Oregon FAST offers a wide range of services to clients in their pursuit of SBIR/STTR funding. Over the life of the program, Oregon FAST has developed a workflow to assist clients in every aspect of SBIR/STTR proposal development. We can match you with the most appropriate agency and topic based on your innovation, help put you in contact with relevant program managers, provide you with tools and resources that guide you through agency requirements and proposal management, review and critique proposal packages before submission and provide some grant professional writing services. The only service Oregon FAST doesn’t provide is content creation. You know your operation and innovation best.

Each year the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding programs award approximately $4.2 billion in non-dilutive funding to small, high-tech, innovative businesses. SBIR encourages small for-profit companies and research institutions to pursue risky but potentially rewarding endeavors to ensure the United States remains the world's innovation leader. The funding is awarded based on a competitive process that considers both the technical merit of the technology to be developed and the potential for successfully introducing it to the market. 

SBIR/STTR grants are made by the following participating federal agencies:

Department of Agriculture | Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology | Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Department of Defense | Department of Education | Department of Energy | Department of Health and Human Services | Department of Homeland Security | Department of Transportation | Environmental Protection Agency | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | National Science Foundation  

All SBIR and STTR Programs follow a common format:

Phase 1:
Tests the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed effort.

Phase 2:
Further develops the Phase I effort and generally leads to a “market-ready” prototype.

Phase 3:
Is the market approach and commercialization of the developed innovation and is generally (put in because of limited Phase III awards) not directly funded by governmental agencies, though indirect funding might be available through companion or “follow-on” efforts.

See SBIR.gov for more details.

For both SBIR and STTR

• Organized as a for-profit business located in the United States

• At least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States

• OR at least 51% owned and controlled by another for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States

• No more than 500 employees, including affiliates

For an STTR grant
The company and proposed project should also have:

• A formal cooperative research and development effort

• Minimum 40% of research and development be undertaken by small business

• Minimum 30% by U.S. research institution (U.S. research institutions include: College or University, Other nonprofit research organization, Federal research and development center)

• Have an intellectual property agreement between the business and the research institution

• Have a plan for a follow-on R&D and commercialization effort

STTR projects require that the proposing small business partner with a research institution (optional in SBIR). STTR and SBIR Phase I projects have different timelines and funding limits, and each program also has different budget allocation requirements. Award rates for the two programs are similar.