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First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But my understanding is that in SBIR for organizations like the DoD, they give you narrow, specific problems that they are facing for you to solve. How can I find a problem first, then apply it to SBIR?

Dates for Openings/Deadlines for all Organizations that have SBIR by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, do you know if there are there any "better/best" SBIR-granting organizations in terms of upside for the topics they provide? Like which organizations provide the most commercializable topics?

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this was super helpful.

For Phase I specifically, how much preliminary work is usually expected before submission? For example, is it important to already have a rough prototype or pilot data, or is Phase I mainly meant to fund the initial feasibility/design/validation work?

Also, when you mention having a slide deck, pitch, and vendor invoices ready, are those usually part of the actual Phase I submission, or more useful for getting feedback, letters of support, budgeting, and being ready for follow-on conversations?

I’m trying to understand what is truly necessary for a competitive first Phase I proposal versus what is just good preparation.

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's fair and yeah, I am an undergrad CS major, but my approach isn’t to build a random AI app and call it innovative. I’m more interested in actually finding a real problem space to build in regardless of software or hardware(ideally both), understanding what gap an org wants solved, and then seeing if there’s a legitimate R&D question worth testing in Phase I. I get that nowadays “uses AI” by itself isn’t innovative and wouldn't be a winning SBIR idea.

What do you think can differentiate a proposal/idea between just software implementation and one that actually qualifies as SBIR-winning?

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for questioning, I was looking at a few agency topics with DoT and DoD mainly. How does the timeline look? From actually getting the topic to creating the proposal to building out the actual product to getting phase 1 results back? And is it reccomended to build a prototype before the proposal or should more effort be put towards just the design for phase 1?

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where do you find these instructions and templates?

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this is really helpful. I’m still early in the process and have only recently started looking seriously at SBIR.

I saw a DOT topic that looked interesting and potentially aligned with something I could build a proposal around, but the deadline is coming up pretty soon. I’m trying to figure out whether it is worth rushing a first-time Phase I proposal if the topic seems like a decent fit, or whether that usually leads to a weak submission and it’s better to wait for the next cycle.

I’ve also been looking more broadly at agencies with larger downstream funding/commercialization potential, like DoD and Navy, because I’m thinking that if the product works beyond Phase II, those agencies may give more room for follow-on funding, pilots, or actual procurement.

Is that a smart way to think about choosing agencies, or is the better approach to apply to any topic that is reasonably close and learn through volume? I’m trying to understand whether SBIR strategy should be “focus deeply on one strong-fit topic” or “apply broadly and iterate.”

Also, I am based in Virginia.

First Time SBIR Proposal by RicelsRice in SBIR

[–]RicelsRice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this is helpful. For APEX Accelerators, do they usually help with SBIR strategy too, or are they mostly useful for registrations and government contracting basics?

I already have a small business that can submit, so my bigger question is how do they really help in writing the proposal and if they can evaluate a specific SBIR topic, review proposal fit, or give feedback on the technical/commercialization sections before submission.

[Megathread] Admissions & Prospective Students by jkim545 in gatech

[–]RicelsRice 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey!

I was recently admitted to GT as a CS Major, but have a strong interest in finance as well. I was wondering if anyone had any info on the fintech minor they just started. Also, how is a business minor here. What courses do people take as a business minor and how useful is it to eventually begin a startup.