Empow(her) SBIR Prep Academy

Problem:  The Under-representation of Female Innovators of Diverse Backgrounds in the SBIR Program.  

Two initiatives, the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) are sometimes referred to as the Nation’s largest source of early stage/high risk undiluted funding for start-ups and small business. The combined programs are frequently referred to as the SBIR program for efficiency.  Currently, eleven government agencies participate in this program (R).  

One of the key goals of this program is to foster and encourage participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses and those businesses that are 51 percent owned and controlled by women in technological innovation.  However, despite this very important metric, numerous reviews and evaluations (R21,R3) of this program consistently find that women receive a disproportionately low percentage of these awards and minority women receive even fewer. Notably, a comprehensive study conducted by the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) in 2019 (R4) found that female entrepreneurs, particularly those from minority backgrounds, face substantial challenges when seeking support and that only 3.4% of all SBIR awards went to women-owned businesses, and an even smaller fraction was awarded to female entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds.  Another research study by Joshi, Inoyue, and Robinson (R5) and the National Academy of Sciences, not only is there low representation of minority innovators in federally funded (SBIR/STTR) but that these businesses are less likely to successfully commercialize their technology.  A National Academies (R6) review of the NIH SBIR/STTR program and the NSF SBIR/STTR programs--two of the largest DHHS SBIR programs,--found that the NIH leadership lacks a systemic approach for outreach to potential program applicants from underserved groups and that there is persistently low levels of NIH SBIR/STTR program participation among women and minorities.    

Several factors contribute to the low number of awards made to women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, including: lack of awareness of the SBIR program; gender and racial biases in the grant peer review process; limited access to influential networks that restrict their opportunities to learn, build partnerships and gain visibility within the SBIR community; lack of mentorship and training gaps tailored to their specific needs which often results them struggling to successfully navigate the intricacies of the application process.  

Currently, despite the low participation of women innovators of diverse backgrounds in the SBIR program, there is no coordinated inter-agency initiative to recruit, train, and mentor this segment of potential applicants through the application process, i.e. the writing and submission of the proposal.  Thus, it is unlikely that there will be an increase in the number of applications from these talented women in the SBIR applicant pipeline and that the dismal participation rate will remain unchanged unless conscious initiatives are undertaken to reach out and engage this overlooked pool of talented innovators.   

Our solution, The Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy, is a training and coaching program designed to educate women tech entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds about the SBIR application process and provide individualized training, coaching, and grant writing support to assist them with preparing and submitting their SBIR applications. Training will be delivered in group lectures delivered online via ZOOM technology. Group coaching and one-on-one grant writing support will be provided through weekly virtual meetings of the applicant and grant writer for a period of 8 weeks. When students complete the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy, their grant proposal will be completed and submitted to the funding agency for review.  

The Online Course Component  will introduce the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, detail the application process, and discuss resources to empower applicants to confidently navigate the complicated application process. By focusing on women innovators of diverse backgrounds, Empow(her)SBIR will provide a supportive environment where participants can feel comfortable discussing obstacles commonly faced by female innovators, share solutions to those problems, gain confidence, and encourage each other to embrace their unique contributions to the technology community.  

The Course Structure will consist of six weekly one-hour lectures taught by Dr. Mary Harris--an African-American female entrepreneur and winner of 12 SBIR awards.  The course will include interactive course participation, guest speakers, and a weekly office hour to answer questions about lecture material.  

Overview of Course Content:

·       structure of the SBIR program and how it works;

·       business eligibility and required business registrations

·       how to identify and match their innovation/ideas with agency interests

·       conceptualizing and crafting the proposal

·       understanding the application and common mistakes that derail chances of getting funded;

·       finding, vetting, and using resources to support the application process, including Chat GPT

·       advice from diverse women SBIR awardees and overcoming obstacles in the  grant application process and STEM entrepreneurship

Guest Speakers will include: minority innovators/entrepreneurs, who have received SBIR awards, sharing their challenges and obstacles and how they overcame them; SBIR grant reviewers; representatives from government funded SBIR applicant support organizations.

