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SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award

NEW: $10M in SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award FY2013 Funding Available
RFA-CA-12-023

Application Receipt Date: March 6, 2013

NCI has announced $10M for up to ten new awards in FY2013 for small businesses that seek additional funding to support the next stage of development of NIH-supported SBIR Phase II projects in the areas of cancer therapeutics, imaging technologies, interventional devices, or diagnostics and prognostics. This funding opportunity is open to current and recently expired NIH SBIR Phase II projects, including both Phase II grants and contracts.* The deadline to submit an application for FY2013 is March 6, 2013.

*NOTE: Applicants who intend to submit a Phase IIB Bridge Award application that is predicated on an SBIR Phase II contract MUST contact the SBIR Development Center prior to submission, so that NCI can properly arrange for such applications to be accepted.

Please click here to view past funding opportunities.

About the NCI SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award:

Hear more about the Phase IIB Bridge Award from NCI SBIR Program Director & Team Leader, Dr. Andy Kurtz:


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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program has developed an innovative funding opportunity called the SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award to support the next stage of development for NIH-funded SBIR Phase II projects in the areas of cancer therapeutics, imaging technologies, interventional devices, diagnostics, and prognostics. The purpose of this award is to address the funding gap known as the "Valley of Death" between the end of the SBIR Phase II award and the subsequent round of financing needed to advance a product or service toward commercialization. To achieve this goal, the Bridge Award funding opportunity is specifically designed to incentivize partnerships between NIH's SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners.

Budgets up to $1 million in total costs per year and project periods up to three years (a total of $3 million over three years) may be requested from NCI. Development efforts may include preclinical R&D needed for regulatory filings (e.g., IND or IDE) or clinical trials. NCI intends to commit $10M for up to 10 new awards in FY2013.

Competitive preference and funding priority is given to applications deemed likely to result in a commercial product, as indicated by the applicant's ability to secure substantial independent third-party investor funds (i.e. third-party funds that equal or exceed the requested NCI funds). Examples of third-party investors include drug or device manufacturers, angel investors, venture capital investors, state investment funds, foundations, and universities. Applicants must provide a commercialization plan that describes the long-term commercialization strategy and details on any independent third-party investor funding that has already been secured or will be provided during the Bridge Award project period.

Eligibility Requirements

An SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award application must represent a continuation of the R&D efforts performed under a previously funded NIH SBIR Phase II award nearing completion or recently ended.

  • Applications may be predicated on a previously funded SBIR Phase II grant or contract award.*
  • To be eligible under the current FOA, current Phase II projects MUST end on or before August 31, 2013.
  • In general, applications should be predicated on SBIR Phase II awards that ended not more than 24 months prior to the application receipt date, although the NCI will consider longer periods of hiatus on a case-by-case basis.
  • The qualifying Phase II award could have been funded in response to any NIH SBIR solicitation and funded by NCI or by another NIH Institute/Center. However, the proposed development activities must provide the appropriate technical foundation to justify continued development of the technology for a cancer-relevant indication/use.

*NOTE: Applicants who intend to submit a Phase IIB Bridge Award application that is predicated on an SBIR Phase II contract MUST contact the SBIR Development Center prior to submission, so that the NCI can properly arrange for such applications to be accepted.

Current SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Awardees:

To learn about all current Bridge Awardees and the cancer technologies they are developing, click here to read NCI SBIR Bridge Award success stories.

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Click here to view the SBIR Phase II Bridge Award Postcard.