Introduction to SBIR/The Value Proposition Workshop * Tulsa, OK
Monday, August 12, 2013 - 8:30am - 4:00pm
Introduction to the Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs
Sponsored by Oklahoma EPSCoR, i2E and OCAST
The federal government sets aside nearly $3 billion a year to fund the development of new ideas being pursued by the nation's most innovative small firms and their R&D collaborators. The SBIR/STTR programs provide highly valuable R&D funding to support the early, high-risk stages of concept development and feasibility assessment, as well as key tasks such as prototyping, field trials, and animal studies. This session is designed to provide an overview of the SBIR/STTR opportunity and to cover eligibility criteria, program and proposal fundamentals, R&D team components, similarities and differences among the SBIR/STTR funding agencies, and the basics of competing successfully. Questions will be encouraged. Participants will also learn about the valuable resources that are available in Oklahoma to assist you in pursuing this unique source of R&D funding.
Agenda:
- SBIR/STTR introduction and overview—nuts and bolts
(Intent of the programs, eligibility rules, grants vs. contracts, opportunities and solicitations, new rules) - Pre-qualification: Are the SBIR/STTR programs right for your firm?
- Getting ready to write a competitive Phase I SBIR/STTR proposal
- Ways to avoid losing: Some SBIR/STTR Do’s and Don’ts
- Introduction to OSCR and the breadth of support services available in Oklahoma, including all OCAST programs
- Q & A (throughout the session)
The Value Proposition: Creating Your R&D Elevator Speech
Many of us understand the value of an effective elevator pitch in the context of selling a new technology/service/company to potential investors or buyers. However, it is also valuable to create a powerful elevator speech about your R&D idea. You may have many target audiences for your R&D elevator speech, including potential government grant/contract sponsors, potential R&D collaborators, future customers, team members you wish to recruit, and even your own internal decision-makers. The formula we present for creating a two-sentence R&D elevator pitch is designed to help you put your thoughts into the "right" order and to clearly identify the key themes of your R&D proposal. You can then adjust and refine your pitch to suit various audiences. This highly interactive session will introduce the concept of and "formula" for the R&D elevator speech, will allow the audience to critique and discuss sample elevator speeches, and will then provide time for each participant to draft an elevator pitch. Each participant will have the opportunity to read the R&D pitch to the group and to receive feedback.
Agenda:
- Audience introduction—find out who is there and what they do
- Introduction to elevator speeches
- Review of typical problems with elevator speeches
- Audience critiques of sample elevator pitches
- Introduction of the Grow template for elevator pitches and examples
- Discussion of what makes R&D elevator speeches different
- Audience participation in drafting individual elevator speeches
- Reading and group critiques of the speeches produced
- Presentation of sample revisions (time permitting)
- Discussion of how the elevator pitches can be used with SBIR/STTR program managers, and how the 2-sentence write-ups can guide the development of full SBIR/STTR proposals
- Q & A (throughout the session)
To register, visit http://oksbir.eventbrite.com/.
