SBIR@Connect: Ready to Apply?

Below is a quick checklist of things you must complete before submitting your proposal. This should help you prepare for the next round of topics!

SAM.gov checklist: 

*Obtained from SAM.gov

First and foremost, you must register your entity at SAM.gov in order to do business with the U.S. Government. This includes applying or bidding on any federal grants or contracts, such as SBIRs. SAM.gov is the System for Award Management and it’s an official website of the US Government.

Register your entity
  1. Request a UEI (DUNS, Data Universal Numbering System) number
      • It takes about 10 minutes to request it, and 1-2 business days to receive it (under normal circumstances).
  2. Prepare your data
      • Some of the data needed to complete your registration includes, but is not limited to:
        • UEI (DUNS) , legal business name, physical address, entity type, and general entity information 
        • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and taxpayer name 
        • Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) code (You can request it through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) once you sign up under SAM.gov)
        • Financial and banking information to set up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) 
      • In addition to the above documentation, you might also need the following:
        • The Entering Assertions section 
        • The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) information section 
        • The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) responses questionnaire (33 questions) 
        • The Architect and Engineering Responses questionnaire 
        • The Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) questionnaire (if applicable) 
        • The SBA supplemental page (If you are a small business)
  3. Get a Login.gov account
      • It takes a few minutes to create your account.
      • Login.gov allows you to get secure and private online access to government programs. 
      • You can use the same email address and password to sign into multiple government websites, including SAM.gov and dodsbirsttr.mil (where you’ll submit your DoD proposal). 
      • You will need a DUNS number to create your Login.gov account.
  4. Submit and finish
      • It may take up to 10 business days after submission for your registration to become active in SAM. It will also take an additional 24 hours for it to be available in other government systems. 
      • Entity registration typically takes between a few hours to 2 days to become active. You can track where it is at the SAM.gov website. 

Once you have registered and obtained your DUNS number, you can move on to the next step: submitting your proposal

Submit Your Proposal (DSIP) Checklist:  

*Obtained from DoD DSIP BAA Submission & Information Website
  1. Submit proposal via DSIP (DoD SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal)
  2. Follow proposal submission instructions in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA on the DSIP:
      • Proposals submitted by any other means will be disregarded.
      • Proposers submitting through DSIP for the first time will be asked to register (no longer needed if you have a Login.gov account already)
      • Register as soon as possible to avoid delays in the proposal submission process. If your proposal is not successfully certified electronically in DSIP by the Corporate Official prior to BAA Close, your proposal will NOT be considered. Please refer to the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA for further information.

DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA Checklist: 

*Obtained from navysbir.com 

The following six volumes are required per the BAA InstructionsThe information listed is not in its entirety and does not include the full instructions. For the full list, please visit here.

1. Proposal Cover Sheet (Volume 1). 

  • Make sure you follow the specified instructions in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA, not just for Volume 1, but for all volumes.
 

2. Technical Proposal (Volume 2)

  • Must meet the following requirements or it will be REJECTED:
    • Not to exceed 10 pages, regardless of page content
    • Single column format, single-spaced typed lines
    • Standard 8 ½” x 11” paper
    • Page margins one inch on all sides. A header and footer may be included in the one-inch margin.
    • No font size smaller than 10-point
    • Include, within the 10-page limit of Volume 2, an Option that furthers the effort in preparation for Phase II and will bridge the funding gap between the end of Phase I and the start of Phase II. Tasks for both the Phase I Base and the Phase I Option must be clearly identified. Phase I Options are exercised upon selection for Phase II.
    • Phase I Base Period of Performance must be exactly six (6) months.
    • Phase I Option Period of Performance must be exactly six (6) months.
  • Additional information:
    • It is highly recommended that proposers use the Phase I proposal template https://navysbir.com/links_forms.htm, specific to DON topics, to meet Phase I Technical Volume (Volume 2) requirements.
    • Font size smaller than 10-point is allowable for headers, footers, embedded tables, figures, images, or graphics that include text.  However, proposers are cautioned that if the text is too small to be legible it will not be evaluated.
 

