Stacy Chin recommends starting Phase I SBIR applications 3-4 months before the deadline. Federal registrations alone take weeks to a month, and proposals run 30-60 pages with dozens of supporting documents. Rushing the submission risks a weak application.
One of the top questions many startups has asked me is, how long does it take to put together an SBIR application? Months. And this is especially true for first-time SBIR pursuers. In my opinion, startups should start drafting their first SBIR application at least 3 to 4 months before the proposal deadline. Now you might be wondering, why does it take so long? Number one, there are several different federal agency registrations that your company have to go through just to even submit an SBIR application. And some of these registrations can take weeks or sometimes even a month just to get approved. Number two, you have to show the reviewers that you have access to the right facilities, expertise, people, contractors, even consultants. Number 3, Phase I SBIR application can be anywhere from 30 pages to even 60 pages long. You want to give yourself enough time to write the technical approach of your application. That's the most important part. There are also dozens of supporting documents, so you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to make sure you properly write, draft, edit, and revise all these different documents. You never want to rush an application.
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