Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Program

Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of the Air Force (AFWERX). The TABA program provides eligible Department of the Air Force (DAF) SBIR/STTR awardees with additional funding to access technical expertise, commercialization support, and specialized services that reduce technical risk and accelerate technology transition.

Innovation Funding Platform | Raisy Raisy — SBIR/STTR Commercialization & TABA Platform for Federal Innovators Raisy is the commercialization platform for companies funded by the U.S. federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

We connect Innovators with vetted Experts and Organizations who deliver TABA-eligible (Technical and Business Assistance) services — helping you move from Phase I award to Phase II proposal, Phase III revenue, and beyond.

Match SBIR/STTR awardees with vetted commercialization Experts Surface TABA-eligible services: market research, IP strategy, regulatory, manufacturing readiness, customer discovery, and Phase III planning Track your federal funding pipeline across NASA, NSF, DoD, DOE, NIH, USDA, DHS, DOT, ED, EPA, and other SBIR/STTR participating agencies Discover open solicitations and matching past awards across the federal ecosystem Manage proposals, deals, and expert engagements in one workspace Technology Innovators: small businesses with active or pending SBIR/STTR awards looking for commercialization support and Phase II/III planning Experts: independent consultants and advisors with deep federal SBIR/STTR domain experience offering TABA-eligible services Organizations: agencies, accelerators, and service firms supporting portfolios of federally funded deep-tech startups Raisy is built specifically for the federal SBIR/STTR ecosystem.

Every Expert on the platform is vetted for SBIR/STTR experience. Every service is mapped to TABA categories so awardees can use award funds directly. Every opportunity and award in our database comes from official federal sources, refreshed daily.

TABA-eligible services on Raisy Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) is a provision of the SBIR/STTR program that allows awardees to use a portion of their award funds for outside commercialization assistance.

Raisy organizes Experts and Organizations across the following service categories: Market research and customer discovery: federal customer interviews, end-user validation, total addressable market sizing, and government buyer mapping Intellectual property strategy: patent landscape analysis, freedom-to-operate reviews, government use rights, and IP protection planning for federally funded technology Regulatory and compliance: FDA pathway planning, ITAR and EAR export control, FedRAMP authorization, CMMC cybersecurity, and agency-specific compliance support Manufacturing readiness and scale-up: Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) advancement, supplier qualification, DFARS compliance, and domestic production planning Phase III commercialization planning: sole-source contract pursuit, transition-to-program-of-record strategy, and Phase III revenue capture Federal contracting and GSA support: GSA Schedule applications, OASIS, SEWP, CIO-SP3, and other federal contract vehicle positioning Grant writing and proposal review: Phase I and Phase II proposal development, technical narrative editing, commercialization plan preparation, and red-team review Strategic partnerships: prime contractor introductions, CRADA structuring, and university and federal lab collaboration NASA's SBIR program funds early-stage R&D for space technology, aeronautics, and exploration systems.

Raisy helps NASA awardees navigate the Phase I–II–III pipeline, post-Phase II opportunities (Sequential Phase II, Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program), and transitions into NASA programs of record. National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR/STTR (America's Seed Fund) NSF's America's Seed Fund supports deep-tech startups across all areas of science and engineering.

Raisy connects NSF awardees with Experts experienced in NSF's I-Corps customer discovery methodology, Phase IIB matching funds, and commercial market validation. Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR/STTR DoD operates the largest SBIR/STTR program in the federal government, spanning the Air Force, Army, Navy, DARPA, MDA, DHA, DTRA, SOCOM, and OSD.

Raisy supports DoD awardees on Direct-to-Phase-II awards, Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) and Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) programs, AFWERX, NavalX, and Army xTechSearch transitions. Department of Energy (DOE) SBIR/STTR DOE funds clean energy, advanced manufacturing, fusion, grid modernization, and basic energy sciences.

Raisy helps DOE awardees with technology-to-market planning, Phase IIC commercialization assistance, and partnerships with national laboratories including NREL, ORNL, ANL, and LBNL. National Institutes of Health (NIH) SBIR/STTR NIH SBIR/STTR funds biomedical research, medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and digital health.

Raisy connects NIH awardees with Experts in FDA regulatory strategy, clinical trial design, reimbursement, Commercialization Accelerator Program (CAP) support, and Niche Assessment Program participation.

USDA, DHS, DOT, ED, EPA, and other agencies Raisy also covers SBIR/STTR programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (food, agriculture, rural development), Department of Homeland Security (border security, cybersecurity, first responders), Department of Transportation (intelligent transportation, safety, infrastructure), Department of Education (educational technology, learning sciences), and Environmental Protection Agency (clean technology, water, air quality).

Innovators create a free profile, describe their funded technology, and post a request for commercialization assistance. Raisy matches the request against vetted Experts and Organizations whose services align with the Innovator's stage, agency, and technology domain. Innovators review responses, message Experts directly, schedule discovery calls, and execute engagements through deals tracked inside Raisy.

