Foa_Content_of_HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-BISB-0109-1.pdf

Administration for Community Living

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase II

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-BISB-0109

03/10/2025

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

NIDILRR SBIR Funding Restrictions:

Definitions:

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

SBA Company Registry

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Table of Contents

Summary/ Abstract

Work Plan

Vitae/Biosketches of Key Project Personnel

References

Budget Narrative/Justification

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

Summary of Involved Individuals and Organizations

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

Informational Conference Call

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Innovations, Inventions and Patents

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Funding Opportunity Title:

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase II Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-BISB-0109

Primary CFDA Number:

93.433 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

02/07/2025 Due Date for Applications:

03/10/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

02/03/2025 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary https://www.grants.gov/

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living invites applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for NIDILRR's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program – Phase II (CFDA 93.433). All SBIR projects funded by NIDILRR must address the needs of individuals with disabilities (see 29 U.S.C. 760). The scientific and technical merit of the proposed research/research and development (R/R&D) is the primary concern for all projects supported by NIDILRR.

I. Funding Opportunity Description NIDILRR’s mission is to generate new knowledge and to promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community and to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. An application to NILDRR’s SBIR program must support this mission. All SBIR projects funded by NIDILRR must address the needs of individuals with disabilities (see 29 U.S.C. 760). Applicants should present a sound approach to the investigation of an important technological, engineering, or scientific question that it is worthy of support under the stated criteria of this program announcement. The applicant should review the program announcement carefully to ensure that information and data essential for evaluation are included.

The scientific and technical merit of the proposed research and research and development (R/R&D) is the primary concern for all work supported by NIDILRR.

The Small Business Administration defines the following activities as Research or Research and Development (R/R&D):

(1) A systematic, intensive study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the subject studied;

(2) A systematic study directed specifically toward applying new knowledge to meet a recognized need; or

(3) A systematic application of knowledge toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.

NIDILRR’s SBIR program can support each of these types of activities toward new knowledge or products that can be used to improve the health and function, employment, or community living and participation outcomes of people with disabilities.

The application's R/R&D must be responsive to NIDILRR’s SBIR program objectives, and it should also serve as the basis for technological innovation, new commercial products, or processes or services that may benefit the public.

A firm must not propose market research, patent applications, or litigation. Where necessary, the research may be carried out through construction and evaluation of a laboratory prototype.

The purpose of the Federal SBIR program is to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector and to strengthen the role of small business in meeting Federal research or research and development (R/R&D) needs. The specific purpose of NIDILRR’s SBIR program is to increase the commercial application of research and development results and improve the return on investment from research and development that can be used to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

NOTE: An applicant should consult NIDILRR’s Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028 (the Plan) when preparing its application. The Plan is organized around the following outcome domains:

(1) Community living and participation;

(2) Health and function;

(3) Employment

Applicants for these SBIR projects must specify in their abstract and project narrative which of these major outcome domains of individual well-being their proposed project will focus on.

Although applicants may propose projects that address more than one domain, they should select the primary domain addressed in their proposed project.

An applicant must demonstrate, in its original application, that people with disabilities from diverse racial and ethnic communities will be included in proposed samples in sufficient numbers to generate knowledge or products that are relevant to the racial and ethnic diversity of the population of people with disabilities being addressed. The applicant must describe and justify, in its original application, the planned racial and ethnic distribution of people with disabilities who will participate in the proposed R/R&D activities.

Applicants should describe the approaches they expect to use to collect empirical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the knowledge or products they are proposing to create. This empirical evidence should facilitate the assessment of the efficacy and usefulness of the knowledge or products.

Consultative or other arrangements between applicant firms and universities or other nonprofit organizations are permitted, but the small business concern must serve as the grantee. For Phase II projects, at least one-half of the research or analytic activities must be performed by the small business concern grantee.

The three phases of the SBIR program are:

Phase I – Phase I is intended to determine, insofar as possible, the scientific or technical merit and feasibility of ideas submitted under the SBIR program. The application should concentrate on research that will significantly contribute to establishing the scientific or technical feasibility of the approach or concept, a prerequisite to further ACL support in Phase II. Applications are evaluated by panels of expert reviewers. Awards are for periods up to six months. The maximum award amount includes both direct and indirect costs and any reasonable profit/fee requested.