Coaching and Writing Component.  At the completion of the lecture portion of the academy, students will engage in an eight-week group coaching and personal one-on-one writing component.  Students will be assigned to an experienced SBIR grant writer to assist them with writing their proposal.  Students will meet with their grant writer to establish a timeline and workplan for proposal completion, schedule weekly check-in meetings,  organize their writing plan and work closely with the writer to craft their proposal.  Students will also complete required business registrations and funding agency portal submission registrations. At the end of this process, the proposal will be completed and submitted to the agency for funding.   Although students will be encouraged to apply for SBIR funding, understandably, not every student will want to prepare an application immediately after completing the lectures.  To that end, students will have up to 8 weeks after completing the lecture component of the Academy, to enroll in the Group Coaching and Writing component.  

Target Population: The target population for this project are women tech innovators/entrepreneurs, including women from diverse backgrounds (African-American, Hispanic-American, Native American, Asian-American).  Academy participants will be selected from applicants who fall into one or more of the following categories: 

• self-identifies as a member of the target population

• meets the eligibility criteria to apply for an SBIR grant

• finds the application process complicated and overwhelming and needs clarity around the SBIR application process and/or support in writing the application

•  is a potential "first-time" SBIR applicant

• has a small business and is seeking non-dilutive funding

 Engagement of target population:  Because the Empow(her)SBir Prep Academy is a prototype, during the implementation of the pilot (for which we are requesting SOLVE support)  we will be soliciting student feedback regarding the content, it's relevance to the students and impact on their business development, and encouraging student suggestions regarding ways to improve the course content to better meet the student's needs and interests.

How the course will address the student's needs.  

Unfortunately, women innovators (including women from diverse backgrounds) are often under-estimated and their businesses are often under-capitalized.  Understanding how the SBIR program works and how to develop a proposal to access SBIR non-dilutive funding can be life-changing and especially beneficial in the following ways: 

Self-confidence.  It is well recognized that role models are crucial to attaining success and helping to build self-confidence.  This is especially true for under-represented minorities.  The saying, "If you can see it, you can be it" holds weight, and is especially true for under-represented minorities.  When combined with incorporating  a diverse array of successful SBIR female award winners as guest speakers, the course instructor (Dr. Mary Harris), these women will serve not only as inspirational role models for the target student population, as well as help to dispel any self-limiting beliefs or myths about their ability to successfully compete for SBIR funding. 

Potential to generate wealth.  As a source of non-dilutive funding/financial support, the SBIR program offers a pathway to financial independence, based solely on the participants' creativity and intellect, without incurring substantial debt.  This can have a tremendous impact on the individual through the achievement of personal wealth, on their family through the creation of inter-generational wealth; and on the community through the circulation of that wealth and the creation of jobs within the community. 

Creating a more diverse Innovation Ecosystem:  By equipping under-represented minority women entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge and confidence, Empow(her)SBIR aims to foster a more inclusive and diverse innovation ecosystem that reflects the rich resource of talent and ideas present within this community. The course provides an innovative solution in that it addresses an unmet need with a relatively low-tech, cost-effective solution that is portable, can be easily adaptable to changing times/student schedules/content needs, and scalable.

As an African-American female scientist, entrepreneur, and SBIR consultant/coach, the team lead for the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy-- Dr. Mary Harris-- is intimately familiar with the challenges and opportunities  associated with obtaining SBIR funding. BioTechnical Communications, Inc (BTC) has a track record of success --winning SBIR/STTR grant awards. Moreover, BTC maintains a team of professional writers and consultants with extensive experience in preparing SBIR/STTR grant proposals and our team can assist with resolving many of the roadblocks that often hinder minority women from submitting an SBIR/STTR application.  

 Dr. Harris has engaged with the minority tech entrepreneur community since 1993, providing informal guidance and mentoring for minority entrepreneurs interested in the SBIR program.  Through her consulting work, she remains intimately familiar with the frustrations and obstacles women from diverse backgrounds encounter when trying to prepare a grant application such as the lack of culturally compatible mentorship and coaching, the special concerns minority women entrepreneurs face (especially those who are not affiliated with an institution of higher learning)  encounter when trying to put together the necessary infrastructure (i.e. research teams, finding qualified writing support, etc.) to prepare a competitive SBIR application.  

Through her many professional relationships organizations that support and engage minority tech professionals,  such as the Minority Business Development Programs, minority professional organizations such as BWISE (Black Women in Science and Engineering, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, several I-Corps programs, etc.),  the Small Business Administration (SBA), Dr. Harris and her team remain aware of the challenges facing minority entrepreneurs trying to navigate the SBIR grant program and the limited success that they are having in securing funding.  

