One of the things to do before you start an SBIR/STTR proposal is to make sure you have some registrations in place, you’ve vetted your idea, and you’ve talked to a program officer at the agencies.
I’m a big fan of having conversations with program officers often, and you most definitely should talk to them before you start the work of applying. This will make sure your idea is a fit and responsive to the solicitation. You also need to get your registrations in order, some of which can take a month to complete.
One other thing to consider is timing….Is your idea more of an academic proposal, or is it ‘too far along’ to be a fit? Those are some concerns you should look into. Here are some previous Tips from Todd that I’ve done in the past that relate to these topics.
