The National Institute of Health's SBIR Niche Assessment Program is a nationwide program funded by NIH to help jump-start an SBIR Phase I awardee's commercialization efforts. Services are provided by Foresight Science and Technology of Providence, RI.

Technology Niche Analyses™ (TNA™) are provided by Foresight for one hundred (100) NIH SBIR Phase I awardees. These analyses assess potential applications for a technology and then for one viable application, it provides an assessment of the:

1. needs and concerns of end-users;
2. competing technologies and competing products;
3. competitive advantage of the SBIR-developed technology;
4. market size and potential market share (may include national and/or global markets;
5. barriers to market entry (may include but is not limited to pricing, competition, government regulations, manufacturing challenges, capital requirements, etc.);
6. market drivers;
7. status of market and industry trends;
8. potential customers, licensees, investors, or other commercialization partners; and,
9. the price customers are likely to pay

Each participant receives an in-depth report of Foresight's findings. Oftentimes the small businesses can use this information in their commercialization plans which are part of their Phase II applications.

Contact:

Robert Vinson
NIH SBIR Program
Office of Extramural Programs
Office of Extramural Research
Phone: 301-435-2713
Email:  SBIR@od.nih.gov