Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II (NSF 24-580)

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II (NSF 24-580) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). Supports expanded R&D efforts for projects that have successfully completed Phase I, with an increased focus on commercialization.

NSF 24-580: NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II Programs (SBIR/STTR Phase II) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version. NSF 24-580: NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II Programs To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): Important Information And Revision Notes The NSF SBIR/STTR programs (also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF) provide non-dilutive funding for the development of a broad range of technologies based on discoveries in science and engineering with the potential for societal and economic impacts .

NSF proposals are confidential and will only be shared with a select number of reviewers and NSF staff (as appropriate). All reviewers have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the proposal content. Proposals to NSF do not constitute a public disclosure.

If selected for a Phase II award, the company will be prompted to write a publicly available abstract that summarizes the intellectual merit and broader impact of the project.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs do not support clinical trials or proposals from companies whose commercialization pathway involves the production, distribution, or sale by the company of chemical components, natural or synthetic variations thereof, or other derivatives related to Schedule I controlled substances. All proposals must be submitted through Research. gov .

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II proposals will not be accepted in Grants. gov. A small business concern may apply for a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II award only if it has received an NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award, and only for continued research towards the commercialization of the technology developed under the Phase I award.

Small businesses are eligible to submit a Phase II proposal between 6 and 24 months after the start date of their relevant NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award. STTR Phase I recipients may submit either STTR or SBIR Phase II proposals and SBIR Phase I recipients may submit either SBIR or STTR Phase II proposals. Reference the Phase I award notice for the exact start date of the award.

Proposals submitted outside of their eligible timeframe will be Returned Without Review. SBIR and STTR proposals are nearly identical but differ in the amount of work performed by the small business and a not-for-profit institution or a Federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) (as noted in the budget).

For more details about the unique requirements of STTR awards, please refer to the Eligibility Information and Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions sections of this solicitation. NSF SBIR Phase II proposals submitted to this solicitation that meet all the requirements of an NSF STTR Phase II proposal may, at NSF’s discretion, be converted to NSF STTR Phase II for award.

Similarly, STTR Phase II proposals may be converted to SBIR Phase II awards at NSF’s discretion. America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF is committed to assisting SBIR/STTR Phase II recipients to successfully commercialize their innovation research, grow their company and create jobs by attracting new investments and partnerships.

To reinforce these commitments, the programs support a broad number of supplements and other opportunities . For more information, see: Supplemental Funding Overview , and the linked Dear Colleagues Letters.

For the purpose of this solicitation, the following definitions apply: Funding Agreement: As used in this solicitation, the funding agreement is a Grant – a legal instrument of financial assistance between NSF and a recipient, consistent with 31 USC 6302-6305 and as noted in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Introduction, Section D ("Definitions & NSF-Recipient Relationships").

Small Business Concerns (SBCs): SBCs are independently owned and operated businesses that are not dominant in the field of operation. For this solicitation, firms qualifying as a small business concern are eligible to participate in the SBIR/STTR programs (see Section IV. "Eligibility Information" of this solicitation for more details).

Please note that the size limit of 500 employees includes affiliates. The firm must be in compliance with the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive and the Code of Federal Regulations .

SBIR/STTR Data: As defined by the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive , SBIR/STTR Data is all Data developed or generated in the performance of an SBIR or STTR award, including Technical Data and Computer Software developed or generated in the performance of an SBIR or STTR award. The term does not include information incidental to contract or grant administration, such as financial, administrative, cost or pricing or management information.

SBIR/STTR Data Rights: The Federal Government may, use, modify, reproduce, perform, display, release, or disclose SBIR/STTR Data that are Technical Data within the Government; however, the Government shall not use, release, or disclose the data for procurement, manufacturing, or commercial purposes; or release or disclose the SBIR/STTR Data outside the Government except as permitted by paragraph 10(B) of the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive 's Data Rights Clause or by written permission of the recipient.

Research and Development (R&D): broadly defined in 2 CFR § 200.

8 , but specified for the NSF SBIR/STTR programs as follows: the application of creative, original, and potentially transformative concepts to systematically study, create, adapt, or manipulate the structure and behavior of the natural or man-made worlds; the use of the scientific method to propose well-reasoned, well-organized activities based on sound theory, computation, measurement, observation, experiment, or modeling; the demonstration of a well-qualified individual, team, or organization ready to deploy novel methods of creating, acquiring, processing, manipulating, storing, or disseminating data or metadata; and/or the novel integration of new theories, analysis, data, or methods regarding cognition, heuristics, and related phenomena, which can be supported by scientific rationale.

