DSIP Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal Proposal Submissions
The Department of Defense announces the pre-release of the following Broad Agency Announcement topic: DHA SBIR
- DHA234-D001: “Anti-Shock Drug, Pre-Hospital (ASD-PH)”
Full topic descriptions and instructions are available on DSIP at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login and at https://www.defensesbirsttr.mil/SBIR-STTR/Opportunities/.
Important Dates
- March 9, 2023: Topic pre-releases
- March 23, 2023: Topic opens, begin submitting proposals in DSIP
- April 7, 2023: Topic Q&A closes to new questions at 12 p.m. ET
- April 25, 2023: Topic closes, full proposals must be submitted in DSIP no later than 12 p.m. ET
Updated Proposal Requirements
Proposers are advised that the amounts listed in the percentage of work section of the Proposal Cover Sheet in DSIP will now be derived from information entered in the Cost Volume (Volume 3). If the minimum percentage of work numbers are not met for an SBIR proposal, a letter of explanation or written approval from the funding officer is required, and must be uploaded to complete the submission process. Deviations to the minimum percentage of work numbers are not allowed for an STTR proposal, therefore, if the minimum percentage of work numbers are not met, submission will be blocked. For more information, please refer to the BAA.
Proposers are also advised that small business joint ventures must submit the representation required in paragraph (c) of FAR solicitation provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and paragraph (c) of FAR solicitation provision 52.219-1, Small Business Program Representations. These representations can be found as Attachment 3 of the BAA and must be uploaded to Volume 5, Supporting Documents of the proposal submission, if applicable.
Proposers are encouraged to thoroughly review the BAA to remain apprised of programmatic of contractual changes.
Topic Q&A
Topic Q&A is now available on the Topics and Topic Q&A page in DSIP. Proposers may submit technical questions through the Topic Q&A page at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login.
During pre-release, proposers can contact TPOCs directly or submit questions via Topic Q&A. Once DOD begins accepting proposals on March 23, 2023, no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed. All questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. Topic Q&A will close to new questions on April 7, 2023, at 12 p.m. ET, but will remain active to view questions and answers related to the topics until the BAA close.
Questions submitted through the Topic Q&A are limited to technical information related to improving the understanding of a topic’s requirements. Any other questions, such as those asking for advice or guidance on solution approach, or administrative questions, such as SBIR or STTR program eligibility, technical proposal/cost proposal structure and page count, budget and duration limitations, or proposal due date WILL NOT receive a response. Refer to the Component-specific instructions given at the beginning of that Component's topics for help with an administrative question.
Proposers are advised to monitor Topic Q&A during the BAA period for questions and answers and frequently monitor DSIP for updates and amendments to the topics.
Customer Support Guide
To ensure your firm is best prepared throughout the lifecycle of the DOD SBIR/STTR proposal process, we have compiled some notable do's and don'ts for your convenience: Customer Support Guide
Questions
Email DSIP Support at DoDSBIRSupport@reisystems.com for assistance with using DSIP. Questions regarding DSIP can be emailed to DSIP Support and will be addressed in the order received, during normal operating hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET).
General questions pertaining to a particular DOD Component and the Component-specific BAA instructions should be submitted in accordance with the instructions given at the beginning of the Component's topics.
Thank you for your interest in the DOD SBIR/STTR Program.
DOD SBIR/STTR Support Team
Effective January 1, 2023, the SBA’s Veteran Small Business Certification program (VetCert) replaced the Department of Veterans Affairs’ certification program.
SBA-certified veteran-owned small businesses are eligible to compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts at the VA. The VA sets aside at least 7% of its contracts each year for certified VOSBs and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. You can also compete for contracts under other qualifying socio-economic programs.
SBA-certified service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses are eligible to compete for sole-source and set-aside Federal contracts. At least 3% of all federal contracting dollars each year are set aside specifically for certified SDVOSBs. You can also compete for contracts under other qualifying socio-economic programs.
Businesses verified by the VA Center for Verification and Evaluation as of January 1, 2023, are automatically granted certification by SBA for the remainder of the firm’s eligibility period. SBA intends to grant a one-time, one-year extension of certification to current VOSBs and SDVOSBs verified by the VA as of the transfer date on January 1, 2023. This additional year will be added to the existing eligibility period of a current participant. New applicants certified by SBA after January 1, 2023, will receive the standard three-year certification period.
SBA’s Veteran Small Business Certification fact sheet will help you prepare your application.
The goal of Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, is to promote equity for underserved communities by making federal contracting and procurement opportunities more readily available to all eligible vendors in impacted communities. Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-22-03 identifies actions federal agencies should take to achieve the EO’s goal to increase spending to SDBs to 15% by fiscal year 2025. In response to the EO and OMB memo, DHA increased its SB goal from 40% in FY 2022 to 44.87% in FY 2023. We consistently exceed the EO’s goal of spending 15% with SDBs; in FY 2022 we awarded 31.1% of dollars spent to SDBs.
APEX Accelerators, formally known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program, was authorized by Congress in 1985 to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in government contracts. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020 ordered the PTAP to move to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the DOD Office of Small Business Programs began to manage and operate PTAP with a new name, APEX Accelerators, effective FY 2023. The APEX Accelerators program focuses on building strong, sustainable, and resilient U.S. supply chains by assisting a wide range of businesses that pursue and perform under contracts with the DOD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors.
If you haven't already, check out General Services Administration's Interact website. Interact is a forum for industry and government to build successful business partnerships. You will find information on major Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts.
The business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and deliver more value and savings from the government's acquisition programs. OMB M-19-13
The DOD's implementation of Category Management consists of a structured, data-driven business practice whereby the organization broadly and strategically analyzes and manages common categories of spend with an enterprise-wide focus in order to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiencies, and enhance mission effectiveness.
SBA's small business size standards changed in October and December 2022. Your must update your System for Award Management (SAM.gov) registration in order to have your small business status updated based on the new size standards. Until the SAM registrations update, SAM profiles will continue to display the old standards.
Does your business measure up?
Size standards vary by industry. Use the Size Standards Tool to see if your business qualifies as “small” for government contracting.