NASA SBIR Program 2023 Ignite Phase I Solicitation Synopsis

The SBIR Ignite solicitation is a limited pilot program focused on technologies with a strong commercial pull. There are several differences from the traditional NASA annual SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) solicitations. The limited number of topic areas of interest for this solicitation have been specifically selected for their commercial relevance.

Offerors must demonstrate their understanding of the market and provide a strong commercialization plan to be considered responsive. Offerors familiar with the traditional NASA annual SBIR and STTR solicitations will notice significant differences in Section 3: Proposal Preparation Instructions and Requirements;

Section 4: Method of Selection and Evaluation Criteria;

Section 6: Submission of Proposals; and Section 8: Submission Forms. Be sure to read each of these sections carefully to ensure your proposal makes it through administrative screening to be considered. Proposal submission will occur through the Proposal Submissions and Award Management System (ProSAMS) rather than the standard Electronic Handbook (EHB) platform used for the traditional NASA SBIR Phase I or II solicitation.

The technical proposal will be separated into 2 distinct parts: • A white paper • A slide deck Firms may be invited to present to a panel made up of NASA subject matter experts and/or 3rd party reviewers. Phase II proposals will be due 120 days from the start of the Phase I period of performance. Firms will be notified of the exact date when they receive their Phase I award. The goal is to reduce the time between the end of Phase I and the beginning of the Phase II periods of performance.

The SBIR Ignite program aims to accelerate the advancement of technology to market. Firms are encouraged to propose the shortest Phase II period of performance that is required to reach their proposed milestones and not to default to the maximum 24-month period of performance.

Note: The Phase I period of performance is expected to be the standard 6 months.