Phase II – Phase II is intended to expand on the results of and to further pursue the development of Phase I projects. Phase II is the principal research or R&D effort. It requires a more comprehensive application, outlining the effort in detail including its commercial potential. All Phase I awardees who have completed their Phase I work in the past three years with approaches that appear sufficiently promising are eligible to apply for Phase II.

Phase II awards are for periods up to two years. The maximum award amount includes both https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/about-acl/2024-01/ACL_Final%20Transmitted_NIDILRR%20LRP%202024-2028.pdf?j=2268505&sfmc_sub=6954352&l=6707_HTML&u=52314754&mid=515008575&jb=0 direct costs, indirect costs and fee. Applicants are required to distribute the funding for the two-year performance period in equal amounts for each budget period. The second year of the award will be approved contingent upon submission of an annual performance report and the demonstration of adequate progress in the first year.

Phase III – In Phase III, the small business must use non-SBIR capital to pursue commercial applications of the research or research and development. Also, under Phase III Federal agencies may award non-SBIR follow-on funding for products or processes that meet the needs of those agencies. NIDILRR does not participate in Phase III.

Note: NIDILRR encourages all applicants to adhere to universal design principles and guidelines. The term “universal design” is defined as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (The Center for Universal Design, 1997). Universal design of consumer products minimizes or alleviates barriers that reduce the ability of individuals with disabilities to effectively or safely use standard consumer products.

NIDILRR SBIR Funding Restrictions:

A firm must not propose market research, patent applications, or litigation. Projects that propose service provision without a research/development component will not be considered.

Starting in FY 2020, NIDILRR will not review SBIR applications or make SBIR awards that are used exclusively for research and development toward mobile applications (apps). A mobile application is defined as a program or software application designed to run on a mobile hardware device such as a smart phone, tablet, or watch. NIDILRR will only support development of mobile applications through its SBIR program if the mobile application is integral to a piece of hardware that is also being developed through the SBIR grant funding.

At current funding levels, grantees who receive NIDILRR SBIR Phase I and Phase II funding receive a total of $675,000. This funding is provided over a course of three years, at a minimum.

This funding level is significantly higher than available estimates for the development of mobile applications (Jones, Mueller, Morris, 2016). Mobile applications developed over the course of a three-year funding period also face serious risks of being obsolete by the end of the grantee performance period. For information about other NIDILRR-funded programs that support the development of mobile applications, please contact Brian Bard at Brian.Bard@acl.hhs.gov.

References:

Jones, M., Mueller, J., & Morris, J. (2016). App Factory: A flexible approach to rehabilitation engineering in an era of rapid technology advancement. Assistive Technology, 29(2), 85–90.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2016.1211201.

Definitions:

The Small Business Administration (SBA) developed the following definitions relevant to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program:

https://design.ncsu.edu/research/center-for-universal-design/ https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2016.1211201

Act. The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631, et seq.), as amended.

Applicant The organizational entity that qualifies as an SBC at all pertinent times and that submits a contract proposal or a grant application for a funding agreement under the SBIR/STTR programs.

Awardee The organizational entity that receives an SBIR or STTR Phase I, Phase II, or Phase III award.

An “SBIR/STTR Awardee.”

Commercialization The process of developing products, processes, technologies, or services and the production and delivery (whether by the originating party or others) of the products, processes, technologies, or services for sale to or use by the Federal Government or commercial markets.

Computer Software Computer Programs, source code, source code listings, object, code listings, design details, algorithms, processes, flow charts, formulae, and related material that would enable the software to be reproduced, recreated, or recompiled. Computer Software does not include Computer Databases or Computer Software Documentation.

Computer Software Documentation Owner's manuals, user's manuals, installation instructions, operating instructions, and other similar items, regardless of storage medium, that explain the capabilities of the Computer Software or provide instructions for using the software.

