The Arrowhead Center SBIR Accelerator (ACSA) program is a multi-week cohort-based program that offers real-time support for small businesses thinking about submitting a proposal.
Donor Name: Arrowhead Center
State: New Mexico
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Accelerator
Deadline: 07/25/2022
Details:
Drawing on the resources and expertise of NM FAST, Arrowhead’s SBIR assistance program, ACSA will provide cohort participants with a five-week introduction to the SBIR/STTR programs. During the program, participants will receive guidance on various areas of proposal development and readiness. Some areas covered in prior cohorts have included selecting a relevant topic area, preparing an accurate budget, and creating a complete proposal package that adheres to all agency requirements.
This specialized cohort will be an SBIR 101-style course, where the NM FAST team will work with you on whether your idea is SBIR ready, how to scope objectives, technical writing, and completing the initial planning for your budget. This course will provide an introduction to why the SBIR/STTR programs are relevant for small businesses and the value that these programs can bring as you try to fund your innovative idea.
The ACSA Model
Putting together a strong SBIR proposal takes time. Drawing on the resources and expertise of NM FAST, ACSA provides a guided, structured track of support, from registration to submission. Throughout the multi-week program, participants receive guidance on areas such as selecting the most relevant topic area, preparing an accurate budget, and creating a complete proposal package. Each week focuses on a different aspect of proposal preparation and creation.
Weekly, participants can expect to:
- Attend a virtual meeting
- Complete “assignments” to help them develop a strong proposal package in the future
- Receive feedback, guidance, and support from NM FAST
For this cohort, the ACSA program will focus on providing participants with general knowledge for addressing needs, writing technically, and determining cost drivers. This 6-week course will be run as a “SBIR 101” crash course for small businesses new to SBIR/STTR funding.
Through the ACSA program, you’ll receive targeted support on the following areas of proposal development:
- Registrations
- Diagramming your idea
- Executive summary & quad chart creation
- Technical writing
- Cost driver identification for budget creation
Tailored Benefits
- Targeted Support
- The Centre’s team walks you through a typical SBIR proposal development process, from start to finish.
- Funding
- The Centre wants you to submit the strongest proposal possible. To achieve this, you will be matched with a service provider to work on a specific aspect of proposal development (e.g. diagram/figure creation, budget, work plan, etc.). NM FAST will provide payment directly to the service provider to pay for this work.
- Professional Review
- Having a third party review your proposal is critical. The NM FAST program has SBIR experts on-hand to review and provide constructive feedback before you submit. They will review a future proposal before submission for accuracy, content, and completeness.
- Connect
- Putting together a quality SBIR proposal package can be overwhelming. They use a cohort-style approach to build a community of innovators working towards a shared goal (Don’t worry: your technology will be covered by a non-disclosure agreement).
- They will also connect you to experts – those who live and breathe SBIR – throughout the program. Expect to talk to experienced reviewers, industry experts, and winning proposal writers.
SBIR Program Eligibility
Arrowhead Center is looking for small businesses working on innovative ideas in New Mexico.
- Having 500 or fewer employees;
- Being independently owned and operated and organized for profit;
- Having your principal place of business in the U.S.;
- Being at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens;
- Performing all work within the U.S.;
- Having the Principal Investigator (PI) spend more than one-half of their time employed by the proposing firm; and,
- Having a minimum of two-thirds of the research work performed by the proposing firm in Phase I and one-half in Phase II.
- To participate in ACSA, additional requirements must be met:
- Business must be working on an idea that aligns with federal agency definitions of “innovative”;
- Be a New Mexico based small business; and
- Business cannot have won a SBIR/STTR from any agencies in the past three years.
For more information, visit Arrowhead Center.