Non-Dilutive Funding: financing that does not involve equity, debt, or other elements of the business ownership structure. Technical Risk: Technical risk assumes that the possibility of technical failure exists for an envisioned product, service, or solution to be successfully developed. This risk is present even to those suitably skilled in the art of the component, subsystem, method, technique, tool, or algorithm in question.

If the new product, service, or solution is successfully realized and brought to the market, it would be difficult for a well-qualified, competing firm to reverse-engineer or otherwise neutralize the competitive advantage generated by leveraging fundamental science or engineering research techniques.

Technological Innovation indicates that the new product or service is differentiated from current products or services; that is, the new technology holds the potential to result in a product or service with a substantial and durable advantage over competing solutions on the market. It also generally provides a barrier to entry for competitors.

Significant Revisions Made Since the Last Solicitation: The proposal submission system, Research. gov, will stop accepting proposals at 5:00 pm “submitting organization’s local time. ” If your submission is late, you will not be able to submit again until the next deadline.

Proposers are strongly urged to submit well in advance of the deadline. The total SBIR/STTR Phase II award amount has been increased from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 (inclusive of direct and indirect costs, Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) funding, as well as the small business fee).

Organizational Eligibility: An organization whose Phase I award has been terminated by NSF is not permitted to submit a Phase II proposal predicated on the terminated award. Similarly, an organization whose Phase I award has been suspended by NSF pending a potential investigation may not submit a Phase II proposal while the suspension persists.

If the suspension lasts longer than the normal 24-month window to submit the Phase II proposal, and the Phase I award is later reinstated, NSF will provide additional time to complete the Phase I project and submit the Phase II proposal. An IP (Intellectual Property) Rights Agreement is required for STTR proposals and strongly recommended for SBIR proposals when there is a subaward to another institution.

A fully signed Agreement is not required at the initial proposal submission but will be required before a recommendation for an award can be made. In addition to the standard NSF Merit Review Criteria (Section VI. A.

1-2), this solicitation provides additional clarification on how Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact might be applied to startups and small businesses (Section II). An additional, solicitation-specific merit review criteria focused on Commercialization Potential is also applied and has been clarified.

The Commercialization Potential is to be discussed in terms of both (1) a required Commercialization Plan ( which includes Market Opportunity, Company/Team, Product/Technology and Competition, and a Finance and Revenue Model), and (2) the Phase I Technical Narrative (which considers how the results obtained during Phase I support the proposed commercialization approach).

Four documents: Biographical Sketch(es), Current and Pending (Other) Support forms, Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA), and Synergistic Activities must be submitted for the PI, Co-PI (if STTR), and each Senior/Key Personnel specified in the proposal. Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support forms must be prepared using SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae .

Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA) Information is prepared using the instructions and spreadsheet template . Synergistic Activities.

Each individual identified as a Senior/Key person must provide a document of up to one-page that includes a list of up to five distinct examples of synergistic activities that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual’s professional and scholarly activities that focus on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation. In accordance with Section 10632 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C.

§ 19232), the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must certify that all individuals identified as Senior/Key Personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program. In accordance with Section 223(a)(1) of the William M.

(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (42 U.S.C. § 6605(a)(1)), each individual identified as Senior/Key Personnel is required to certify in SciENcv that the information provided in the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents are accurate, current, and complete.

Senior/Key Personnel are required to update their Current and Pending (Other) Support disclosures prior to award, and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award. See additional information on NSF Disclosure Requirements in the PAPPG, Chapter II. B.

Each Senior/Key Person must also certify prior to proposal submission that they are not a party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program and annually thereafter for the duration of the award. Three (3) Letters of Support from potential product/service users or customers are required; Up to five (5) Letters of Support may be submitted.

Letters of Commitment that confirm the role of any subaward organization(s) in the project and explicitly state the subaward amount are also required. Additional information on the due diligence process , used as part of the review and recommendation process, has been clarified in Section VI.