Covered Small Business Concern (SBIR only) A small business concern that: (1) was not majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies (VCOCs), hedge funds, or private equity firms on the date on which it submitted an application in response to a solicitation under the SBIR program;

Data All recorded information, regardless of the form or method of recording or the media on which it may be recorded. The term does not include information incidental to contract or grant administration, such as financial, administrative, cost or pricing or management information.

Essentially Equivalent Work Work that is substantially the same research, which is proposed for funding in more than one contract proposal or grant application submitted to the same Federal agency or submitted to two or more different Federal agencies for review and funding consideration; or work where a specific research objective and the research design for accomplishing the objective are the same or closely related to another proposal or award, regardless of the funding source.

Federal Agency An executive agency as defined in 5 U.S.C. §105, and a military department as defined in 5 U.S.C. 102 (Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force), except that it does not include any agency within the Intelligence Community as defined in Executive Order 12333, §3.4(f), or its successor orders.

Funding Agreement Any contract, grant, or cooperative agreement entered into between any Federal agency and any SBC for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research work, including products or services, funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government.

Government Purpose Any activity in which the United States Government is a party, including cooperative agreements with international or multi-national defense organizations or sales or transfers by the United States Government to foreign governments or international organizations. Government purposes include competitive procurement, but do not include the rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose Technical Data or Computer Software for commercial purposes or authorize others to do so.

Innovation Something new or improved, having marketable potential, that includes the development of new technology, the refinement of existing technology, or the development of new applications for existing technology. (u) Intellectual Property. The separate and distinct types of intangible property that are referred to collectively as “Intellectual Property,” including but not limited to:

patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and mask works.

Intellectual Property The separate and distinct types of intangible property that are referred to collectively as "intellectual property," including but not limited to: patents; trademarks; copyrights; trade secrets; SBIR technical data (as defined in this section); ideas; designs; know-how; business, technical and research methods; and other types of intangible business assets, including all types of intangible assets either proposed or generated by an SBC as a result of its participation in the SBIR Program.

Joint Venture See 13 CFR 121.103(h).

Just-in-Time (JIT) Just-in-Time (JIT) is defined as a process that allows a signing official (applicant) to submit additional award application information that is requested by the awarding agency after the completion of the peer review, and prior to funding. This includes (but is not limited to) required certification forms, and foreign disclosure forms.

Key Individual The Principal Investigator/Project Manager and any other person named as a “key” employee in a proposal submitted in response to a Program Solicitation.

Principal Investigator/Project Manager The one individual designated by the Applicant to provide the scientific and technical direction to a project supported by the Funding Agreement.

Program Solicitation A formal solicitation for proposals issued by a Federal Agency that notifies the small business community of its R/R&D needs and interests in broad and selected areas, as appropriate to the agency, and requests for proposals from SBCs in response to these needs and interests.

Prototype A product, material, object, system, or process, or a model thereof, that is in development, regardless of whether it is in tangible, electronic, graphic or other form, at any stage of development prior to its intended ultimate commercial production and sale. The term “Prototype” includes Computer Programs embedded in hardware or devices.

Research Institution One that has a place of business located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States or which makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor, and is: (1) A non-profit institution as defined in section 4(3) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (that is, an organization that is owned and operated exclusively for scientific or educational purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual);

or (2) A Federally-funded R/R&D center (FFRDC) as identified by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation issued in accordance with section 35(c)(1) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (or any successor regulation). A non-profit institution can include hospitals and military educational institutions, if they meet the definition above.

Research or Research and Development (R/R&D) Any activity that is: (1) a systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the subject studied; (2) a systematic study directed specifically toward applying knowledge and innovation to meet a recognized but unmet need; or (3) a systematic application of knowledge and innovation toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of Prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.

SBIR/STTR Computer Software Rights The Federal Government’s rights during the SBIR/STTR Protection Period in specific types of SBIR/STTR Data that are Computer Software.

