Potential Program Benefits

• Currently, over $1.5 billion is available for SBIR and STTR awards.
• Winning an SBIR or STTR confers technology credibility, and national recognition. It is a magnet for later financing or licensing deals.
• SBIRs and STTRs can be an ongoing piece of small business's financing strategy - multiple awards are possible.
• A small business doesn't have to give up equity or assume debt when they use SBIRs and STTRs to finance their research.
• A small business retains rights to the intellectual property developed during an SBIR.
•  A small business may retain rights to intellecual property developed during an STTR, depending on how the intellectual property agreement between the small business and the university or federally funded research and development center is structured.

Advantages of SBIR and STTR

Helping companies move innovation and technology to market

The SBIR program, with $1.2 billion available, is the country’s premier funding source for small companies developing next-generation technologies, products, or services. Under the Small Business Innovation Development Act, the SBIR program was established in 1982 to 1) stimulate technological innovation; 2) use small businesses to meet federal research and development (R&D) needs; 3) encourage the participation of disadvantaged and minority persons in technological innovation; and 4) increase private sector commercialization through federal R&D sponsorship. When the SBIR program was reauthorized in December of 2000, Congress concluded that the program was successful in aiding small businesses and was beneficial to both the private and public sector.

If your company is an innovator in your industry, and can provide solutions to problems of national interest, then you will want to make SBIR part of your ongoing product development strategy. SBIR can work for start-ups bringing new technologies to market as well as for established companies conducting targeted R&D activities.

Forming partnerships for cooperative research

The STTR program was created by congress as an opportunity for small businesses to form a partnership with universities or federally funded R&D centers for the purpose of cooperative research.  This partnership aims to strengthen technological innovation by meeting the needs of a participating agency with the research, development, and commercialization of new products, processes and systems.

Significant dollar awards and broad opportunities

The SBIR program is now making Phase II awards as large as $1 million—and funding an expanded range of topics. It’s a myth that only “high technology” companies qualify.

SBIR funds advancements in fields as diverse as aquaculture, advanced materials, wastewater treatment, small engine development, distance education, computer security, industrial competitiveness, biotechnology and medical devices, are a few of the topics of interest to the 10 participating federal agencies. In 2002, hot topics included R&D in homeland security and bio-terrorism.

SBIR/STTR … more accessible than ever

In 2001, Wisconsin companies secured a total of $9,637,276.00 in SBIR/STTR funding. In 2002, these programs became even more accessible for Wisconsin companies, thanks to Wisconsin’s new SBIR Outreach Office. If you are a qualified Wisconsin candidate, and you need assistance submitting an SBIR or STTR proposal, fill out the Confidential assistance application.

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The Wisconsin FAST program is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Cooperative Agreement partially funded by the SBA. SBA's funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Page Published: 03/15/2002 · Page Last Modified: 09/16/2009
©2007 The Board of Regents, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin