NIH Offers SBIR Niche Assessment Program to Phase I Awardees
Release Date: July 15, 2011
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH announces the availability of a Niche Assessment Program for its SBIR Phase I awardees funded in fiscal years (FY) 2011 and 2012. All active NIH SBIR Phase I awardees as well as those small businesses selected to receive a Phase I award in the first three months of the upcoming fiscal year will be eligible to participate (STTR awards are not eligible). This program can help jump-start a company’s commercialization efforts by providing the market insight and data that can be used to strategically position its technology in the marketplace, by assisting companies with their development of commercialization plans for Phase II applications, and by introducing small businesses to potential partners.
A third party, unbiased assessment of appropriate market niches for products/services that are being developed by NIH’s SBIR Phase I awardees will be performed by Foresight Science and Technology. Using its Technology Niche Analysis (TNA), Foresight will perform the due diligence on markets appropriate for each SBIR technology and develop an in-depth report for each SBIR awardee that addresses:
- needs and concerns of end-users
- competing technologies and competing products
- competitive advantage of the SBIR-developed technology
- market size and potential market share (may include national and/or global markets)
- barriers to market entry (may include, but is not limited to pricing, competition, government regulations, manufacturing challenges, capital requirements, etc.)
- market drivers
- status of market and industry trends
- potential customers, licensees, investors, or other commercialization partners
- price customers are likely to pay
The analysis has three steps:
(1) In the first step, Foresight will gather the pertinent information needed
from the SBIR awardee to identify feasible applications of the technology.
Often times, several non-obvious uses are found, and such secondary
applications may provide a path to market that is faster than the primary
biomedical use.
(2) In the second step, Foresight will analyze the selected use of the technology
to determine the end-user needs, current and emerging competing technologies,
market dynamics, socio-economic trends and market drivers, and to quantify the
market size and participant's possible share. This second step determines the
technology's current competitive advantages and how to improve competitiveness.
(3) In the third step, Foresight will recommend a market entry strategy. This
strategy includes how to market the technology to end-users, how to obtain
outside partners, and also projects revenues for the technology. Likely lead
customers, testing centers, suppliers, manufacturers, and/or other relevant
organizations interested in participating in the downstream research as beta
testers or concurrent engineering advisors will be identified.
To validate the analyses and recommendations, Foresight will identify and
qualify companies or funding agencies that might be interested in becoming
commercialization partners. Follow-up communication with these potential
partners will be the responsibility of the small business.
The Niche Assessment Program is appropriate for all types of technologies,
e.g., those developing clinical products such as devices, drugs, biologics, and
therapeutics, as well as those developing software, educational, and multi-media
behavioral science products. The program is also appropriate for those seeking
strategic alliances, investors, and/or immediate customers.
One hundred (100) slots are available and will be filled on a first come,
first served basis. For those with multiple awards, only one project per
company will be accepted for the program. The average time to complete a
Technology Niche Analysis is 2 to 3 months. Since reports will be generated in
the order the applications were received, all 100 reports will be completed
between September 2011 and early March 2012. However, awardees may indicate a
preference when they would like to receive the TNA report in the registration
forms below. NIH and Foresight will try to accommodate such preferences if
possible. The Technology Niche Analysis report may be helpful in the
preparation of the commercialization plan that is required in an SBIR Phase II
application and, as such, applicants should consider the timing of their Phase
II submission.
The amount of time a program participant will need to expend is minimal (perhaps only a few hours) and participation is free.
To participate in the program, complete the registration form available at:
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/nap_sbir_set-up-form-2011.pdf
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/nap_sbir_set-up-form-2011.doc
and email/fax to Foresight at:
Mr. Ryan Hill
Foresight Science and Technology
Fax: 401-273-4744
Telephone: 401-273-4844 X10
Email: ryan.hill@foresightst.com
Specific questions about TNA’s may be directed to:
Ms. Heidi Meisenkothen
Vice President, Biomedical-Biotech Division
Foresight Science and Technology
Phone: 401-273-4844, ext. 21
Email: heidi.meisenkothen@foresightst.com
General questions about the Niche Assessment Program may be directed to:
Lenka Fedorkova, Ph.D.
Assistant Manager
NIH SBIR/STTR Program
Office of Extramural Programs
National Institutes of Health
Telephone: (301) 435-0921
FAX: (301) 480-0146
Email: sbir@od.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