(1) The Federal Government may use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose SBIR/STTR Data that are Computer Software within the Federal Government. The Government may exercise SBIR/STTR Computer Software Rights within the Government for:

(i) Use in Government computers;

(ii) Modification, adaptation, or combination with other Computer Software, provided that the Data incorporated into any derivative software are subject to the rights in paragraph and that the derivative software is marked as containing SBIR/STTR Data;

(iii) Archive or backup; or

(iv) Distribution of a computer program to another Government agency, without further permission of the Awardee, if the Awardee is notified of the distribution and the identity of the recipient prior to the distribution, and a copy of the SBIR/STTR Computer Software Rights included in the Funding Agreement is provided to the recipient prior to the distribution. The agency in receipt of the distributed SBIR/STTR Data is subject to the data rights provisions in the SBIR/STTR Awardees SBIR/STTR funding agreement.

(2) The Government shall not release, disclose, or permit access to SBIR/STTR Data that is Computer Software for commercial, manufacturing, or procurement purposes without the written permission of the Awardee. The Government shall not release, disclose, or permit access to SBIR/STTR Data outside the Government without the written permission of the Awardee unless:

(i) The non-Governmental entity has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with the Government that complies with the terms for such agreements outlined in § 8 of this Policy Directive; and

(ii) The release or disclosure is—

(A) To a Government support service contractor or their subcontractor in the performance of a Government support services contract for internal Government use or activities, including evaluation, diagnosis and correction of deficiencies, and adaptation, combination, or integration with other Computer Software, provided that SBIR/STTR Data incorporated into any derivative software are subject to the rights in paragraph (ee), and provided that the release is not for commercial purposes or manufacture; or

(B) Necessary to support certain narrowly-tailored essential Government activities for which law or regulation permits access of a non-Government entity to a contractors’ data developed exclusively at private expense, nonSBIR/STTR Data, such as for emergency repair and overhaul.

SBIR/STTR Data All Data developed or generated in the performance of an SBIR or STTR award, including Technical Data and Computer Software developed or generated in the performance of an SBIR or STTR award. The term does not include information incidental to contract or grant administration, such as financial, administrative, cost or pricing or management information.

SBIR/STTR Data Rights The Government’s license rights in properly marked SBIR/STTR Data during the SBIR/STTR Protection Period as follows: SBIR/STTR Technical Data Rights in SBIR/STTR Data that are Technical Data or any other type of Data other than Computer Software and SBIR/STTR Computer Software Rights in SBIR/STTR Data that is Computer Software. Upon expiration of the protection period for SBIR/STTR Data, the Government has a royalty-free license to use, and to authorize others to use on its behalf, these Data for Government Purposes, and is relieved of all disclosure prohibitions and assumes no liability for unauthorized use of these Data by third parties. The Government receives Unlimited Rights in all Form, Fit, and Function Data, OMIT Data, and unmarked SBIR/STTR Data.

SBIR/STTR Protection Period The period of time during which the Government is obligated to protect SBIR/STTR Data against unauthorized use and disclosure in accordance with SBIR/STTR Data Rights. The SBIR/STTR Protection Period begins at award of an SBIR/STTR Funding Agreement and ends not less than twenty years from that date. (See § 8(b)(4) of this Policy Directive).

SBIR/STTR Technical Data Rights The Federal Government’s rights during the SBIR/STTR Protection Period in SBIR/STTR Data that are Technical Data or any other type of Data other than Computer Software.

(1) The Government may, use, modify, reproduce, perform, display, release, or disclose SBIR/STTR Data that are Technical Data within the Federal Government; however, the Federal Government shall not use, release, or disclose the data for procurement, manufacture or commercial purposes; or release or disclose the SBIR/STTR Data outside the Government except as permitted by paragraph (2) below or by written permission of the Awardee.

(2) SBIR/STTR Data that are Technical Data may be released outside the Federal Government without any additional written permission of the Awardee only if the non-Governmental entity or foreign government has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with the Federal Government that complies with the terms for such agreements outlined in § 8 of this Policy Directive and the release is:

(i) Necessary to support certain narrowly-tailored essential Government activities for which law or regulation permits access of a non-Government entity to a contractors’ data developed exclusively at private expense, non-SBIR/STTR Data, such as for emergency repair and overhaul;

(ii) To a Government support services contractor in the performance of a Government support services contract for internal Government use or activities, including evaluation, diagnosis or modification provided that SBIR/STTR Technical Data incorporated into any derivative Data are subject to the rights in paragraph (ii), and the release is not for commercial purposes or manufacture; (iii) To a foreign government for purposes of information and evaluation if required to serve the interests of the U.S. Government; or

(iv) To non-Government entities or individuals for purposes of evaluation.

