National
Institute
of Food
And Agriculture
To Advance Knowledge
For Agriculture, the
Environment, Human
Health and Well-being,
and Communities
Features of USDA SBIR Program
• Award Grants Only - Ideas are Investigator-Initiated
• Awards Based on Scientific and Technical Merit, PI and
Company Qualifications, and Commercial Potential
• Commercialization Assistance Program in Both Phase I and
Phase II
• Proposals Reviewed by Confidential Peer Review Using
Outside Experts From Non-profit Organizations
• Funds Allocated to Topic Areas in Proportion to Number of
Proposals Received
• Subcontracting to Universities and USDA Labs Permitted
and Encouraged
Features of USDA SBIR Program
• Phase I Grants = 8 Months/$100,000
• Phase II Grants = 2 Years/$450,000
• 12 Month No-cost Extension Available
• All Applicants Receive Verbatim Copies of
Reviews
• Procedures are Available to Close the Funding
Gap Between Phase I and Phase II
Electronic Submission
• Application Submission Requires Many Steps to Complete
the Process
• Download the USDA SBIR RFA at
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html
• Electronic Submission is Mandatory via Grants.gov
• Obtain Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number
• Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)
• Register your Business with Grants.gov
– http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
Topic Areas
• Forests & Related
Resources
• Plant Production &
Protection – Biology
• Plant Production &
Protection - Engineering
• Animal Production &
Protection
• Air, Water & Soils
• Food Science &
Nutrition
• Rural Development
• Aquaculture
• Biofuels and Biobased
Products
• Small & Mid-Size Farms
USDA SBIR REVIEW PROCESS
•
Proposals are evaluated by confidential peer
review using review panels plus ad-hoc
reviewers for Phase I and only ad-hoc
reviewers for Phase II
•
Selection criteria include scientific/technical
merit, commercial potential, and degree to
which Phase I feasibility has been
demonstrated
History of USDA SBIR Funding
Year
Budget MM
Phase I
Phase II
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
16.25
15.70
17.74
18.18
19.20
19.17
18.20
18.30
19.71
22.26
19.49
90/480
86/449
88/656
99/582
93/557
97/650
81/510
77/454
73/350
91/537
56/508
37/63
39/68
38/67
38/65
40/79
32/61
39/71
38/69
33/53
39/62
36/72
Solicitation/Proposal
Schedule:
Phase I
• FY 2013 Solicitation will be Released on June 1, 2012
• Phase I Proposal Deadline will be August 30, 2012
• Panels will Meet in January & February of 2013
• Award Decisions will be Made by Early March 2013
• Phase I Grant Period will be from May 1, 2013 to December
31, 2013
Phase II
• FY 2012 Solicitation will be Released in November of 2011
(only prior USDA Phase I winners are eligible)
• Phase II Proposal Deadline will be March 1, 2012
• Phase II Grant Period will be from September 1, 2012 to
August 31, 2014
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Small Business Innovation Research Program
Dr. Charles Cleland
Forests and Related Resources
Air, Water and Soils
Aquaculture
Small and Mid-Size Farms
Dr. William Goldner
Plant Production and Protection
(Biology and Engineering);
Biofuels and Biobased Products
Dr. Jodi Williams
Food Science and Nutrition
Dr. Adele Turzillo
Animal Production and Protection
Dr. Suresh Sureshwaran
Rural Development
Laurie Fortis
Program Specialist, SBIR
USDA SBIR HOMEPAGE
www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/sbir
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Program Information
Solicitation (Request for Applications)
Technical Abstracts
Link to SBA and Other SBIR Programs
Upcoming SBIR Conferences
Find the Expert (CRIS & ARS)
PowerPoint Presentation
Success Stories
Impact Newsletter
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Small Business Innovation Research Program
Waterfront Centre, Suite 3252
800 9th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
Phone: (202) 401-4002  Fax: (202) 401-6070
E-mail: sbir@nifa.usda.gov
Web Site: www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/sbir