SBIR vs. STTR: choose the right research path

The decisions to make before writing

These are program-level starting points. The SBA comparison, NIH overview and your current solicitation govern the detailed assessment. Confirm exceptions or waivers through the agency.

Build a work-allocation map

List each research task, its technical owner, estimated effort, deliverable, facilities and dependencies. Separate company research, institutional work and other subcontracted work. Reconcile the allocation with the proposed budget using the method required by the agency. A percentage on a slide is not enough if the statement of work assigns the substantive research elsewhere.

For STTR, settle who can use existing intellectual property, who owns new work, what publication review is needed, and what license the business needs to commercialize. Get the institution’s authorized research and technology-transfer staff involved before promising terms. Keep the research relationship and the purchase decision distinct: a university collaborator is not necessarily a transition customer.

Direct-to-Phase-II, TACFI and STRATFI

Direct-to-Phase-II is a path offered under specific agency authority and solicitations when the required prior feasibility evidence can be demonstrated without a preceding Phase I award. Treat it as an eligibility and evidence test, not simply a larger application. Check the current announcement for availability, technical maturity, supporting documentation and restrictions.

TACFI and STRATFI are Department of the Air Force transition initiatives associated with scaling qualifying SBIR/STTR technology. Do not reuse a prior year’s matching-fund ratios, award ranges or deadlines. Use AFWERX’s current program information and the applicable call to build a checklist of eligible award history, sponsor, funding commitment, transition work and timing. A stated customer interest and an eligible funding commitment are different things.

How long until funding arrives?

Track the sequence separately: topic release, submission deadline, selection notice, negotiation, signed award, authorized start, invoice or payment request, and receipt of funds. The agency’s solicitation may set targets; none of these dates alone proves when cash will arrive. Registration issues, budget questions and changes to the work can affect the path.

In your operating plan, distinguish dates confirmed in writing from assumptions. Keep engineering commitments tied to an authorized start and finance plans tied to the award’s payment terms. Our award tracker can help identify past activity, but an award date does not reveal the original application date or first payment.

A bid-readiness checklist

1. We can identify the exact topic and why the proposed work fits.
2. We have checked the current eligibility, ownership, disclosure and team requirements.
3. Every research task has an owner and the work allocation meets the call.
4. Our facilities, partner commitments and IP rights support delivery.
5. The proposed budget matches the research plan.
6. We know what evidence the next customer needs after this phase.

If a requirement is unresolved, assign an owner and decision date. Do not write around it with confident wording. An adviser can review the gap, but the company must stand behind its application.