibus is due April 5. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also participate in the HHS Omnibus SBIR solicitation.   Applicants may also apply via the SBIR/STTR targeted grant solicitation, and the annual HHS SBIR contract. The targeted SBIR/STTR grant solicitations are focused on specific research areas, and the HHS SBIR contract clearly requests certain types of technologies.    Learn more about NIH SBIR/STTR here.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)   The USDA SBIR Phase 1 Request For Applications (RFA) is released every year in June, with due dates in October.   Research topics include:   Forests and related resourcesPlant production and protection – biologyAnimal production and protectionAir, water, and soilsFood science and nutritionRural developmentAquacultureBiofuels and bio-based productsSmall and mid-size farmsPlant production and protection – engineering   Learn more about the USDA SBIR/STTR Program here.

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