Small Business Concern (SBC) A concern that meets the SBIR/STTR program eligibility requirements set forth in 13 CFR 121.702, “What size and eligibility standards are applicable to the SBIR and STTR programs?”.

Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individual. See 13 CFR 124.103 and 124.104.

Socially and Economically Disadvantaged SBC (SDB) See 13 CFR. Part 124, subpart B.

Subcontract Any agreement, other than one involving an employer-employee relationship, entered into by an Awardee of a Funding Agreement calling for supplies or services for the performance of the original Funding Agreement.

Technical Data Recorded information, regardless of the form or method of the recording, of a scientific or technical nature (including Computer Software Documentation and Computer Databases). The term does not include Computer Software or financial, administrative, cost or pricing, or management information, or other data incidental to contract or grant administration. The term includes recorded Data of a scientific or technical nature that is included in Computer Databases.

United States The 50 states, the territories and possessions of the Federal Government, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

Unlimited Rights The Federal Government’s rights to use, modify, prepare derivative works, reproduce, release, perform, display, disclose, or distribute Data in whole or in part, in any manner and for any purpose whatsoever, and to have or authorize others to do so.

Women-Owned SBC (WOSB) An SBC that is at least 51% owned by one or more women, or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by women, and women control the management and daily business operations.

Statutory Authority The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, Pub. L. 97–219, as amended (15 U.S.C. 631 and 638); the SBIR and STTR Reauthorization Act of 2022; and Title II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 760 et seq.).

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$1,150,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$287,500 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$280,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

24-month project period with two 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' The Administration has requested funding for the NIDILRR program for FY 2025. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2026 from the list of approved but unfunded applicants from this competition.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants For FY 2024 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

Each organization submitting an application must qualify at the time of the award as a small business concern as defined by the Small Business Administration.

Consultative or other arrangements between applicant firms and universities or other nonprofit organizations are permitted, but the small business concern must serve as the grantee. For SBIR Phase II, a minimum of one-half of the research or analytical effort must be performed by the Awardee. NIDILRR measures the percentage effort spent on research or analytic activities by examining the time or percent effort of each collaborator in the application.

In addition, the primary employment of the principal investigator must be with the small business firm at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed research. That is, more than one-half of the principal investigator’s working time must be spent with the small business firm during the period of performance. Also, for both Phase I and Phase II, the research or R&D work must be performed in the United States.

Joint ventures are permitted, provided that the business entity created qualifies as a small business in accordance with the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 631. For SBIR Phase II, a minimum of one-half of the research or analytical effort must be performed by the Awardee.

Furthermore, the total of all consultant fees, facility leases or usage fees, and other subcontracts or purchase agreements may not exceed one-half of the total funding agreement price.

SBIR Eligibility Checklist

• For-profit small business concern;

• At least 51% U.S.-owned and independently operated;

• Small business located in the U.S.;

• Principal investigator’s primary employment with small business during the project;

• 500 or fewer employees;

• Phase I grant completed in FY 2023, 2024, or 2025.

Performance Benchmark Requirements

Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate Benchmark: In accordance with guidance from the SBA, the HHS SBIR/STTR Program is implementing the Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate benchmark required by the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 and the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The benchmark establishes a minimum number of Phase II awards the company must have received relative to a given number of Phase I awards received during the 5-fiscal year time period. The Transition Rate is calculated as the total number of SBIR and STTR Phase II awards a company received during the past 5 fiscal years divided by the total number of SBIR and STTR Phase I awards it received during the past 5 fiscal years excluding the most recently-completed year. The Transition Rate requirement, agreed upon and established by all 11 SBIR agencies, was published for public comment in a Federal Register Notice on October 16, 2012 (77 FR 63410) and amended on May 23, 2013 (78 FR 30951).

