Dear SBIR Insider,
Today we have a short SBIR Insider with some good news (potentially) and an important note for those of you participating in the current NIST SBIR solicitation.
HOUSE OFFERS UP SBIR/STTR/CPP CONTINUING RESOLUTION (CR)
Sam Graves (R-MO), the new House Small Business Committee chair, has sponsored H.R. 366, a short and sweet bill that is a continuing resolution (CR) to keep SBIR/STTR/CPP (and some other SBA programs) running "as is" for an additional 4 months, ending May 31, 2011. The current CR keeping the SBIR/STTR/CPP programs running will expire on January 31, 2011. Graves hopes this will allow enough time for a full SBIR reauthorization bill to be passed.
H.R. 366 should be considered as a non-controversial bill and will most likely be brought to the floor of the House for a vote by Tuesday. If passed, the bill will immediately go to the Senate where the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is already "dialed in" to support the bill and try to get it quickly passed in the Senate.
"If all goes well", it should be signed by the President by the week's end and we can start planning on the 4 month cycle to construct a comprehensive SBIR reauthorization bill (we've all heard that before...).
To help insure that "all goes well" contact your Representative and ask them to support H.R. 366 the continuing resolution to keep SBIR/STTR running through May 31, 2011. You can go to www.house.gov and look up your Representative and go to www.senate.gov to find your Senators and contact them as well.
The actual title of the H.R. 366 bill is: "To provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes."
We will let you know if there are any roadblocks.
NIST ISSUES IMPORTANT AMENDMENT TO SBIR SOLICITATION
If you have submitted, or are going to submit a proposal to NIST on their current SBIR solicitation, please read this!
On January 20, 2011 NIST released an amendment to their SBIR solicitation that states: "Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation
" NIST offers a few different ways for you to acknowledge that you have read the amendment.
NIST cautions that without your acknowledgement, your proposal could be rejected. The changes have to do with things like "protection of human subjects."
You should download the 5 page PDF from FedBizOpps at:
https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=ef36f497d301566848f9abd2537f06bf&_cview=0
NATIONAL SBIR SPRING CONFERENCE - APRIL 10-13, MADISON, WI
The National SBIR/STTR Spring Conference is being held April 10 - 13, in Madison Wisconsin. The conference planners have been working hard to create a worthwhile SBIR event for you. Their theme is "Leveraging federal funds for your small business."
The national conferences are a great place for novices and intermediates to learn more about the programs and how to compete, and advanced companies can also benefit from the networking and learning about changes to the program.
In addition to the many sessions available, you will have the opportunity for "one-on-one" face time with federal program mangers. You can also meet potential new partners such as prime contractors, universities and other small businesses. This type of networking is one of the great values of the conference.
The Wisconsin SBIR hosts have worked hard to keep registration cost down. Advanced registration through March 10, 2011 is $395 per person. This is a considerable savings from the $595 on-site registration. Get full details from their web site at:
http://conferencing.uwex.edu/conferences/sbir2011/
CLOSING
I was hesitant to do another SBIR Insider so soon following our last behemoth issue, but felt you needed to know about the new CR to be voted on. We'll let you know how it works out, and what happens next.
Sincerely,
Rick
Rick Shindell
SBIR Gateway
Zyn Systems
40 Alderwood Dr.
Sequim, WA 98382
360-681-4123
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.zyn.com/sbir
