Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

All Federal agencies with an annual extramural R&D budget over $100 million are required by the Small Business Innovation Research Act to administer Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs using an annual set–aside of 2.5% for small companies to conduct innovative research or research and development that has potential for commercialization and public benefit. The CDC SBIR program leverages the small business community and market forces to develop innovations that specifically address areas that are a priority for public health. CDC’s SBIR program is under the stewardship of the Office of Science Quality (OSQ), which is committed to funding high quality, high impact SBIR projects that will be of overall benefit to public health.

SBIR’S Objectives

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:

• Stimulate U.S. technological innovation,
• Use small businesses to meet federal research and development needs,
• Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D, and
• Foster and encourage participation by socially disadvantaged businesses.

Qualifying for SBIR

In order for a company to qualify for the SBIR Program, the following criteria must be met:

• American-owned (at least 51%) and independently operated
• For-profit
• Principal researcher employed by business during project
• Company size limited to 500 or fewer employees

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.

Please direct all inquiries to: Office of Science Quality, osq@cdc.gov, 404-639-4621.

For more information concerning the SBIR, please visit the following website:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm

See the NIH RePORTER for information about individual funded projects.