SBIR Advantage

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages well-established small businesses based in the United States to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. Prime contractors and private businesses can use this program to their competitive advantage. 

If you are faced with a seemingly impossible task or obstacle that you can’t seem to overcome, the experience and expertise gained from SBIR technology development gives you significant advantages toward tackling your challenge, including:

1. Risk Mitigation: Use a multi-phase approach to pursue technologies that may be to high-risk for internal R&D or may not have a clear path to a viable solution.
2. Lower Cost: Leverage SBIR funds to fund a customized solution that is specific to customer requirements.
3. Speed to Need: Get a custom solution 12-18 months sooner than a typical procurement process.

• Government agencies can use SBIR funds for Phase 1 programs (up to $150K) and Phase 2 programs (up to $1.5M).
• Government agencies or private contractors can use funds for a Sequential Phase 2 program if it qualifies as a derivative of a previously funded Phase 1 or Phase 2 program and also shows promise for commercialization.

With a Sequential Phase 2, businesses can bypass traditional procurement channels and leverage a previous development program. No requests-for-proposals or competitive bids are needed, saving 12-18 months. The government or contracting company can go straight to a sole-source contract to further develop the Phase 2 technology and begin their development immediately.

If a Federal agency or Prime Contractor is purchasing R&D or a product that is derived from, extends or completes work under a prior SBIR Phase 1 or Phase 2 contract, then to the greatest extent practicable, the agency or contractor shall issue a Phase 3 award to the prior contract recipient. In other words, the contract is a sole source award, and competition is not required, thus reducing acquisition time.

SBIR Sequential Phase 2 and Phase 3 awards are defined as work that:

1. derives from,
2. extends,
3. or completes

efforts made under prior funding agreements under the SBIR program.

At Intellisense, we have experience leveraging prior work to initiate Sequential Phase 2 programs as derivatives from prior Phase 1 or 2 SBIR contracts. We have developed hundreds of technologies through the SBIR program, and it’s likely these technologies could be the basis for your next solution.

One of our engineers can find a technology to match your needs from our catalog of prior SBIR programs that will allow you to take advantage of the SBIR development process. Please complete the form below to get started.