SC EPSCoR/IDeA

South Carolina SBIR Phase-0 Program

The South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA Program announces the continuation of the South Carolina Small Business Innovation Research Phase-0 program to provide small businesses with seed investments to foster competitive research and development (R&D) proposal submissions.  The SBIR Phase-0 program provides seed grants (up to $6,000 per proposal) to small businesses seeking: (1) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) support or (2) partnerships, contracts, and grants for innovative research concepts.

The SC EPSCoR/IDeA Program identifies and develops the science and technology resources at the state's colleges and universities to stimulate sustainable infrastructure improvements.  By serving as a catalyst for industry-university partnerships, SC EPSCoR/IDeA helps ensure that intellectual capital and emerging technologies are brought together in ways that promote economic growth and an improved quality of life.  In conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the SC EPSCoR/IDeA Program offers the SBIR Phase-0 initiative to increase:

(1) the participation and competitiveness of the state's small businesses in SBIR and STTR competitions;

(2) the amount of research dollars invested in South Carolina's private sector; and

(3) the involvement of academia in private sector research ventures.

Please see the solicitation for more specific information, proposal guidelines, and submission processes.

Solicitation: 09-105 - SBIR Phase-0 Program (pdf)
Effective: August 20, 2009
Cover Sheet: Appendix A(doc)
Budget Page: Appendix B (doc)

SBIR & STTR

The SBIR and STTR are two highly competitive three-phase award systems that provide small businesses with opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet specific federal R&D needs.  The SBIR program supports small businesses by funding research at the critical startup and development stages and encouraging commercialization of the technology, product, or service.  The STTR program supports small businesses in partnership with nonprofit research institutions to move ideas from the research laboratory to the marketplace.  Both SBIR and STTR funds provide small businesses with a unique source of funding to explore and develop novel concepts with no impairment of debt structure, no equity participation, and most intellectual property rights generated through funded projects are retained by the small business.

Participating agencies include:
Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (DOC), Defense (DoD), Education (ED), Energy (DOE), Health and Human Services (DHHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

SBIR and STTR solicitations are released periodically from the above federal agencies.  Small businesses may compete for these awards by submitting a proposal addressing the technical topic needs of the agency's solicitation.  Further information about the SBIR and STTR programs is available at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website.