The National Cancer Institute has created a new Phase 0 program for interested US-based businesses to use. The program is open to small businesses that have not previously won an NCI SBIR or STTR grant (re-submissions are acceptable for the program if the company has not previously won a grant).
The goal of the program is to provide instructors and mentors for applicants with great cancer technology, but who have little to no access to NIH experience in their network. The current application window closes November 1st, 2024. This application window applies to companies who are applying for an NCI SBIR or STTR grant for the April 5, 2025, deadline. (NOTE: This is not for companies who aim to apply on or before January 5, 2025. STEP services will be provided at no cost to any small business that is accepted into the program.)
Eva Garland Consulting provides the training and customized assistance for the STEP program in two stages:
- During Stage 1, participants receive Lean Startup-style guidance and instruction in areas that include entrepreneurship, value proposition testing, and customer discovery. During this six-week period, participants will work on developing a business model while interviewing potential users, purchasers, and partners to validate their value proposition. This is to prepare for their impending SBIR/STTR application.
- During Stage 2, participants receive guidance, feedback, and assistance with such necessary aspects of grant preparation like company registrations, generating timelines, general grant writing techniques, budgets, letters of interest, and other items necessary to submit NCI proposals. This ten-week period follows the plan in the book Winning SBIR/STTR Grants: A Ten Week Plan for Preparing Your NIH Phase I Application (4th Ed.). This book is produced by Eva Garland Consulting.
Additionally, Eva Garland will offer participating businesses post-submission support. This will help the businesses with evaluating their summary statements, consulting with NCI Program Directors, and (potentially) preparing for resubmission.
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