NIST FY19 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II | 2019 NIST SBIR 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2019 NIST SBIR 02

The NIST FY19 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: 2019 NIST SBIR 02) is a discretionary federal grant competition run by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is designed specifically as the next step for companies that previously received a NIST SBIR Phase I award in FY 2018. In other words, it is not an open solicitation for brand-new applicants; it is a follow-on opportunity intended to help successful Phase I projects move from early feasibility work into a more mature research and development effort that has clear commercial promise.

The main purpose of Phase II under this notice is to continue and expand the work that was started in Phase I, but only where the Phase I results show strong potential for real-world, market-ready application. Phase II is framed as the R and D and prototype development stage, meaning applicants are expected to go beyond basic proof-of-concept and into more substantial development, refinement, testing, and demonstration. The work typically focuses on building and validating a functional prototype or otherwise advancing the underlying technology so it is closer to deployment, manufacturing, or customer adoption.

To be considered for a Phase II award, each eligible Phase I awardee must submit a full, detailed application. The application is expected to do two major things: (1) lay out a comprehensive technical plan for the proposed Phase II research and development, and (2) present a detailed commercialization plan explaining how the final product, process, or service will be transitioned into the marketplace. The commercialization component is central to Phase II expectations; applicants need to show they are thinking beyond the lab, including potential customers, value proposition, competitive landscape, path to revenue, and practical steps to get the innovation adopted.

Awards under this NOFO are structured as cooperative agreements, which generally means the government may have a more engaged role than in a standard grant, depending on the project and terms. Each Phase II award can provide up to $400,000 in federal funding, with a period of performance of up to 24 months. The notice also allows applicants to request up to an additional $6,500 for Technical and Business Assistance (TABA), which is meant to support activities that strengthen the company s technical strategy and commercialization readiness (the NOFO points applicants to Section 5.11 for the specific TABA rules and allowable uses).

The opportunity also includes a post-award accountability requirement tied directly to commercialization outcomes. One year after the Phase II R and D effort is completed, the awardee must submit a report describing commercialization activities. This reflects the SBIR program s broader goal of ensuring federally funded innovation leads to measurable economic and societal impact, such as product launches, sales, licensing, follow-on investment, partnerships, or other concrete steps toward market adoption.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA number associated with the program is 11.620. The opportunity was created on April 9, 2019, with an original closing date of June 12, 2019. NIST anticipated making around 100 awards under this Phase II solicitation, indicating a sizable cohort of Phase I awardees was expected to compete for follow-on support.

• The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIST FY19 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 2019 NIST SBIR 02

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