January, 2012
Volume 1, Issue 7
North Dakota SBIR/STTR R & D Funding for Tech. Entrepreneurs SBIR Reauthorization
Inside this Issue : SBIR P.1 Reauthorization
SBIR Proposal Topic Key Word Search
SBIR HAS NOW BEEN REAUTHORIZED for a period of 6 years, ending September 30, 2017. That also includes STTR, and what was the Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP), now to be known as the Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP).
resolutions led some powerful forces to question the validity of a program that can't be reauthorized. "If it can't be passed, let it die" was the word from one source. And die it would, had there not been serious compromises.
This was all done under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) HR.1540. All that's left is for the President to sign the bill into law, and he has said he would.
Although reauthorization has passed, your role is not done. It is vital that our SBIR community stay "tuned in" and active because your input will be requested relating to the changes and how the program is working for you. Although we have a six year reauthorization, some SBIR issues will be revisited by congress during this period.
What you won't read in press releases or the main stream press is that the SBIR program was a stone's throw from being laid to rest.
P.1
The fatigue factor from several years of battling for reauthorization, and fighting for 14 continuing
A detailed technical document explaining the new legislation (sans legalese) and how it will most likely effect small business,
the agencies, and academia is in the process of being created and will be in the next issue. The legislation gives the SBA 180 days to implement new policy directives for SBIR and STTR. As those are being developed, public comments will be solicited. You will be informed about those when they happen. Your input will be critical! The new eligibility regulations must implemented within 120 days. At this point you have "certainty" that the SBIR/ STTR programs will continue, but uncertainty as to how the agencies will handle the changes.
SBIR Proposal : Topic Key Word Search
Events & Conferences
P. 2
Useful Links
P. 2
Key Word Searching: what is it? It is using the internet to help you find SBIR/STTR topics that might align with your interests. How do you do it? As we reported a few months ago, you go to either www.sbir.gov or www.zyn.com/sbir and use their search engines and SBIR/STTR topic databases to find opportunities.
topics of interest to you). We were told that sbir.gov’s historical topic database would be created slowly over time as “current topics” became “historical topics” as solicitations closed. We stated that sbir.gov, as the “official” Federal government website, would probably be populated with new SBIR/STTR topics faster than the volunteer-run zyn.com website. Boy, were we wrong!
In contrast, on the same date the volunteers at zyn.com had the DOE topics loaded and available for key word searches. Also note that zyn.com has closed topics dating all the way back to FY2000.
We’re not trying to jab sbir.gov, but we do want to When we discussed the sbir.gov caution you that its SBIR/ and zyn.com search capabilities a STTR topic search capability few months back, we cautioned you After being told that sbir.gov would apparently is still evolving, that sbir.gov did not have any not be loaded with old topics, and is not a suitable substitute historical or closed topics in its guess what they have done? They for that at zyn.com. For the database (which means you can’t have loaded all of the closed topics foreseeable future, we do important searches that help you for the past year. And when we recommend you use both see historical interests of the looked on sbir.gov for the new websites’ search capabilities agencies, give you insights into Dept of Energy topics two days to make sure that you don’t future topics, or allow you to identify after they were announced, we miss an opportunity or some other companies competing on discovered they weren’t there yet. key historical data.
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