Session dates

Orientation: April 2, 2025, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Session 1: April 16, 2025, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Session 2: April 18, 2025, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Session 3: April 30, 2025, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Session 4: May 7, 2025, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Benefits

One third of evaluation criteria that the NSF uses when reviewing SBIR proposals is connected to the ‘Commercialization Potential’ of the technology being proposed. 

Often, researchers and other technical founders struggle in this part of the application. After all, their expertise lies in the scientific potential of what is being proposed instead of the market that they were entering.

This program offers technical founders with the training and the tools that they need to collect insights from the marketplace to effectively answer questions included in the Commercialization Potential sections of both the NSF’s SBIR Phase 1 and SBIR Fast Track applications. 

Over the course of 6 weeks, participating teams will receive coaching on topics, and specific methods of Customer Discovery that will help them answer key measures of Commercialization Potential, including:

1. Is there a compelling potential business model? 
2. What is your initial target market and its size?
3. How have you validated this market needs your technology?
4. Provide a detailed plan on your pathway to generate revenue and to become a self-sustaining entity.
5. Present a compelling case that the project will significantly advance the readiness of the technology and strengthen its commercial position.
6. Describe the value proposition of the proposed technology.
7. Describe your plans to address regulatory (including permitting) or safety standards and ethical considerations involved in developing your technology and bringing your product or service to market.
8. Provide a detailed description of the competitive landscape and your sustainable competitive advantage.

Who Should Apply?

• Open to all applicants with an innovation they would like to commercialize and de-risk through the customer discovery process. However, this will be most helpful for teams planning to apply for SBIR within the next 12 months as it will provide information geared towards creating a strong application for the July 2 Fast-track SBIR solicitation as well as the SBIR Phase I November 5 application deadline.
• Research teams, including community teams, who may have been ineligible for the National Program and unaffiliated with a PI or a university/institution.
  Note: NSF requires evaluation of commercial potential before applicants are provided funding, and they expect teams to participate in Nationals after their application is accepted. Hence, this SBIR Regional Cohort is not a requirement for an SBIR application, but it will help teams with preparation and customer discovery.

Funding

Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $2,000 to support costs incurred during the Customer Discovery program. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a Customer Discovery log reflecting a minimum of 40 interviews.