The due diligence process may include requests for clarification of the company structure, key personnel, conflicts of interest, foreign influence, cybersecurity practices, or other issues as determined by NSF. Participation in the due diligence process is not a guarantee of an award. This solicitation contains many instructions that deviate from the standard NSF PAPPG proposal preparation instructions.

In the event of a conflict between the instructions in this solicitation and the PAPPG, use this solicitation’s instructions as a guide. Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II Programs (SBIR/STTR Phase II) The NSF SBIR/STTR programs support moving scientific excellence and technological innovation from the lab to the market.

By funding startups and small businesses, NSF helps build a strong national economy and stimulates the creation of novel products, services, and solutions in private, public, or government sectors with potential for broad impact; strengthens the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increases the commercial application of federally supported research results; and develops and expands the US workforce, especially by fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses.

The NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II programs provide non-dilutive funding for the development of a broad range of technologies based on discoveries in science and engineering with potential for societal and economic impacts.

Unlike fundamental or basic research activities that focus on scientific and engineering discovery itself, the NSF SBIR/STTR programs support the creation of opportunities to move use-inspired and translational discoveries out of the lab and into the market or other use at scale, through startups and small businesses. The NSF SBIR/STTR programs do not solicit specific technologies or procure goods and services.

The funding provided is non-dilutive. Any invention conceived or reduced to practice with the assistance of SBIR/STTR funding is subject to the Bayh/Dole Act. For more information, refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) , #75.

NSF encourages input and participation from the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer which includes underrepresented and underserved communities. NSF seeks unproven, leading-edge, technology innovations that demonstrate the following characteristics: The innovations are underpinned and enabled by a new scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation.

The innovations still require intensive technical research and development to be fully embedded in a reliable product or service. The innovations have not yet been reduced to practice by anyone and it is not guaranteed, at present, that doing so is technically possible. The innovations provide a strong competitive advantage that are not easily replicable by competitors (even technically proficient ones).

Once reduced to practice, the innovations are expected to result in a product or service that would either be disruptive to existing markets or create new markets/new market segments.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs focus on stimulating technical innovation from diverse entrepreneurs and start-ups and small businesses by translating new scientific and engineering concepts into products and services that can be scaled and commercialized into sustainable businesses with significant societal benefits.

The program provides non-dilutive funding for research and development (R&D) of use-inspired scientific and engineering activities for startups and small businesses. In Phase I, the emphasis is on de-risking those aspects preventing the innovation from reaching technical feasibility and driving the intended impact.

In Phase II, R&D continues, but the emphasis starts to shift away from research and to development challenges which, if solved, would result in new sustainable competitive advantages to allow the company to differentiate itself and drive new value propositions to the market and society. This NSF program is governed by 15 USC 638 and the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended ( 42 USC §1861, et seq. ).

Introduction to the Program The SBIR and STTR programs were established in 1982 as part of the Small Business Innovation Development Act.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs focus on stimulating technical innovation from diverse entrepreneurs and startups by translating new scientific and engineering discoveries emerging from the private sector, federal labs, and academia into products and services that can be scaled and commercialized into sustainable businesses with significant societal benefits.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs are now part of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) , which was recently launched to accelerate innovation and enhance economic competitiveness by catalyzing partnerships and investments that strengthen the links between fundamental research and technology development, deployment, and use.

Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Contact Your Phase I Program Officer, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences --- Office of International Science and Engineering --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Anticipated Type of Award: Fixed Amount Cooperative Agreement Estimated Number of Awards: 90 Approximately 85-90 awards for SBIR Phase II per year, pending the availability of funds.

Approximately 8 awards for STTR Phase II per year, pending the availability of funds. Anticipated Funding Amount: $120,000,000 Approximately $110,000,000 for SBIR Phase II. Approximately $10,000,000 for STTR Phase II.

Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Proposers must submit their SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal within 6 to 24 months after the start date of their relevant NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award. Please reference your NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award notice for award start date.

Note that this submission window is NOT extended by no-cost extensions. Firms qualifying as a small business concern are eligible to participate in the NSF SBIR/STTR programs (see the Guide to SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility for more information). Please note that the size limit of 500 employees includes affiliates .

The firm must be in compliance with the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive and the Code of Federal Regulations . For STTR proposals, the proposing small business concern must also include a partner research institution in the project, see additional details below. An organization whose Phase I award has been terminated by NSF will not be permitted to submit a Phase II proposal predicated on the terminated award.