 As stated earlier in this application, as we pilot this program, we will  have the opportunity to solicit feedback from participants  throughout the course and upon completion of the course.  This feedback  will allow us to revise and or supplement course materials and adjust the format and delivery options that will strengthen the course's value for the students.  Moreover, once the course is launched, the flexible delivery format will allow us to continually update and modify the course as indicated from participant feedback.

The Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy ("the Academy") was created in response to information obtained from published research, research presentations from the 2022 SBIR IDEA Summit, and conversations around the low level of awards made to women of diverse backgrounds. Dr. Harris also relied on her personal experience, having applied for (and been awarded) over a dozen SBIR grant awards herself and having been referred (by SBIR program officers at NIH and NSF) to advise potential women applicants seeking advice about the application process and the value of the SBIR program. 

Looking at the convenience and popularity of online courses,  Dr. Harris worked with an instructional design consultant and online course creator to create a learning experience that would address the problems identified by research conducted around the needs of the target audience, combine that information with her professional experience and grant writing resources, and deliver a transformative experience that had the potential to consistently generate high quality SBIR grant applications from women innovators. The result of that collaboration is The Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy--a transformational learning experience that supports participants through the completion of the grant application process.  The concept is simple in that The Academy is the practical use of modern communications technology (ie.  internet, ZOOM, Microsoft Teams) to deliver training and group coaching to a broad audience as well as provide the personalized writing support necessary to ensure applicant success. 

Design for the Academy went through several iterations as Dr. Harris obtained comments and suggestions from persons involved at various points in the SBIR grant proposal preparation, submission, and review process including potential SBIR grant applicants, SBIR award recipients, entrepreneur support organizations that engage minority tech entrepreneurs, current and former SBIR program grant officers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Defense (DOD). 

Based on the extensive development process, we feel that no further research or review is required and that the Empow(her) SBIR Prep Academy is no longer a concept, and it is now ready for piloting, and ultimately launch.

Although financial support is essential in allowing us to pilot and launch, we recognize the full potential of the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy,("the Academy") BioTechnical Communications (BTC) will require guidance from professionals  experienced in business strategy, marketing/outreach, and product launch, are necessary to help us develop and scale the concept. To that end, we would like assistance from SOLVE's resource partners in helping us to address the following obstacles:

1.   Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to determine the resources  necessary to create the capacity to establish and launch the Academy.  This would include an assessment of the financial requirements,  technology requirements (and related costs), quantifying the number of Academy participants necessary to sustain a viable business.

2.  Outreach and Marketing Challenges.  BTC recognizes that it will need a well planned outreach strategy that includes compelling messaging to create awareness of the Academy and attract participants and partners that will allow us to scale the Academy.  We have a clear idea of several key outreach targets (minority business development centers, Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU),  STEM professional organizations and community-based entrepreneur support organizations) that have direct access and/or interaction with our target market.  These organizations/institutions are ideal sources for identifying potential Academy participants. We would welcome support from SOLVE's outreach and marketing support resources to assist us in our outreach efforts to these and other appropriate partners. 

3.  Creating a network of corporate partners to support the Academy. Access to a network of resource partners across industries and sectors is essential in the launch and scaling of the course. SOLVE can assist by identifying and arranging introductions to key decision makers in companies and organizations, whose mission aligns with a commitment to support the development of minority female tech innovators.  It would also be helpful for SOLVE to help identify appropriate governmental and corporate partners that can provide financial support and enhance the course experience (i.e. internships, providing mentors,  etc.)

4.  Assistance with development of model(s) for scaling the solution.  BioTechnical Communications envisions scaling the course by partnering with programs and organizations that support and/or engage with minority  female entrepreneurs.  SOLVE could be helpful with developing a "scaling strategy",  i.e. identify which partners we should engage (and why) and the sequence/order in which we should engage them; pricing, key milestones and timelines; revenue projections.   

As a female African-American scientist and entrepreneur and SBIR consultant/coach, the team lead, Dr. Mary Harris is intimately familiar with the challenges and opportunities of associated with obtaining SBIR funding. BioTechnical Communications, Inc (BTC)has a track record of success --winning SBIR/STTR grant awards. Moreover, BTC maintains a team of professional writers and consultants with extensive experience and who specialize in preparing SBIR/STTR grant proposals. Because of our professional relationships, our team can can also assist with resolving many of the roadblocks that often hinder minority women from submitting an SBIR/STTR application.

