Opportunity Information: Apply for 2022 NIST SBIR 01
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I opportunity from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a federal funding competition aimed at helping eligible small businesses explore the feasibility of early-stage, high-impact research and development ideas. Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), NIST is looking for science- and technology-based small firms that can propose strong, well-scoped Phase I research projects that align with NIST mission needs. The central goal of Phase I in the SBIR framework is to support early proof-of-concept work, reduce technical risk, and generate results that justify further development in later stages, including potential Phase II efforts and eventual commercialization.
A key requirement of this NOFO is that each application must clearly connect to a specific NIST technical program area that fits within one of the defined research areas listed in Section 9.0 of the NOFO. In other words, proposals cannot be generic R and D ideas; they need to be explicitly mapped to one of NISTs identified priority topic areas. The solicitation also allows another path: applicants may propose research that leverages a NIST-patented technology that is available for licensing. That means a small business can build a Phase I project around advancing, adapting, or demonstrating a NIST invention, with an eye toward licensing and commercialization, as long as the proposal makes that relationship and technical approach clear.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity, and awards are made as cooperative agreements rather than standard grants. A cooperative agreement typically indicates that the agency expects to have more substantial involvement during the project than it would under a traditional grant, such as technical collaboration, coordination, or oversight consistent with the program structure. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the program is associated with CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number 11.620. The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," but the substance of the NOFO makes clear that the intended applicants are small businesses that meet SBIR eligibility requirements.
The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 2022 NIST SBIR 01, with a creation date of March 2, 2022, and an original closing date of May 3, 2022. The notice emphasizes following the specific application instructions tied to this solicitation (APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2022-NIST-SBIR-01), and it underscores that applications must do more than mention NIST topics in passing. They must sufficiently identify and clearly address the chosen NIST technical program area, demonstrating that the proposed Phase I work is responsive to the NOFOs defined research areas or to a licensable NIST patent.Apply for 2022 NIST SBIR 01
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-02.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIST SBIR Phase I opportunity?
This opportunity is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I funding competition run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is designed to help eligible small businesses test the feasibility of early-stage, high-impact research and development (R&D) ideas through a well-scoped Phase I project.
What is the purpose of SBIR Phase I in this NOFO?
The central Phase I goal is to support proof-of-concept work, reduce technical risk, and produce results that can justify additional development in later stages. This includes laying the groundwork for potential Phase II efforts and eventual commercialization.
Who is this funding opportunity intended for?
While the eligible applicant category is shown as "Others," the NOFO content indicates the intended applicants are small businesses that meet SBIR eligibility requirements and can propose science- and technology-based R&D projects aligned with NIST mission needs.
What kind of projects is NIST looking to fund under Phase I?
NIST is seeking strong, well-scoped Phase I research projects from science- and technology-based small firms. Proposed work must be early-stage R&D focused on feasibility and proof-of-concept, and it must align with specific NIST mission needs described in the NOFO.
Do proposals need to align with specific NIST research topics?
Yes. Each application must clearly connect to a specific NIST technical program area that fits within one of the defined research areas listed in Section 9.0 of the NOFO. Proposals cannot be generic R&D concepts; they must be explicitly mapped to NIST-identified priority topic areas.
What does it mean to "clearly connect" a proposal to a NIST technical program area?
It means the application must do more than reference NIST topics in passing. The proposal should sufficiently identify the chosen NIST technical program area and clearly address it, demonstrating that the Phase I work is responsive to the NOFO's defined research areas (Section 9.0) or to a licensable NIST patent approach permitted by the solicitation.
Is there an option to propose research based on a NIST-patented technology?
Yes. The solicitation allows applicants to propose research that leverages a NIST-patented technology that is available for licensing. A Phase I project can focus on advancing, adapting, or demonstrating a NIST invention, with the relationship to the patent and the technical approach explained clearly in the proposal.
Does using a NIST patent change what the proposal must include?
The proposal still needs to be clearly scoped as a Phase I feasibility effort and must make the relationship to the NIST-patented technology explicit. The application should clearly describe how the Phase I work advances, adapts, or demonstrates the NIST invention and how that supports licensing and commercialization goals.
What type of federal award is being offered: a grant or something else?
Awards under this opportunity are made as cooperative agreements rather than standard grants.
What is a cooperative agreement in the context of this opportunity?
A cooperative agreement typically indicates that NIST expects to have more substantial involvement during the project than it would under a traditional grant. The NOFO describes this as including agency involvement such as technical collaboration, coordination, or oversight consistent with the program structure.
Is this a mandatory or discretionary funding opportunity?
This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What is the Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number associated with this program?
The program is associated with CFDA (often referred to as an Assistance Listing) number 11.620.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 2022 NIST SBIR 01.
When was this opportunity created, and what was the original closing date?
The creation date is March 2, 2022, and the original closing date is May 3, 2022.
Where do applicants find the application instructions for this NOFO?
The notice emphasizes that applicants must follow the specific application instructions tied to this solicitation, referenced as "APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2022-NIST-SBIR-01."
What is a common compliance pitfall highlighted in the notice?
The notice underscores that applications must do more than mention NIST topics briefly. They must sufficiently identify and clearly address the chosen NIST technical program area, showing responsiveness to the defined research areas in Section 9.0 or to a licensable NIST patent path allowed by the solicitation.
Does this NOFO support commercialization goals?
Yes. The Phase I purpose described includes generating results that justify further development in later stages (including Phase II) and supports a pathway toward eventual commercialization. The NIST-patent licensing option is also framed with licensing and commercialization in mind.
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