3. Cost Volume (Volume 3). 

  • Must meet the following requirements or it will be REJECTED:
    • The Phase I Base amount must not exceed $140,000.
    • Phase I Option amount must not exceed $100,000. 
    • Costs for the Base and Option must be separated and clearly identified on the Proposal Cover Sheet (Volume 1) and in Volume 3.
  • Additional information:
    • Provide sufficient detail for subcontractor, material, and travel costs. Subcontractor costs must be detailed to the same level as the prime contractor. Material costs must include a listing of items and cost per item. Travel costs must include the purpose of the trip, number of trips, location, length of trip, and number of personnel. 
    • Inclusion of cost estimates for travel to the sponsoring SYSCOM’s facility for one day of meetings is recommended for all proposals.
    • The “Additional Cost Information” of Supporting Documents (Volume 5) may be used to provide supporting cost details for Volume 3. When a proposal is selected for award, be prepared to submit further documentation to the SYSCOM Contracting Officer to substantiate costs (e.g., an explanation of cost estimates for equipment, materials, and consultants or subcontractors).
 

4. Company Commercialization Report (Volume 4)

Please refer to the Phase I Proposal section of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA for details to ensure compliance with DSIP Volume 4 requirements.

5. Supporting Documents (Volume 5). 

Volume 5 is for the submission of administrative material that DON may or will require to process a proposal, if selected, for contract award. 

All proposers must review and submit the following items, as applicable:

  • Telecommunications Equipment Certification.  Required for all proposers.  The DoD must comply with Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is working to reduce or eliminate contracts, or extending or renewing a contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. As such, all proposers must include as a part of their submission a written certification in response to the clauses (DFAR clauses 252.204-7016, 252.204-7018, and subpart 204.21). The written certification can be found in Attachment 1 of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA. This certification must be signed by the authorized company representative and is to be uploaded as a separate PDF file in Volume 5. Failure to submit the required certification as a part of the proposal submission process will be cause for rejection of the proposal submission without evaluation. Please refer to the instructions provided in the Phase I Proposal section of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA.  
  • Disclosure of Offeror’s Ownership or Control by a Foreign Government.  All proposers must review to determine applicability.  In accordance with DFARS provision 252.209-7002, a proposer is required to disclose any interest a foreign government has in the proposer when that interest constitutes control by foreign government. All proposers must review the Foreign Ownership or Control Disclosure information to determine applicability. If applicable, an authorized firm representative must complete the Disclosure of Offeror’s Ownership or Control by a Foreign Government (found in Attachment 2 of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA) and upload as a separate PDF file in Volume 5. Please refer to instructions provided in the Phase I Proposal section of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA. 
  • Majority Ownership in Part. Proposers which are more than 50% owned by multiple venture capital operating companies (VCOC), hedge funds (HF), private equity firms (PEF), or any combination of these as set forth in 13 C.F.R. § 121.702, are eligible to submit proposals in response to DON topics advertised within this BAA. Complete certification as detailed under ADDITIONAL SUBMISSION CONSIDERATIONS.
 
  •  Additional information:
    •  Proposers may include the following administrative materials in Supporting Documents (Volume 5); a template is available at https://navysbir.com/links_forms.htm to provide guidance on optional material the proposer may want to include in Volume 5:
      • Additional Cost Information to support the Cost Volume (Volume 3) 
      • SBIR/STTR Funding Agreement Certification
      •  Data Rights Assertion
      • Allocation of Rights between Prime and Subcontractor
      • Disclosure of Information (DFARS 252.204-7000) 
      • Prior, Current, or Pending Support of Similar Proposals or Awards 
      • Foreign Citizens
    • Do not include documents or information to substantiate the Technical Volume (Volume 2) (e.g., resumes, test data, technical reports, or publications). Such documents or information will not be considered.
    • Font size smaller than 10-point is allowable for documents in Volume 5; however, proposers are cautioned that the text may be unreadable.  
 

6. Fraud, Waste and Abuse Training Certification (Volume 6)

DoD requires Volume 6 for submission. Please refer to the Phase I Proposal section of the DoD SBIR/STTR Program BAA for details.

Through this partnership, Connect has created the SBIR@Connect program. SBIR@Connect aims to better service those interested in participating or collaborating with the government, specifically with the Navy’s Small Business Research Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program, by providing services such as office hours, workshops, and tutorial videos. The mission of this program is to foster relationships, and make conversations between government, industry and academia more accessible.

Upcoming Sessions:

SBIR@Connect Office Hours

Innovators — bring your questions about the Navy program

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