Our proposed solution is targeted to address the lack of gender/racial diversity in the STEM entrepreneurial community, specifically the problem of the lack of participation of women tech innovators from diverse backgrounds in the SBIR program.  Our solution is innovative in that we are proposing a new model-- to provide training, group coaching, and technical writing support to increase the number of female minority tech innovators who will develop their products using the SBIR program as an entry-way to entrepreneurship.  Our solution is highly targeted--minority  female tech innovators; technology enabled to facilitate ease of delivery; and potentially sustainable by encouraging the formation of public and private partnerships to continue the work beyond the SOLVE funding period.  

   Our solution is innovative on several levels:

1.   Within the SBIR ecosystem, minority female tech innovators have not previously been targeted for training, group coaching and technical writing support regarding the SBIR grant application process, despite the fact that they receive the lowest percentage of SBIR grant awards.  For the most part, their racial/gender specific problems ( i.e., inherent bias in review, lack of access to social networks; inability to access technical partners for SBIR research team; negative perceptions of tech entrepreneurship, etc.) have been largely ignored in  SBIR workshops that tend to focus largely on an overview of the SBIR program and the general guidelines for writing and submitting a proposal. 

2.  Our solution leverages communication technologies to facilitate the integration of targeted outreach, stakeholder partnerships, education, training, and one-on-one technical writing support which we think will gradually increase awareness and participation of women from diverse backgrounds in the SBIR/STTR program. 

3.  Our proposed solution integrates education with group coaching and one-on-one technical  grant-writing support--all critical elements for the support of women innovators from diverse backgrounds.   We will emphasize aggressive outreach to the target participant through our relationships with female minority tech professional organizations, and will incorporate role modeling.e.g. real life experience of minority female tech entrepreneurs who have been successful in the SBIR program.    

4.  Business financing is often difficult for minority female innovators.  Our vision is to introduce these women to a well defined pathway (the SBIR/STTR program) that can fund the development of their innovation without putting themselves and their families at unnecessary, and often burdensome, financial risk.  Moreover, we plan to connect course participants with other programs that can further assist and support them in developing and commercializing their ideas.  

Over the next year:

1.  Design and implement a national campaign to create heightened awareness of the SBIR program among the minority innovator community

2.  Enroll a minimum of 20 minority female innovators into the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy

3.  Coach and provide technical grant writing support for a minimum of 8-10 minority female tech business owners through the preparation and submission of their SBIR grant proposals.

4.  Secure at least 3 corporate and/or government partners to provide financial support for the Empow(her)SBIR 

Over the next 5 years: 

1.  Expand the partnership network to include a total of 6-8 corporate and/or government partners/sponsors

2.  Graduate a minimum of 100 students from the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy 

We will measure progress in the following ways:

1.  An increase in the number and/or the source of applications to the Empow(her)SBIR program over the course of the year.

2.  The number/percentage of students who submit an SBIR application within 6 months of completing the course

3. The number of partnerships created over the course of the year

4.  The number and type of support resources secured during the year

5.  The number of organizations and that promote the Empow(her) SBIR Prep Academy to their membership 

 6.  Qualitative evaluation of Participants' perceived value of the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy experience obtained from who complete the lecture portion of the Academy only; and from those completing the lecture and the grant writing component.

The first step in addressing a problem is to acknowledge that there is a problem.  The second step is to take action to resolve the problem.  The Empow(her) SBIR Prep Academy has taken the second step to impact the lack of participation of women from diverse backgrounds in the SBIR program.  Although there are other programs that address this problem on a more general level, i.e. "under-represented minority programs", our proposed solution focuses solely on the target group and their specific needs.  As well, while many SBIR support initiatives teach students about the program, they do not provide students with writers to support them through the entire  application process, including writing assistance and submission of the proposal.  

We anticipate that the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy will have the following impact:

1.  Through our outreach efforts:

•  create awareness of the SBIR program among the minority female innovator community
• create a network of partner organizations and program that recognize and support the needs of  minority female innovator

2. Through our training, group coaching and writing support, create a pipeline of high quality competitive SBIR grant proposals submitted from women innovators from diverse backgrounds.  

