NIH Offers Commercialization Assistance Program to SBIR Phase II Awardees; Applications Due September 17, 2010



Notice Number:
NOT-OD-10-125

Key Dates

Release Date: August 26, 2010

Issued by

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to announce the availability of a Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) for NIH SBIR Phase II awardees. Now in its seventh year, this program is designed to help NIH SBIR Phase II awardees transition their SBIR-developed products into the marketplace. Through a contract with Larta Institute of Los Angeles, CA, the CAP will provide participants with individualized assistance toward accomplishing their commercialization goals.

The 2010-2011 CAP will begin in October 2010 and will conclude the end of June 2011.  With two distinctive tracks, the program offers customized assistance to meet the specific needs of both early stage and seasoned companies: Commercialization Training Track (CTT), and Accelerated Commercialization Track (ACT).  Each is different in their objectives and outcomes.

The Commercialization Training Track (for which 60 slots are available) is appropriate for the majority of NIH SBIR Phase II companies. CTT is aimed at assisting participants with evaluating their commercialization options based on their specific technologies (including the need and prospect for investment, strategic partnerships or licensing) and to develop a solid market-entry plan covering an 18-month period. It also assists participants in the development of market-appropriate tools to accomplish these objectives.

The Accelerated Commercialization Track (for which 20 slots are available) applies to a select group of NIH SBIR Phase II companies who have successfully commercialized (or sold) products and/or services, generated revenue, established partnerships and/or otherwise achieved a level of market development that is sustainable over a definitive period. However, they may be lacking in a specific, applicable issue (such as a solid regulatory plan, a license-focused IP strategy or a term sheet for investors), whose resolution is key to their continued growth.

All NIH SBIR awardees (grantees and contractors) that have a Phase II award that is active or was active in the past six years are eligible to participate. Participants must, however, meet the SBIR small business eligibility criteria as described in the current SBIR Parent Funding Opportunity Announcement available from the NIH Small Business Funding Opportunities website http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm. Those who may have previously participated may participate again providing they have either a different qualifying Phase II award or the Phase II award that was previously used has since received a Phase II competing renewal with a project duration period of three years. Please note that this program is not available to STTR awardees.

CAP participation is free of charge for selected participating companies; however, participants are responsible for travel and lodging expenses associated with attending workshops and partnering investment events. NOTE:  NIH will not provide additional funding for this purpose; however, participants with a currently active Phase II SBIR award may rebudget funds within the total costs awarded to cover allowable travel expenses for CAP events without NIH prior approval unless the rebudgeting action constitutes a change in scope or if the terms of award prohibit the use of funds for this purpose.  

Detailed program information and application instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/cap/more_on_cap.htm . The deadline for submitting an application is September 17, 2010. Eighty (80) companies will be selected to participate in this year’s NIH CAP (60 for CTT and 20 for ACT).

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Ms. Kay Etzler
NIH SBIR/STTR Program
Office of Extramural Programs
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 350
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 435-2713
FAX: (301) 480-0146
Email: sbir@od.nih.gov

Or

Ms. Judy Hsieh
Programs Manager
Larta Institute
606 Olive Street, Suite 650
Los Angeles, California 90014
Telephone: 213-538-1444
E-mail: jhsieh@larta.org