Northstar Campus

UMass Lowell

SBIR Center of Excellence

SBIR Center of Excellence

SBIRs are federal, non-dilutive awards for R&D and startups inventing novel technology. Our dedicated SBIR Center of Excellence coaches teams through the best practices of proposal writing and execution. We help teams win with all agencies, including DoD, NSF, NIH, DOE, DHS, NASA and NIST.

Our teams enjoy at 52% win rate, which is more than 3X higher than the nominal win rate of 15%. The SBIR team has over 10 years of hands-on SBIR experience, and 25 years of industry and startup experience.  Our contracts team has over 30 years’ experience, with the Director having previously led the Contracts office at Army Natick Labs (CCDC SC).

Contact us today for SBIR support! Email:_______________________________

Winning teams can leverage TABA funds to gain Northstar membership and the associated benefits of program support, market analysis, access to UMass Lowell technical staff, and access to our Mentors. Our Chief Technologist and strategic growth team possesses over 25 years’ experience leading business strategy and capture programs for innovations with dual-use applications in defense, government, and commercial markets.  

What is TABA? (Technical and Business Assistance)

TABA is an allowance (sometimes over and above your SBIR/STTR grant) to use for commercialization assistance services from a provider you identify. Most agencies support this option when you submit your SBIR/STTR Phase I or Phase II proposal. 

Some agencies call it TABA. Others still call it DTA for Discretionary Technical Assistance, or Commercialization Assistance. See the chart below for TABA amounts by agency but be sure to check the solicitation for the latest update, including whether TABA amounts are over and above your funding threshold or included in your maximum. No matter what, we will help you figure it out to submit your application.

AGENCY

  • DoE
  • DoD
  • DoT
  • DHS
  • NASA
  • NSF
  • NIST
  • NIH
  • USDA

PHASE I ($)

  • $6,500
  • up to $6,500
  • $5,000
  • $6,500
  • $6,500
  • –
  • $6,500
  • $6,500
  • $6,500

PHASE II ($)

  • $50,000
  • up to $50,000
  • $13,000
  • $50,000
  • $10,000
  • $50,000
  • $6,500
  • $50,000
  • $50,000

The Northstar SBIR COE follows these pricing guidelines in our offering.