The following sections will provide a brief description of the services offered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s (IEDC) Indiana Twenty-First Century Research and Technology Fund (21Fund) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Initiative.  Your use of these services can begin at any stage of the SBIR/STTR process and will be customized to your needs and requirements.  No matter where you are in the process, we can help. 

The SBIR/STTR programs are solicited programs and each agency requests support of specific needs and requirements.  Contract agencies (see Differences chart located on Overview page) typically solicit very specific topics that require closely targeted proposals.  Grant agencies (see Differences chart located on Overview page) describe broader areas of interest, and those topics are open-proposed generated ideas, as long as they match up with an area of interest with their organization.

Identifying topics and the agencies that might be of interest is a task that should be accomplished over a period of time.  Searching the closed solicitations will provide a glance at the agencies that are investing within your technology area.  We recommend that you to experiment with SBIR/STTR Search engines such as: SBIR/STTR Gateway or Indiana Biz Café (http://www.indianabizcafe.com/) to better prepare yourself for an upcoming open solicitation.

Once you find an agency with a technology area or topic match to your focus, note the solicitation timeline and begin preparing for your submission. 

Complete the SBIR Program Preliminary Applicant/Project Information Form [Available at http://www.21Fund.org; or contact DeAnn Reinhart (DReinhart@iedc.in.gov) or Carla Phelps (cphelps@iedc.in.gov)]. The information you provide will help the program determine how best to help you succeed in winning SBIR/STTR federal awards.

Proposal/Grant writing support may be offered to clients who demonstrate a strong potential for SBIR/STTR success.  You will be paired with a successful SBIR/STTR writer who will provide assistance during the initial proposal formulation and development processes and provide you with the skills needed for future SBIR/STTR endeavors.  The IEDC SBIR Initiative believes that the skills you learn during the proposal writing process are critical for achieving Indiana’s goal of becoming a front-runner in winning SBIR/STTR awards.

Technical and Proposal reviews are available for clients who feel comfortable with their proposal writing skills but would like a critique prior to their submission.  This is a great opportunity to have a third party evaluation by experienced SBIR/STTR technical writers.  The evaluation will critique the:

• Innovativeness of the technology

• Solidify the technology match with the topic

• Look at the articulation of the proposal writing

• Review the flow of the proposal formatting  

Once the critique is complete, you will be provided a document with comments and suggestions on how to strengthen your submission.  The typical turnaround time of a technical and/or proposal review is approximately 5 days.  Plan ahead and watch your solicitation timeline.

The IEDC SBIR Program Office will be conducting/hosting various workshops across the state to educate participants on the SBIR process.  Workshops will be tailored to a specific topic.  Some of the workshop topics will be:

• SBIR/STTR 101

• Phase I Proposal Writing Techniques

• Writing a Successful Cost Proposal

• Phase II Proposal Writing

• Achieving Successful Commercialization Plans.

All workshops will be announced in the SBIR "Tech Talk" Newsletter and posted on the 21 Fund website.  Feel free to contact us if you are interested in holding a workshop in your area.

SBIR Phase I Match Awards:

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), recognizing the unique challenges inherent in the technology innovation process, particularly for emerging companies, has created a program to match Indiana Phase l grants from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These federal programs, managed by the Small Business Administration in the context of federal agencies and departments, provide competitively reviewed support for both proof-of-principle research and development (Phase I) and early stage product development (Phase II). The dual purpose of this matching grant program administered by the IEDC SBIR Program Office and 21st Century Research and Technology Fund is to both increase the numbers and competitiveness of Indiana SBIR/STTR proposals, and to increase the success of Indiana companies in moving from Phase I to Phase II.

The matching program provides letters, personalized to your specific proposal, confirming the Phase I match to the federal agencies. Please note that the IEDC considers each request for such a matching letter to ensure that the project’s goals clearly align with your business goals.