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Empowering Innovators Through the FAST SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab

The Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab, hosted by The Catalyst Center in partnership with The Alabama Collective and GovCon Incubator, supports Alabama’s small businesses in accessing critical federal SBIR/STTR funding, essential for advancing innovation and growth in underserved communities. Backed by a FAST Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Innovate Alabama, the lab actively recruits a diverse cohort, including women-owned, small disadvantaged, and rural businesses.

Thank you for your interest in the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab, a premier program designed to equip small businesses, researchers, and entrepreneurs with the tools and strategies needed to successfully navigate the SBIR/STTR funding process. Our mission is to empower innovators by providing expert mentorship, hands-on proposal development support, and exclusive access to key industry stakeholders. 
 
We have completed interviews and finalized selections for this cohort, and we are excited to work with an outstanding group of participants on their journey toward securing SBIR/STTR funding. While applications for this round are closed, if you’re interested in positioning your innovation for success, we encourage you to stay connected and check-out our other resources for entrepreneurs on our website.
 
Applications for the next cycle will open this Fall, stay tuned to additional training opportunities to participate.

Understanding SBIR/STTR Grants

The SBIR and STTR programs provide funding to eligible US-based small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. These programs help transform early-stage technologies into market-ready solutions, addressing federal R&D needs to foster:

  • Scientific Excellence: Supporting innovative research and development 
  • Technology Commercialization: Helping small businesses transition ideas to market
  • Economic Growth: Meeting federal R&D needs while building a strong national economy

SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research): Focuses on scientific excellence and innovation, advancing research and development to bring products to the commercial market.

STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer): Emphasizes partnerships between small businesses and research institutions, transferring ideas to the market to benefit both private-sector and military needs.

The Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab

The Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab offers resources and expert guidance to help businesses prepare competitive proposals. Access training materials and webinars before joining our two-stage cohort program:

  • Stage One: 40 participants engage in business planning, commercialization, and proposal writing through workshops and pitch development.
  • Stage Two: 20 participants advance to refine business models and improve proposal quality through focused workshops and team reviews.