Stacy L ChinFounder, KeepYourEquity · I get the government to write you checks

Don't Ignore SBIR Review Criteria! Your Blueprint for Success #shorts

3 Aug 2026 · 0 min

Watch on YouTube

0:27

In this concise YouTube short, the speaker warns first‑time SBIR applicants that approaching their proposal without understanding the review criteria is like taking an exam without knowing the grading rubric. He explains that reviewers evaluate proposals based on specific criteria, and if applicants fail to directly answer the questions embedded in those criteria, even outstanding science and innovative ideas can receive only mediocre scores. The speaker urges founders to treat the review criteria as a blueprint for their application rather than an afterthought, shifting focus from merely writing to strategically aligning their narrative with what reviewers are looking for.

Imagine taking a final exam without knowing how it's graded. That's exactly what many first-time SBIR applicants do actually in their SBIR applications. The review criteria tells you exactly what reviewers are evaluating. Yet many founders spend more time writing than understanding how this can actually be scored. So if you don't answer the questions reviewers are being asked, even great science and innovations can receive mediocre scores. So treat the review criteria like your blueprint, not an afterthought.