Similarly, an organization whose Phase I award has been suspended by NSF pending a potential investigation may not submit a Phase II proposal while the suspension persists. If the suspension lasts longer than the normal 24-month window to submit the Phase II proposal, and the Phase I award is later reinstated, NSF will provide additional time to complete the Phase I project and submit the Phase II proposal.

In compliance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Section 10636 (Person or entity of concern prohibition) (42 U.S.C. 19235): No person published on the list under section 1237(b) of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) or entity identified under section 1260H of the William M.

(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 U.S.C. 113 note; Public Law 116-283) may receive or participate in any grant, award, program, support, or other activity under the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

Individuals who are a current party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program are not eligible to serve as a Senior/Key Person on an NSF proposal or on any NSF award made after May 20, 2024. See current PAPPG for additional information on required certifications associated with Malign Foreign Talent Organization.

The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must certify that all individuals identified as Senior/Key Personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program. The startup’s or small business’ Research and Development (R&D) must be performed within the United States.

Startups and small businesses funded by NSF must be majority U.S.-owned companies. NSF does not fund proposals from companies that are majority-owned by one or more venture capital operating companies (VCOCs), hedge funds, or private equity firms.

Proposals from joint ventures and partnerships are permitted, provided the proposing entity qualifies as a small business concern (see Guide to SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility for more information). “Collaborative Proposal from Multiple Organizations” (a special proposal type in Research. gov) are not allowed.

Start-ups and small businesses that have a social mission in their charter are encouraged to apply. Socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses and women-owned small businesses are also encouraged to apply. The primary employment of the Principal Investigator (PI) must be with the small business concern at the time of award and for the duration of the award, unless a new PI is named.

Primary employment is defined as at least 51 percent employed by the small business concern. NSF normally considers a full-time work week to be 40 hours and considers employment elsewhere of greater than 19. 6 hours per week to be in conflict with this requirement.

The PI must have a legal right to work for the proposing company in the United States, as evidenced by citizenship, permanent residency, or an appropriate visa. The PI does not need to be associated with an academic institution. There are no PI degree requirements (i.e., the PI is not required to hold a Ph.

D. or any other degree). A PI must devote a minimum of one calendar month of effort per six months of performance to an NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II project.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1 Phase II submission per Phase I award Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: For NSF SBIR – 1 PI, co-PIs are not allowed. For NSF STTR - 1 PI and 1 co-PI are required (the PI must be an employee of the proposing small business and the co-PI must be part of the STTR partner research institution). An individual may act as the co-PI on an unlimited number of NSF STTR proposals.

An individual may be listed as the PI for only one proposal submitted at a time to this NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II solicitation. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals: This solicitation contains information that deviates from the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of the solicitation for further information.

Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m. submitting organization’s local time): Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria.

Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration Information Additional award conditions apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into commercial potential and/or societal benefit through the development of products or services. The NSF SBIR/STTR programs are phased, competitive processes having an emphasis on de-risking the highest-risk science/engineering aspects through hypothesis-driven research.

The scientific/engineering risks are decisive hurdles preventing the innovation from reaching technical feasibility and driving the intended impact. If solved, the outcomes would result in new and significant competitive advantages to allow the company to differentiate itself and drive new value propositions to the market and society.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs fund research and development (R&D) and are designed to provide non-dilutive funding to support small business concerns with technologies at their earliest stages. NSF SBIR/STTR awards are not government contracts. The NSF does not use the SBIR/STTR programs to procure goods or services for the government.

NSF is not a customer for, and does not test, verify, or otherwise use the technology developed under its SBIR/STTR awards. Any invention conceived or reduced to practice with the assistance of SBIR/STTR funding is subject to the Bayh-Dole Act. For more information, refer to SBIR/STTR Frequently Asked Questions, #75 .

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs do not have a specific topical focus. Generally, the topics included in the NSF SBIR/STTR solicitation are intended to be broad enough to permit small business concerns with science- and engineering-based innovations to compete for funding, transforming science and engineering discovery and innovation into both societal and economic impact.

NSF encourages people from all backgrounds and geographic areas to apply for funding. The NSF SBIR/STTR programs are highly competitive. While success rates vary year-to-year, only a fraction of proposals submitted are selected for an award.

