NEWS & UPDATES
SBIR : Moving from Phase I to Phase II
For SBIR/STTR Programs, federal agencies explicitly want to see the complete vision from research through commercialization. Phase 1 proposals should articulate how the work connects to Phase 2 development, and eventual market deployment.
Customer Discovery for SBIR/STTR: Proving There’s a Market for Your Innovation
Customer discovery before R&D work is a crucial step in validating your problem-solution fit early. You want to confirm that the problem you think exists actually matters to customers, that they're willing to pay to solve it, and that your proposed solution addresses their real pain points. This upfront investment in understanding customers typically saves far more money and time than it costs.
Creating a Commercialization Plan for your SBIR/STTR Proposals
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are designed to move early-stage and impactful technologies closer to commercialization, but what does “commercialization” mean?
Increase Your SBIR/STTR Funding with West Virginia's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund
Got federal SBIR or STTR funding? West Virginia wants to double down on your innovation through matching funds. The West Virginia Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund (EII) offers grants to businesses that have received federal SBIR/STTR awards, aiming to maximize the impact of federal research funding awards.
West Virginia Shows Surprising Strength in SBIR Performance
Excel Regional Solutions recently released the SBIR State Performance Index, which assesses state SBIR achievements using factors like economy size, research spending, high-tech firms, and research employment. Including these factors establishes a more comprehensive ranking of performance by showing how well each state's companies earn SBIR awards compared to their share of the national innovation economy.
According to the index, West Virginia received 45 awards from 2022 to 2024, far fewer than Texas's 1,138. At first glance, this might make West Virginia’s accomplishments look insubstantial. However, the report ranks the Mountain State #18 when all factors are considered. We believe this is due to the state’s matching fund program, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund, and technical assistance from WV SPRINT, the SBIR FAST program administered by USRIA & WV SBDC.