• For SBIR and STTR Phase I applicants that have received more than 20 Phase I awards over the past 5 fiscal years (excluding the most recently-completed fiscal year):

Companies that do not meet or exceed the benchmark minimum Transition Rate of 0.25 will not be eligible to apply for a Phase I, Fast-Track, or Direct Phase II (if available) award for a period of one year from the date of the application submission. This requirement does not apply to companies that have received 20 or fewer Phase I awards over the prior 5-fiscal year period.

• For application deadlines that fall on or after April 5, 2023: For SBIR and STTR Phase I applicants that have received more than 50 Phase I awards over the past 5 fiscal years (excluding the most recently-completed fiscal year): Companies that do not meet or exceed the benchmark minimum Transition Rate of 0.5 will not be eligible to receive more than 20 total Phase I and Phase II awards for a period of one year from the date on which such determination is made. This requirement does not apply to companies that have received 50 or fewer Phase I awards over the 5-fiscal year period.

On June 1 of each year, SBA will identify the companies that fail to meet minimum performance requirements. SBA calculates individual company Phase I to Phase II Transition Rates using SBIR and STTR award information across all federal agencies. SBA will notify companies and the relevant officials at the participating agencies. More information on the Phase I to Phase II Transition Rate requirement is available at SBIR.gov.

Phase II to Commercialization Benchmark: In accordance with guidance from the SBA, the HHS SBIR/STTR Programs are implementing the Phase II to Commercialization Rate benchmark for Phase I applicants, as required by the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 and the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The Commercialization Rate Benchmark was published in a Federal Register notice on August 8, 2013 (78 FR 48537), with a reopening of the comment period published on September 26, 2013 (78 FR 59410).

• For companies that have received more than 15 Phase II awards from all agencies over the past 10 fiscal years (excluding the two most recently completed fiscal year):

Companies that meet this criterion must show an average of at least $100,000 in revenues and/or investments per Phase II award or at least 0.15 (15%) patents per Phase II award resulting from these awards during the past 10- fiscal year period. Applicants that fail this benchmark will not be eligible to apply for New Phase I, Fast-track or Direct Phase II (if applicable) awards for a period of one year. This requirement does not apply to companies that have received 15 or fewer Phase II awards over the 10-fiscal year period, excluding the two most recently-completed fiscal years.

• For application deadlines that fall on or after April 5, 2023: For companies that have received more than 50 Phase II awards from all agencies over the past 10-fiscal years (excluding the two most recently completed Fiscal Year): Companies that meet this criterion must show an average of at least $250,000 of aggregated sales and investment per Phase II award over the past 10-fiscal year period. Applicants that fail this benchmark will not be eligible to receive more than 20 total Phase I and Phase II awards for a period of one year from the date on which such determination is made. This requirement does not apply to companies that have received 50 or fewer Phase II awards over the 10-fiscal year period, excluding the two most recently-completed fiscal years.

• For application deadlines that fall on or after April 5, 2023: For companies that have received more than 100 Phase II awards from all agencies over the past 10-fiscal years (excluding the two most recently completed Fiscal Year): Companies that meet this criterion must show an average of at least $450,000 of aggregated sales and investment per Phase II award over the past 10-fiscal year period. Applicants that fail this benchmark will not be eligible to receive more than 20 total Phase I and Phase II awards for a period of one year from the date on which such determination is made. This requirement does not apply to companies that have received 100 or fewer Phase II awards over the 10-fiscal year period, excluding the two most recently-completed fiscal years.

On June 1 of each year, SBA will identify the companies that fail to meet minimum performance requirements. SBA will notify companies and the relevant officials at the participating agencies.

More information on the Phase II to Commercialization requirement is available at SBIR.gov.

Administration for Community Living staff will examine all SBIR grant applications with the above considerations in mind. If it appears that an applicant organization does not meet the eligibility requirements, we will request an evaluation by the SBA. Under circumstances in which eligibility is unclear, we will not make an SBIR award until the SBA makes a determination that the applicant is eligible under its definition of small business concern.