3.Through our educational course, we will create a pipeline of female minority innovators who understand the SBIR program and the application process and are prepared to submit an SBIR grant application. 

4.  Through scaling the number of participants in the program, we anticipate creating what we refer to as a "multiplier effect".  Specifically, program participants will serve as informal "ambassadors" to spread the word about the value of participating in the program and encourage their fellow innovators to participate.  As more women from diverse backgrounds participate in the program, ultimately we can gradually and consistently increase the number of SBIR grant awards.

5.  The hands-on experience of actually writing the application will afford a practical application of their knowledge of the application process and will hopefully provide a knowledge base that students can utilize should they wish to apply for SBIR funding in the future.  

Solution is tech enabled using ZOOM (audio/visual)  technology.

Full time - one

Part time - (2)

Contractors --can vary, depending on the scope of work requested by the client

approximately 18 months

Biotechnical Communications in a minority-owned (African-American), woman-owned company that focuses on the use and impact of technology in minority populations.  We recognize the value of a diverse team, as we believe that it strengthens our ability to be creative and innovative in serving our clients.  Specifically, when we hire team members or select partner, we consider and embrace the following in equal measure:

1.  diversity of talent and expertise. Embracing diversity of talent and expertise fosters an innovative environment where a wide range of perspectives, skills, and experiences come together. By harnessing this  "collective of diverse intelligence",  we can drive creativity, problem solving, and decision making that will result in the best solutions for our clients.

2.  diversity of gender. Embracing gender differences allows us to tap into the unique strengths and talents of individuals, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. This position allows us to attract top talent, while also modeling for our clients the value and benefits of an inclusive corporate culture.  

3.  Race and ethnicity.  Embracing diversity of race/ethnicity creates a culturally rich environment that is respective of the racial diversity of America.  Our company environment encourages the exchange of diverse perspectives, challenges assumptions and stereotypes, and fosters the creation of culturally competent solutions for our clients that are created out of the lived experiences of our diverse team members/partners and their understanding and appreciation of various cultural norms and traditions.  

Biotechnical Communications, Inc. ( BTC ) generates revenue primarily from consulting with academic institutions, government agencies, and start-up tech companies. The company also generates revenue through its subsidiary--Grantartisans (https://grantartisans.com/) by providing scientific grant writing services.

While our clients vary across professional disciplines, ultimately the work that we do for the client is related in some way to the introduction, use, or impact of technology on the consumer. 

We charge a fee for our services (hourly or by the project), depending on the scope of work. 

The Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy envisions generating revenue in several different ways:

1.  Charge participants a fee to enroll in the Empow(her) SBIR  Prep Academy         course. 

2.  Charging participants a fee* to enroll in the Mentoring/Coaching Program work with them to write and submit their grant proposal

3.  Charging corporate partners an annual fee to offset program operating costs and supplement the cost of student enrollment 

4.  Creating  and selling online course materials 

* During the pilot period, the course will be offered at no charge with SOLVE funding covering the student participation.  Beyond the pilot phase, we strongly considered not charging students anything to enroll in the program.  However, we have been strongly advised against doing that by experienced course creators.  Their experience has shown that charging a student to enroll in the program increases their perceived value of the course and encourages them to complete the program.  When the course is offered for free, students tend to take the course for granted and perceive the content as less valuable.  BTC will work with SOLVE to determine a pricing strategy that involves a mix of corporate underwriting and student payment that  generates enough revenue to make operating the Academy a worthwhile business initiative vs charging so much that students can't afford to enroll.  

BioTechnical Communications, Inc. (BTC)  has sustained the business by primarily through consulting and  grant funding.  BTC has been in business since 1987, during which time, the business was awarded over 12 SBIR Phase I and Phase II grant awards and has provided executive management level consulting to governments and healthcare organizations (i.e., CDC, Georgia Dept of Human Resources, Grady Hospital, American Cancer Society, Atlanta University, Medical College of Georgia).  

Currently, the business generates revenue through consulting with universities to provide project evaluation for projects focused on minority involvement in technology transfer and commercialization, providing   technical writing  services for faculty applying for grant funding and publishing manuscripts.  As well, the company is engaged as a strategic advisor for a health start up involved in the delivery of services for sickle cell disease.  The company is financially stable and profitable and views the the proposed project --the Empow(her)SBIR Prep Academy--as an opportunity to expand its capabilities while serving a community in which it has long-standing relationships.