Thus, there are many qualified businesses applying to the program each year that do not receive funding.

Building upon the primary objectives of the NSF-funded Phase I effort to (i) determine whether the innovation has sufficient intellectual merit and broader impact / commercialization potential to proceed to a Phase II project and (ii) to assess commercial feasibility of the proposed innovation, the aim of the Phase II project is to continue the research and development (R&D) efforts initiated in Phase I and advance the technology and associated product or service aggressively toward commercial deployment.

While startups and small businesses face many types of challenges, the NSF SBIR/STTR funding is intended to specifically focus on challenges associated with technological innovation; that is, on the creation of new products, services, and other scalable solutions based on fundamental science or engineering.

In addition to the standard NSF Merit Review Criteria, the following provides additional clarification of how Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact might be applied to small business concerns (Section II). The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge and leverage fundamental science or engineering research techniques to overcome technical risk.

This can be conveyed through the Research and Development (R&D ) of the project. NSF SBIR/STTR proposals are often evaluated via the concepts of Technical Risk and Technological Innovation. Technical Risk assumes that the possibility of technical failure exists for an envisioned product, service, or solution to be successfully developed.

This risk is present even to those suitably skilled in the art of the component, subsystem, method, technique, tool, or algorithm in question. Technological Innovation indicates that the new product or service is differentiated from current products or services; that is, the new technology holds the potential to result in a product or service with a substantial and durable advantage over competing solutions on the market.

It also generally provides a barrier to entry for competitors. This means that if the new product, service, or solution is successfully realized and brought to the market, it should be difficult for a well-qualified, competing firm to reverse-engineer or otherwise neutralize the competitive advantage generated by leveraging fundamental science or engineering research techniques.

The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential for the company to drive a benefit to society in terms of addressing major societal challenges. Considering the products developed under this program will have a broad societal reach, will be widely distributed, and will therefore have impacts that are far reaching with people and communities.

It is important to ensure adequate assessment of potential benefits and unintended consequences of the proposed technology. The NSF SBIR/STTR programs support the vision of the NSF, which is a nation that leads the world in science and engineering research and innovation to the benefit of all, without barriers to participation. Proposers may also consider the Broader Impacts Review Criterion at 42 U.S.C.

§1862p-14 as related to the potential for broadest societal impact. An additional, solicitation-specific merit review criteria focused on Commercialization Potential is also required. The Commercialization Potential of the proposed product or service is the potential for the resulting technology to disrupt the targeted market segment by way of a strong and durable value proposition for the customers or users.

The proposed product or service addresses an unmet, important, and scalable need for the target customer base. The proposed small business concern is structured and staffed to focus on aggressive commercialization of the product/service. The proposed small business concern can provide evidence of good product-market fit (as validated by direct and significant interaction with customers and related stakeholders).

The Commercialization Potential is to be discussed in terms of both (1) a required Commercialization Plan, and (2) the required Phase I Technical Narrative. The Commercialization Plan (which includes Market Opportunity, Company/Team, Product/Technology and Competition, and a Finance and Revenue Model, see Section V.)

should clearly describe how the company plans to generate revenue based on the product or service developed in Phase I and II. The Plan should represent a compelling vision that describes a business opportunity that could be addressed, in part, with continued NSF support via Phase II funding. The depth and quality of the analysis within the Commercialization Plan is a critical element of the NSF SBIR/STTR proposal review.

Reviewers will also examine the Phase I Technical Narrative (See Section V.) detailing the technical accomplishments of the NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award and how these results support the underlying commercial opportunity. More details and information regarding the NSF SBIR/STTR merit review criteria can be found in Section VI of this solicitation and the NSF SBIR/STTR website .

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II proposals may be submitted for funding up to $1,250,000. This amount is inclusive of all direct and indirect costs as well as the small business fee and Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) funding.

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II projects typically run for 24 months, though deviations are possible depending on the circumstances of the proposer and the research project (potential proposers are encouraged to contact their cognizant NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I Program Officer to discuss). IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Proposers must submit their SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal within 6 to 24 months after the start date of their relevant NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award. Please reference your NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award notice for award start date. Note that this submission window is NOT extended by no-cost extensions.

Firms qualifying as a small business concern are eligible to participate in the NSF SBIR/STTR programs (see the Guide to SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility for more information). Please note that the size limit