CFDA#
10.212
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Funder Type
Federal Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Summary
The USDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. Unlike fundamental research, the USDA SBIR/STTR programs support small businesses in the creation of innovative, and/or disruptive technologies and enable the application of research advancements from conception into the market. The STTR program aims to foster technology transfer through formal cooperative research and development (R&D) between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. This program is administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
NIFA requests applications for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II for FY 2023 from previous SBIR Program Phase I awardees. The aim of Phase II applications is to continue the R&D developed under Phase I with a goal to commercialize and bring the innovation to market as the Phase II project completes. Phase II will require a more comprehensive application, outlining the proposed effort in detail and the commercialization strategy for the effort. USDA-NIFA recognizes that Phase II awards may not be sufficient in either dollars or time for the firm to complete the total R/R&D and the commercialization activities required to bring the project results to the marketplace. Therefore, completion of the research under these circumstances may have to be carried into Phase III.
For Phase II applications, a small business must not propose large-scale demonstration projects or classified research. Many of the research projects supported by the SBIR program lead to the development of new products based on the research results obtained during the project. However, projects that seek funding solely for product development where no research is involved (i.e., the funds are needed to permit the development of a product based on previously completed research) will not be accepted. Research may be carried out through the construction and evaluation of a laboratory prototype, where necessary, however, the prototype will have to comply with Federal Regulations (7 CFR 3403) for disposition at the end of the grant and cannot be used for Phase III activities. The prototype however should be used as a model to manufacture new versions of the innovation for sale to a commercial market.
History of Funding
Approximately $8,000,000 was awarded in grants for FY19, and approximately $12,000,000 in total funding was available in FY 2022.
Additional Information
The USDA SBIR program currently has no specific procurement focus; consequently, USDA offers ten (10) solicitation topic areas that are intended to permit a broad spectrum of eligible and innovative science- and technology-based small businesses to compete for funding.
8.1 Forests and Related Resources: The Forests and Related Resources topic area aims to address the health, diversity and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations through the development of environmentally sound approaches to increase productivity of forest lands, improve sustainability of forest resources, and develop value-added materials derived from woody resources
8.2 Plant Production and Protection – Biology: The objective of this topic area is to examine novel ways of enhancing crop production and protection by applying biological approaches to develop new methods for plant improvement, apply traditional plant breeding methods and new technologies to develop new food and nonfood crop plants, develop plant characteristics that reduce the harmful impact of plant pests and biotic stresses, as well as new genotypes of existing crop plants with characteristics that allow for their use in new commercial applications
8.3 Animal Production and Protection: The Animal Production and Protection topic area aims to develop innovative, marketable technologies that will provide significant benefit to the production and protection of agricultural animals. New technologies for rapid detection, treatment and prevention of disease are needed to improve productivity and enhance the biosecurity of our herds and flocks. Better technologies are also needed to develop and enhance alternatives to the use of antibiotics since pathogen resistance and human sensitivity to residue food products derived from animals have become of increasing concern.
8.4 Conservation of Natural Resources (formerly Air, Water and Soils): The Air, Water and Soils topic area aims to develop and commercialize technologies and innovations for conserving, monitoring and protecting air, water and soil resources while sustaining optimal farm and forest productivity. Climate variability, natural resources conservation (air, water and soils) and food security are major focal points of this topic area.
8.5 Food Science and Nutrition: The Food Science and Nutrition topic area aims to fund projects that support research focusing on developing new and improved processes, technologies, or services that address emerging food safety, food processing and nutrition issues. The program will fund projects to: 1) increase the understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of food; 2) improve methods for the processing and packaging of food products to improve the quality and nutritional value of foods; and 3) develop programs or products that increase the consumption of healthy foods and reduce childhood obesity. The outcome of a successful project is a proof of concept for a marketable item or patented process.
8.6 Rural and Community Development: The objective of this topic area is to improve the quality of life in rural America by creating and commercializing technologies that address important economic and social development issues or challenges in rural America. Projects must explicitly discuss the specific rural problem or opportunity that will be examined and how the proposed technology will successfully address the problem or opportunity.
8.7 Aquaculture: The Aquaculture topic area aims to develop new technologies that will enhance the knowledge and technology base necessary for the expansion of the domestic aquaculture industry as a form of production agriculture. Seafood production from the wild is under increased pressure due to overfishing, and therefore aquaculture is increasingly an important source of farmed seafood and an important contributor to food security. Emphasis is placed on research leading to improved production efficiency and increased competitiveness of private sector, commercial aquaculture in the United States.
8.8 Biofuels and Biobased Products: The objective of this topic area is to promote the use of non-food biobased products and biofuels by developing new or improved technologies that will lead to increased competitiveness of valueadded products from agricultural materials. This research will lead to new opportunities to diversify agriculture and enhance agriculture's role as a reliable supplier of raw materials to industry.
8.12 Small and Mid-Size Farms: The Small and Mid-Size Farms topic area aims to promote and improve the sustainability and profitability of small and mid-size farms and ranches (where annual sales of agricultural products are less than $250,000 for small farms and $500,000 for mid-size farms - hereafter referred to as small farms)
8.13 Plant Production and Protection – Engineering: The objective of this topic area is to enhance crop production in both conventional and organic systems by creating and commercializing engineering technologies that enhance system efficiency and profitability and that protect crops from pests and pathogens in economically and environmentally sound ways. Projects that promote energy conservation or efficiency in food and fiber systems are strongly encouraged. Engineering projects must describe the system's need; design specifications, functionality, reliability; and cost-benefit analysis.
These ten solicitation topic areas provide an opportunity to pursue the following USDA priorities:
- Addressing climate change via climate-smart agriculture and forestry
- Advancing racial justice, equity, and opportunity
- Creating more and better market opportunities
- Tackling food and nutrition insecurity
Eligibility Details
Applicants must qualify as a Small Business Concern (SBC) through registration with the SBA. Only previous USDA-NIFA SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees who have not previously applied for Phase II support are eligible to apply. A Phase I project may only apply for a Phase II award once. If a Phase I awardee was unsuccessful in receiving a Phase II award with a previous application, then the awardee is not eligible to resubmit the proposal under this or a future Phase II program solicitation.
Deadline Details
Applications for Phase II are to be submitted by March 28, 2023. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.
A technical assistance webinar for applicants was held on February 16, 2023. The slide deck can be viewed at https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-02/SBIR-STTR%20FY23%20Phase%20II%20RFA%20Technical%20Assistance%20Webinar_Feb16-2023_508.pdf
Award Details
Phase II FY2023
Approximately $22,312,000 is available in total funding for FY 2023. Approximately $19,500,000 is available for SBIR and $2,812,000 for STTR. USDA NIFA plans to fund approximately 45% of the Phase II applications within each of the 10 topic areas. Phase II awards may not exceed $600,000 for a period of 24 months starting on September 1, 2023. Cost sharing/matching is not required.
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