Summary

The federal government offers several programs to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Two of them, aimed at technological innovation, are the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. Skim this article, which provides further information and application guidance for each.

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants provide a valuable opportunity to receive non-diluting capital.
The process of applying for an SBIR/STTR grant has several steps and can take months to complete.
SBIR/STTR proposals take the form of typical grant proposals, except the former are shorter and have a lower requirement for preliminary data.
An academic entrepreneur should not expect to receive SBIR/STTR funding on their first attempt at a proposal.
There are several common pitfalls during the application process, and careful consideration of these issues can substantially improve an application.

Source: Elliot Stein, David Lee, and Nalaka Gooneratne, https://academicentrepreneurship.pubpub.org/pub/sbir-sttr-grants-application-guidance/release/2
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