Updated 1.1.21 with more information on the application process.

This CEBN webinar provided updates on the newly announced Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program topics for FY2021. The speakers below discussed the topics and the application process.

Watch the webinar recording below. Access the slide presentation here.

Featured Speakers

• Lynn Abramson – President, CEBN and Power Connector
• Peter Lobaccaro – Program Analyst, DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Nancy Min – Founder, ecoLong, and former SBIR recipient
• Ben Lepley – Founder, Tectonicus Constructs, and former SBIR recipient
• Frank Yang – Partner, ADL Ventures, and AMC Power Connector

Tips for Applicants:

Getting started:

Read about the SETO-SBIR topic areas for the current funding solicitation, and decide which topic area is relevant to your technology. You can apply for more than one funding area, but your applications/details of your proposed technology solution MUST be different or else your application will be disqualified.

Carefully review the application requirements. Letters of intent are due Jan. 4, 2021 at 5 pm ET. Do not wait until the last minute to try to log into Grants.gov and find the application forms, in case you run into any technical difficulties. The letter of intent is relatively short and you do not have to have all the other required registrations completed (e.g., DUNS, SAMS).

If you need step-by-step instructions, view this guide on navigating SBIR application process. A brief synopsis is provided below to help you get started:

• • Register your organization via the Portfolio Analysis and Management System  (PAMS) website and follow the link to either find or register your institution, as explained further on p. 19 of this document
  • Click on the “Proposals” or “View Funding Opportunities” link, type in DE-FOA-0002360, and filter for “contains”
  • On the right side, click on “Actions/Views” and “Submit letter of intent”

Full applications are due February 22, 2021 at 11:50 pm ET. As soon as you submit your letter of intent, you should immediately start working on the required registrations (DUNS, SAMS, Grants.gov, etc.) and full application materials so you can have them in place by the deadline. If your letter of intent is deemed unrelated to the desired topic areas, you will be notified within approximately 3 weeks; otherwise, you are eligible to complete the full application. See p. 22-23 of this document for further information on these requirements.

First-time SBIR applicants can apply for technical assistance through Dawnbreaker Phase 0, a federal contractor that can help you navigate the application process.

Additional resources:

• • CEBN blog post/link to interest page
  • ADL Ventures webinar recording  and slides
  • UA Center for Innovation SBIR/STTR Process Overview webinar, Writing your Proposal webinar, and Data Rights, Patents, SBIR Legal Process webinar.
  • DOE webinar recording with more detail on the technology topic areas (password: FkTqk54N)
  • Dawnbreaker phase 0 assistance