SBIR Proposal Writing Basics: No Such Thing as an Unsolicited SBIR/STTR Proposal
Gail
& Jim Greenwood,
Copyright © 2011 by Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.
We
often hear someone claiming that the SBIR and STTR programs request
“unsolicited proposals.” This is not correct: all 11 awarding agencies only
award solicited proposals. Let us explain.
The
term “unsolicited proposal” suggests that someone can shoot in a proposal on
any topic at any time to any agency and it will be considered. This does not
occur in the SBIR/STTR programs because:
a.
The
awarding agencies are required to annually solicit SBIR/STTR proposals and spend
all of their annual SBIR/STTR budgets on awards.
b.
Each
agency releases a “request for proposals,” which is usually called a
“solicitation” or “funding opportunity announcement (FOA)” each year to
request those proposals. That solicitation or FOA states the topics on which the
agency will entertain proposals. In some agencies, such as Department of
Defense, the topics may be very focused or specific. In others, such as National
Institutes of Health, they will be very broad (e.g., anything within the mission
of the agency).
c.
This
solicitation or FOA also stipulates the deadline for SBIR/STTR proposals, and
the format and submission process that must be followed in those proposals.
The
term “unsolicited proposal” suggests a freedom to let your creative juices
flow and propose all sorts of innovative ideas that will help solve pressing
problems. That spirit should be captured in your SBIR/STTR proposal, but you
should be clear that you are responding to an agency’s call for proposals, and
you are expected to respond to its requirements and deadlines and adhere to any
limitations place on the topic or subject of your proposal. Let your creativity
come through in the ideas you are proposing, not in taking liberties with the
agencies’ proposal submission requirements.