Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a set-aside program (2.9% of an agency's extramural budget in FY2015) for domestic small business concerns to engage in Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization and public benefit. The SBIR program was established under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219). In December of 2011, the program was re-authorized through FY2017 by the 2012 Defense Authorization Act (P.L.112-81).

CDC’S Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program functions to promote Research and Development (R&D) from small businesses, where innovation and innovators thrive, in order to effectively support the health promotion and disease prevention needs and goals of CDC.

Today, CDC’s SBIR program is under the stewardship of the Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI). This office is committed to ensuring a competitive award process that results in projects of scientific excellence and technological innovation with the potential for commercialization.

About the SBIR Program

The SBIR Program was established by Congress in 1982 to provide increased opportunities for small businesses to participate in R&D, to increase employment, and to improve U.S. competitiveness.

The program's specific objectives are to:

• Use small businesses to stimulate technological innovation,
• Strengthen the role of small business in meeting Federal R/R&D needs,
• Increase private sector commercialization of innovations developed through Federal SBIR R&D,
• Increase small business participation in Federal R/R&D, and
• Foster and encourage participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned business concerns in the SBIR program.

Eligible Institutions/Organizations:

Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit SBIR applications. A SBC is one that, on the date of award for both Phase I and Phase II funding agreements, meets ALL of the criteria as described in the current SBIR parent funding opportunity announcement available at the NIH Small Business Funding Opportunities website.

Three Phases of SBIR

Funding is awarded competitively and is available for only Phases I and II of the SBIR program:

• Phase I awards projects up to $150,000 for approximately 6 months to support exploration of the technical merit or feasibility of an idea or technology.
• Phase II awards projects that expand Phase I results. Awards are for up to $1,000,000 for a time period of up to 2 years. During this time, the R&D work is performed and the developer evaluates commercialization potential.
• Phase III is the period during which Phase II innovation moves from the laboratory into the marketplace. No SBIR funds support Phase III. The small business must find funding in the private sector or other non-SBIR federal agency funding.

CDC SBIR Funding Opportunities

CDC participates in the PHS 2016-1 SBIR Contract Solicitation and the SBIR Omnibus FOA (PA-15-269) Grant Solicitation with NIH. For more information concerning these current SBIR funding opportunities, please visit the following NIH website.

For a list of CDC funded SBIR contracts and grants for FY2011 to FY2014, please visit: CDC SBIR awardees FY2011-FY2014. For information about individual funded projects, see the NIH RePORTER.

News Alert:

1. As of July 2014, CDC has exercised its authority to award SBIR grants and contracts to small business concerns that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms.  http://www.sbir.gov/vc-ownership-authority
2. Commercialization Assistance:

   CDC Phase IIs (active projects or five years since completion of project) are eligible for the Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) (http://sbir.nih.gov/cap) administered through NIH. The CAP is designed to help some of the agency’s most promising small life science and healthcare Phase II grantees develop their commercial businesses and transition their SBIR-funded technologies into the marketplace. Applicants are selected via a competitive process for a limited number of slots in the program.

   Funded by NIH and managed through a contract with Larta, Inc. (www.larta.org) of Los Angeles, CA, the CAP provides selected participants with individualized assistance toward accomplishing key commercialization goals. This is achieved through individual mentoring and consulting sessions, training workshops, access to domain experts and focus on outcomes that will enhance the commercialization profile and readiness of participating grantees.

SBIR Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse

The Office of Inspector General Hotline accepts tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in Department of Health & Human Services programs. The reporting individual should indicate that the fraud, waste and/or abuse concerns an SBIR grant or contract, if relevant.

Visit the OIG Report Fraud website for additional information.

Please direct all inquiries to: Office of Technology and Innovation, sbir@cdc.gov, 404-718-1386.