Alaska Small Business Development Center

Instructions for Phase 0 Application

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The applicant must be an Alaskan resident or business. To be eligible for Phase 0 funding, a draft SBIR Phase I or II proposal must be submitted for preliminary review and screening.

Applicants are invited to share their Phase 0 submission prior to midnight, September 26, for an initial compliance check and to receive feedback regarding additional information, corrections, or eligibility. TREND will screen proposals using applicable agency criteria to check for compliance, completeness, merit, and potential for federal support.

If a proposal fails to pass the initial screening the applicant may revise and resubmit. Comments and compliance checks are no longer available after September 19th, but proposals may still be submitted for consideration until the application period closes on midnight, September 26.

  • July 9, 2024 – The Phase 0 grant application period opens
  • July 9 – September 19, 2024 –  Early application deadline to receive an initial review for application completeness and compliance
  • September 26, 2024 –  Phase 0 grant application period closes
  • September 26 – October 16, 2024 –  The TREND Phase 0 Committee will evaluate the application packets, and the winning applicants will be announced during the week of October 21, 2024.
  • November 2024 – Phase 0 grant funds awarded and disbursed

Update: As of September 2nd, 2024, we are thrilled to announce that a last-minute funding increase was granted, allowing Alaskan innovators to request up to $10,000 in total Phase 0 support costs this year (previously $5,000).

The TREND Phase 0 Committee will notify all 2024 Phase 0 applicants who submitted their applications before the deadline that they have the opportunity to upload a new Use of Funds document with an increased maximum ask of $10,000. All other additional parts of the submission may remain as-is.

Conditions

Use of Funds

Funds must be used for proposal development. Some examples of allowable expenses include, but are not limited to: organization and analyses of preliminary data, further data collection and feasibility studies, commercialization planning, meetings with collaborators, professional training, literature searches, and technical writing. It is important for applicants to explain how Phase 0 funds will be used accordingly in their use of funds document.

Unallowable expenses include the purchase of equipment or other assets, rental or lease fees of office space, food and catering services, and legal fees.

Note: The TREND Committee may make adjustments and recommendations on the final award amount requested and the scope of work.

If the applicant is preparing a resubmission of a Phase I or II proposal, provide TREND with a copy of the agency reviewer’s comments or debriefing notes.

Subject to Adjustments

The review panel may make adjustments and recommendations on the final award amount requested and the scope of work.

Resubmissions

If the applicant is preparing a resubmission of Phase I or II proposal, provide TREND with a copy of the agency reviewer comments or debriefing notes.

2024 Proposal Format & What to Include

Each proposal must contain a cover page, a current or draft SBIR solicitation, and an explanatory use of funds document requesting an award amount of up to $10,000 with a line-item budget breaking down how those funds will be used to improve SBIR-related efforts.

Cover Page

Alaska Phase 0 Proposal Submission Containing: 

  • Contact Name
  • Address – City, State, Zip Code
  • Contact phone number
  • Contact email address
  • Principal Investigator (Name and Title of Company PI)
  • Title of project
  • Company Name
  • Company phone number 
  • Company email address
  • Alaska Entity Number and/or Business License Number
  • Has your entity been registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) assigned? If yes, please provide your UEI number.
  • Although the UEI number is not required for Phase 0 application it is a mandatory registration to be able to submit Phase I or higher. 
  • Funding amount requested
  • Keywords to identify research or technology (8 maximum)
  • Signature of the Principal Investigator (PI)
  • Date
Current SBIR Solicitation Draft Including:
  • SBIR/STTR Agency 
  • Closing solicitation date
  • Solicitation topic title and number 
  • Program manager contact information
  • Resume of the Principal Investigator

The TREND Committee acknowledges that applicants may not have access to all the resources and research needed to fully complete a Phase I submission. Therefore, the committee will accept best-attempt drafts. Applicants are encouraged to include as much detailed information as possible in their drafts, with outlines acceptable in sections where necessary. 