Similar Proposals or Awards WARNING -While it is permissible with proposal notification to submit identical proposals or proposals containing a significant amount of essentially equivalent work for consideration under numerous Federal program solicitations, it is unlawful to enter into funding agreements requiring essentially equivalent work. If there is any question concerning this, it must be disclosed to the soliciting agency or agencies before award. If an applicant elects to submit identical proposals or proposals containing a significant amount of essentially equivalent work under other Federal program solicitations, a statement must be included in each such proposal indicating:

1. The name and address of the agencies to which proposals were submitted or from which awards were received.

2. Date of proposal submission or date of award.

3. Title, number, and date of solicitations under which proposals were submitted or awards received.

4. The specific applicable research topics for each proposal submitted or award received.

5. Titles of research projects.

6. Name and title of principal investigator or project manager for each proposal submitted or award.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria Applicants must propose research and development projects that support NIDILRR's mission of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities in at least one of the following outcome domains: (1) community living and participation, (2) health and function, or (3) employment.

Application Screening Criteria We will screen all applications and will reject any applications that:

• Were not a SBIR Phase I grantee who successfully completed a Phase I grant in the past three years (FY 2023, 2024, or 2025);

• Are submitted after the deadline;

• Propose a budget that exceeds $287,500 for a performance period of one year;

• Propose a project period that exceeds two years;

• Propose the development of mobile applications; or

• Propose service provision instead of research/ development.

The Project Narrative section of the application must be double-spaced, on 8 1/2” X 11” pages with 1" margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 12. The project narrative must not exceed 40 double-spaced pages. For project narratives that exceed 40 double-spaced pages, NIDILRR will instruct reviewers to disregard all the content on the pages beyond the 40th page.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

• At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

• All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

1.

• Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934

• Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

2. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

3. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

4. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

• The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New

Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

SBA Company Registry All applicants to the SBIR program are required to register at the SBA Company Registry (https://www.sbir.gov/registration) prior to application submission. Completed registrations will receive a unique SBC Control ID and .pdf file. Follow these steps listed below to register.

a. Navigate to the SBA Company Registry (https://www.sbir.gov/registration).

b. If you are a previous SBIR awardee from any agency, search for your small business by

Company Name, EIN/Tax ID, DUNS, or Existing SBIR Contract/Grant Number in the search fields provided. Identify your company and click “Proceed to Registration”.

https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.sbir.gov/registration

c. If you are a first time applicant, click the New to the SBIR Program (https://www.sbir.gov/registration) link on lower right of registry screen.

d. Fill out the required information on the “Basic Information” and “Eligibility Statement” screens.

e. Press “Complete Registration” on the lower right of the “Eligibility Statement” screen and follow all instructions.

f. Download and save your SBA registry PDF locally. The name will be in the format of SBC_123456789.pdf, where SBC_123456789 (9 digit number) is your firm’s SBC Control ID.

If you have any questions about the programmatic or substantive requirements of this funding opportunity, please contact the competition manager:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Brian Bard Brian.Bard@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter Of Intent 02/07/2025

02/07/2025 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

Each LOI should be limited to a maximum of four pages and include the following information:

• Title of the proposed project, the name of the applicant, the name of the Project Director or Principal Investigator (PI), and the names of partner institutions and entities;

• A brief statement of the vision, goals, and objectives of the proposed project and a description of its proposed activities at a sufficient level of detail to allow NIDILRR to select potential peer reviewers;

• A list of proposed project staff including the Project Director or PI and key personnel;

• A list of individuals whose selection as a peer reviewer might constitute a conflict of interest due to their involvement in proposal development (e.g., an advisory board member or co-PIs on other projects);

• Contact information for the Project Director or PI.

For further information regarding the LOI submission process, contact Megan Alvarado.

mailto:Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The project narrative portion of your application is where you describe your proposed project and address the general requirements of the SBIR program and the review criteria. This section should include a description of the project's goal(s) and major objectives. Each applicant must limit the project narrative to the equivalent of no more than 40 pages, using the following standards:

• A "page" is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom and both sides.

• Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all narrative text in the project narrative. You are not required to double space titles, headings, footnotes, references, and captions, or text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. Applicants who unnecessarily place narrative text in tables to avoid the double-spacing requirement run the risk of exceeding the page limit.

• Use a font that is not less than size 12.

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New or Arial.

• Include all critical information in the project narrative, minimizing the need for additional appendices.

• Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application. While you are able to attach files to your application in formats other than PDF, non-PDF files are converted…