Key Dates

Related Announcements

• October 9, 2020 - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PA-20-272.

Issued by

Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to make National Institutes of Health (NIH) small business award recipients aware that Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) funds may be requested for an active NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant or cooperative agreement as part of an Administrative Supplement. TABA Funding is part of a comprehensive NIH program intended to help small businesses identify and address their most pressing product development needs. These funds are intended to help SBIR/STTR recipients:

• make better technical decisions concerning such projects;
• solve technical problems which arise during the conduct of such projects;
• minimize technical risks associated with such projects; and
• develop and commercialize new commercial products and processes resulting from such projects, including intellectual property protections.

SBIR and STTR recipients may request up to $6,500 per year for a Phase I and up to $50,000 per Phase II project (across all years) to support subcontracts or consultants that provide skills and/or expertise that they are unable to provide internally. Normally, small businesses include this budget request as part of the application and provide a detailed budget justification. However, recipients may become aware of technical or business needs after award that necessitate requesting TABA funds through an Administrative Supplement. Recipients may include TABA funds as part of a supplement request through PA-20-272 - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) and subsequent reissues. Recipients should follow instructions in the “How To Apply – Application Guide” to include and justify TABA funds in the R&R Budget Form, and otherwise follow the administrative supplement NOFO instructions. TABA funding is not available to Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program recipients.

Please note: NIH Institutes and Centers may decline a TABA supplement request for budgetary, administrative, or programmatic reasons, and some may have additional requirements. Consult with the NIH grants management officer and program official assigned to your award before submitting a request. 

Phase I recipients are strongly encouraged to utilize the Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Needs Assessment program in lieu of a TABA supplement request. Please see the TABA Needs Assessment page for program details and to Request a Needs Assessment Report.

Examples of technical and business services that can be supported by TABA Funding include, but are not limited to:

• Assistance with product sales
• Intellectual property protections
• Market research and/or validation
• Development of regulatory plans
• Development of manufacturing plans
• Access to technical and business literature available through on-line databases

TABA Funding cannot support:

• Activities that the recipient can provide internally
• General maintenance of or investment in an applicant/division within the small business, an affiliate/investor of the small business, or a subcontractor/consultant required as part of the awarded Phase I or Phase II
• Contributions to the SBIR/STTR fee
• Audit services
• Bookkeeping services, including payroll management or general accounting services
• Patent costs above and beyond those outlined for the NIH funded program
• Contingency costs or costs associated with the research and development activities of the award

Recipients who receive TABA Funding through the grant award, either as part of the application or through an administrative supplement, cannot utilize NIH TABA services provided by SEED for the phase of the SBIR/STTR that received TABA Funding. However, any SBIR/STTR recipient can utilize SEED’s other innovator support services, including I-Corps, Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i), regulatory assistance, or pitch coaching or consultation from NIH Entrepreneurs in Residence.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

NIH SEED (Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development)
Telephone: 301-827-8595
Email: SEEDinfo@nih.gov

For Agency, Institute and Center contacts, please see:
https://seed.nih.gov/aboutseed/contact-us/hhs-small-business-program-managers