Technical and Business Assistance (TABA)
What is TABA?
Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) provides an opportunity to assist small businesses participating in the SBIR and STTR programs with commercializing its technology. This funding is in addition to, and does not take away from, your SBIR/STTR funding. Organizations cannot apply for TABA without having an active SBIR/STTR application or award.
The assistance is guided by Section 9 (b) of the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, and it enables federal agencies to help small businesses by funding vendors to support commercializing their innovations or by providing additional funding directly to small businesses so they can contract their own vendors and consultants for commercialization purposes.
If you missed applying for TABA as an existing SBIR/STTR award, our team may be able to assist you to retroactively apply for that funding.
The purpose of technical and business assistance is to assist SBIR/STTR Awardees in:
- Making better technical decisions on SBIR/STTR projects;
- Solving technical problems that arise during SBIR/STTR projects;
- Minimizing technical risks associated with SBIR/STTR projects; and
- Commercializing the SBIR/STTR product or process, including intellectual property protections.
TABA Funding Table
| AGENCY | ACRONYM | PHASE I | PHASE II |
| Department of Homeland Security | DHS | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| Department of Defense* | DoD | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| Department of Energy | DoE | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| Department of Education | DoEd | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| Department of Transportation | DoT | $6,500 | $13,000 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | EPA | $6,500 | $10,000 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| National Institutes of Health | NIH | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| National Institutes of Standards and Technology | NIST | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| National Science Foundation | NSF | N/A | $50,000 |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture | USDA | $6,500 | $50,000 |
| *Amount varies by Agency |
Applying for TABA
It is important to know when you need to apply, the requirements necessary to receive funding, and how much funding is available. That is why LSI is here to help. Our team will help you navigate the TABA application and mentor you through the complexities, making your process easy.
TABA Services
TABA or Technical and Business Assistance is a funding assistance program for SBIR and STTR participants. TABA funds are provided under the award of the SBIR/STTR governmental agency and is provided for the purpose of the awardee to receive funding for specialized business assistance. This funding is in addition to the funding provided from the SBIR/STTR program. TABA funding can only be used for TABA specific services and cannot be used to fund development of the product. These are some services available for TABA:
General Services Available
- Market Insights
- Product Design
- Sales
- Marketing
- Legal & IP
- Governmental Regulations
- Fundraising
More Specified Services
- Market Assessment
- SWOT Analysis and/or Needs Assessment
- Market Validation
- Review and Edit of Commercialization Plan
- IP Strategy Consultation
- Product Development Consultation
- Regulatory Strategy Consulting
- Market Entry Launch Strategy Development
- Company Resource and Team Building
- Financial Plan Review
- Fundraising Strategy Development
- Preparation of Technology Marketing Material
- Identification Of and Outreach to Potential Commercialization Partners
- Technology Marketing for Trade Show, Conference, or Event
- Deal Terms/ Licensing Advisory
Why Hire LSI?
LSI can support Phase I – III SBIR/STTR participants. For qualified individuals working with specific federal agencies, LSI will invest in your small business by offering grant writing services at a discounted rate. By becoming an LSI client, you will also have access to a portfolio of tools and a network of experts who offer winning strategies based on 50 years of proven success. For a free consultation, please contact us below.