Congratulations on your decision to apply for an SBIR or STTR award! With eleven federal agencies participating annually in the SBIR program and five participating in the STTR program, we hope that you find the right opportunity for your company. But before jumping into the application process, it is a good idea to become familiar with the required registrations and some of the application basics. Being as familiar with the process as possible will ensure that you have the maximum amount of time to focus on building your proposal team and developing a compliant Project Narrative.
There are several systems for which you will have to register to complete the application process and it is highly recommended that you start these registrations sooner rather than later. Completing the System for Award Management (SAM) registration for instance can take up to six weeks. Therefore, it is best to begin this part of the process before you are entrenched in the details of your project. Click here for the essential registrations.
In addition to the numerous registrations, the application process involves multiple steps, including submitting a Letter of Intent through the Portfolio and Analysis Management System (PAMS) and submitting the application forms, budget, and Project Narrative in the Grants.gov workspace. It is critical that you give yourself sufficient time to become familiar with certain systems, such as Grants.gov, so that you do not encounter any last-minute issues that could delay your submission.
Software Requirements for Grants.gov
In order to access, complete, submit applications, and download any forms from Grants.gov, applicants need to have Adobe Reader Version 10 x for Windows or Mac OS or greater installed on their computer. Adobe Reader Version 9 x is no longer compatible. The Mac OS pdf reader Preview is not supported.
Unless otherwise specified, DOE prefers that all text attachments be submitted as pdf files.
Grants.gov includes significant help resources, both in text form and video tutorials. In addition to providing help navigating the workspace, Grants.gov also includes tutorials on writing grants, finding the right opportunity, and how to determine your eligibility for federal grants, among many other topics. See the Grants.gov “Community Blog” for easy access to a wide variety of tutorials and assistance: https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2021/07/07/how-to-get-help-when-using-the-grants-gov-system/.