Use of Funds Document (2-5 Pages) Including:
  • Amount Requested. This is the award amount of the Alaska SBIR Phase 0 grant you are applying for. Phase 0 award amounts are up to $10,000.
  • Start Date. Enter the start date for the proposed Phase 0 activities.
  • Provide the end date for the proposed Phase 0 activities. 
  • Explanation of how Phase 0 funding will benefit the Phase I project, including a scope of work and line-item budget demonstrating how Phase 0 funds will be used.
  • Describe the market validation and customer feedback of your innovation.

More Proposal Information

This grant is expected to lead to the submission of an SBIR proposal. All information submitted to TREND will be held in strict confidence and will not be released without consent.

In Review: This application requires a cover page, a current SBIR draft proposal (with the Principal Investigator’s resume), and a use of funds document detailing the amount requested and how it will be spent. If applicable, include any bids from Phase 0 subcontractors or consultants.

About the TREND Committee

All applications will be reviewed and scored by a confidential TREND Committee comprising a diverse range of Alaskan experts across entrepreneurship, science, government, and industry. This confidential review process mimics that of the broader SBIR process.

Submission Instructions

Your cover letter and all required documents must be uploaded through the Alaska SBDC Client Portal. If you experience any technical difficulties, you may reach out trend@aksbdc.org for assistance

If you need to become an Alaska SBDC Client: Not sure if you are already registered as an SBDC client? See 1. (1)

  1. Visit https://aksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup and create a New Account for the business applying for the Phase 0 grant. 
    1. If the database recognizes your information, you will need to retrieve your password and follow the steps outlined in the section above regarding your existing Alaska SBDC Client File.
  2. Complete the entire process for registering your company, including providing your digital signature. It is not required to complete the Client Intake Questionnaire unless you are also interested in meeting with an SBDC business advisor or want to provide more information with your documents.


  3. After the Company and Contact Information have been completed and you are ready to upload your Phase 0 grant documents (cover letter and all required documents), click on My Documents from the left side menu and upload each document directly into your client file.

    *Note – There is a maximum file size limit of 15 Mb.  If your documents are too large, break them into smaller files.


  4. After all documents have been uploaded, Log-out
  5. You should receive an automated email confirming your client registration. If necessary, check your spam folder and be sure to mark emails from the Alaska SBDC (info@aksbdc.org) as “Known Sender” or “Not Spam” to ensure timely receipt of information.

If you are already an Alaska SBDC Client:

  1. Visit https://aksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/login and log-in
  2. On the left side menu, click on My Information
  3. Check under My Companies to make sure the business you are applying for the Phase 0 grant for is listed.  
    1. If the business is listed, click on Sign Agreement and update your digital signature verifying understanding of the Alaska SBDC and confidentiality agreements. After updating your digital signature, click on the name of your company to update any outdated information. 
    2. If the business is not listed, click on Add a New Company and complete the required fields.
      TREND Alaska SBDC Instructions 1
  4. Click on My Contact Information (under My Information) to update any outdated information.
  5. After the Company and Contact Information have been completed and you are ready to upload your Phase 0 grant documents (cover letter and all required documents), click on My Documents from the left side menu and upload each document directly into your client file.  

  6. Log out

  7. You should receive an automated email confirming your client registration. If necessary, check your spam folder and be sure to mark emails from the Alaska SBDC (info@aksbdc.org) as “Known Sender” or “Not Spam” to ensure timely receipt of information.

SBIR/STTR-Related Webinars and Workshops

We strongly encourage applicants to review our SBIR-related recordings and available training. To view this list of recordings, click here. Set the topic to “SBIR/STTR/Other Innovation Programs.”

Proposal Award Information

Notification

TREND will notify the company of award status during the week of October 21, 2024.  An IRS W-9 form will accompany the award notification.  Phase 0 award payment is made in full and issued through the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). The payment from UAA may take up to 30 days after receiving the required payment processing paperwork.

Budget Deviation

Any deviation from the proposed budget will require written authorization from TREND prior to expenditure. All receipts and invoices must be retained to verify that funds were expended in accordance with the budget set forth in the Phase 0 proposal. Any funds not accounted for or not expended in accordance with the budget must be returned to TREND.

Final Report

A final report to TREND will be required within 30 days of the official submission of the SBIR/STTR proposal. The report must include a copy of the final version submitted, the email or other notification of receipt from the agency, and receipts and invoices accounting for use of funds.