Experts and Organizations build a profile of services, set pricing, and respond to incoming requests from federally funded startups actively looking to spend TABA dollars. Frequently asked questions SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) are competitive U.S. federal programs that fund early-stage research and development at small businesses.

Eleven federal agencies participate, awarding more than $4 billion per year in non-dilutive grants and contracts. Awards are structured in three phases: Phase I (feasibility, typically $50K–$300K), Phase II (prototype development, typically $750K–$2M), and Phase III (commercialization, no SBIR funds but priority for sole-source federal contracts). TABA stands for Technical and Business Assistance.

It is a provision of the SBIR/STTR statute that allows awardees to use a portion of their award (typically up to $6,500 per Phase I and up to $50,000 per Phase II, depending on agency) for outside commercialization assistance. TABA funds can pay for market research, IP support, regulatory help, manufacturing planning, and other services from third-party Experts. Raisy is built specifically to connect awardees with TABA-eligible Experts.

Raisy serves three primary user types: Innovators (small businesses with SBIR/STTR awards or active proposals), Experts (independent consultants offering commercialization services to federally funded startups), and Organizations (consulting firms, accelerators, and service providers serving multiple SBIR/STTR awardees). Sign-up is free for all roles. How does Raisy vet Experts?

Every Expert on Raisy is reviewed for direct SBIR/STTR program experience, verifiable past performance with federal awardees, and domain expertise in the services they offer. Experts publish detailed profiles including agency experience, past engagements, service categories, pricing, and credentials. What's the difference between SBIR Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III?

Phase I funds technical feasibility studies (typically 6–12 months, $50K–$300K depending on agency). Phase II funds full prototype development for awardees that successfully completed Phase I (typically 24 months, $750K–$2M). Phase III is the commercialization phase — no additional SBIR funds, but the awardee receives priority status for sole-source federal contracts derived from the SBIR-funded work, with no dollar ceiling.

Which agencies does Raisy cover?

Raisy covers all eleven SBIR/STTR participating federal agencies: Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, primarily NIH), Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Commerce (DOC, including NIST and NOAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Education (ED), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Innovators can create an account, browse Experts, and post requests at no cost. Experts and Organizations can list services for free and upgrade to paid tiers for premium discovery, spotlighted placement, and advanced workspace features. How is Raisy different from generic freelance marketplaces?

Raisy is purpose-built for the federal SBIR/STTR ecosystem. Unlike Upwork, Fiverr, or Catalant, every Expert on Raisy has documented SBIR/STTR experience, every service is mapped to TABA-eligible categories so funds can be used directly, and every opportunity and award in our database is sourced from official federal databases (sbir. gov, sam.

gov, agency-specific portals). Raisy also includes built-in proposal tracking, deal management, and federal funding pipeline analytics that generic platforms do not offer. Common scenarios on Raisy "I just won my first Phase I award."

Innovators in this scenario use Raisy to plan their Phase II strategy from day one — identifying the right commercialization Expert early, allocating TABA dollars effectively, and building the customer discovery and IP foundation needed for a competitive Phase II proposal. "I'm preparing a Phase II proposal."

Innovators use Raisy to find Experts who specialize in Phase II proposal development, commercialization plan writing, letters of intent from federal customers, and red-team review of technical narratives before submission. "I need an Expert with specific agency experience."

Whether it's a NASA technology infusion plan, an Air Force STRATFI submission, a DoD prime contractor introduction, or an NIH FDA pathway, Innovators filter Raisy's Expert directory by agency, program, service category, and past performance to find the right match. "I run an organization supporting multiple SBIR awardees."

Accelerators, consulting firms, and agency-affiliated service organizations use Raisy to manage portfolios of awardees, track engagements across multiple deals, coordinate teams of Experts, and report outcomes back to stakeholders.

SBIR: Small Business Innovation Research — federal R&D funding program for small businesses STTR: Small Business Technology Transfer — variant of SBIR requiring partnership with a research institution TABA: Technical and Business Assistance — funds within SBIR/STTR awards usable for outside commercialization help Phase I: Feasibility study phase, typically $50K–$300K over 6–12 months Phase II: Prototype development phase, typically $750K–$2M over 24 months Phase III: Commercialization phase, no SBIR funds but priority for sole-source federal contracts Solicitation: An agency's formal call for SBIR/STTR proposals on specific technology topics Topic: A specific technology area within a solicitation that an agency wants to fund Awardee: A small business that has received an SBIR or STTR award Commercialization: The process of moving SBIR-funded technology into a commercial product, federal program of record, or sustained revenue stream Direct to Phase II (D2P2): A pathway where qualified small businesses can apply directly for Phase II without first completing Phase I CRP: Commercialization Readiness Program (DoD) and similar agency programs that fund post-Phase II transition Sequential Phase II: A second Phase II award allowing further development on the same technology Visit https://raisy.

us to create a free account as an Innovator, Expert, or Organization. Browse open SBIR/STTR opportunities, review past awards from NASA, NSF, DoD, DOE, NIH and other agencies, or post a request for commercialization support.