Funding to start a good idea
is always tough to find. As the pace of the
economy slows while searching for the metabolism that drove it a decade ago,
one thing is certain- competition for funding will increase. Angel investors, VCs, foundations, and
federal agencies with early-stage funding available are increasing their scrutiny
for investment. Does that mean new ideas
should be put on hold waiting for potential future streams of funds that are “easier”
to obtain? NO! Either the competition will take advantage now, or will also receive the "easier" funding. Neither of those is acceptable. We need good ideas and innovative technologies today!
With
multiple SBIR solicitations open and new topics coming soon, including NSF,
NIH, NOAA, Dept of Education, and DoD, proposal deadlines mean SBIR program
managers at the agencies are expecting significant increases in numbers of
proposals to review. Although this is an
additional burden on reviewers, this competition
is good for everybody.
·
Technologies proposed in economic conditions
like this are often more practical, providing more value to users and revenues
to innovators.
·
Companies are forced to write stronger
proposals. The justification for the
technology must be acutely tuned. The
technology description is precise and application relevancy clear. Development plans are well prepared, detailed,
and within scope. Teams are well balanced and assembled to achieve
commercialization success.
·
The goal of commercialization becomes even more
important. SBIR agencies need to see
their investments in high-risk efforts turn into products. Companies must use seed funds to prepare for
future growth and stability by turning research projects into commercial,
long-term products and contracts. So potential
markets are analyzed, plans are prepared, and commercialization strategies are
presented succinctly in SBIR proposals.
Competition
is essential and unavoidable in the business environment; it makes companies stronger
and products better. The Georgia SBIR
Assistance Program is here to help Georgia companies prepare for this
competitive environment. We aim to
provide our clients with an unfair advantage in SBIR strategy development, proposal
preparation, project planning, and commercialization assistance. Let us
know how we can help you…