Resources

SBIR/STTR Grantwriting Workshop

“I told Prathamesh how valuable this workshop was in teaching me everything I knew. $8 million in funding later, he says it’s the best investment he’s ever made 😆
If you see Shauna Farr-Jones of QB3 at the workshop, please thank her on my behalf for sharing her priceless experiences that have helped us and countless other healthcare innovators at this point. She doesn’t know I’m writing this and I have no relationship with UCSF or QB3, other than gratitude.”
Victor Wang, CEO, care.coach, on LinkedIn

There’s nothing more attractive to investors than non-dilutive funding to de-risk your technology. File a competitive SBIR/STTR application through our expert-led workshop.

For entrepreneurs looking for non-dilutive federal funding to fuel their companies! Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants from the NIH typically provide $296K (Phase I) or $1.97M (Phase II) for startup R&D. But applying can be a complex, frustrating affair if you are not ready for it. We get you ready. Companies must be incorporated to take part. In the workshop, experienced grant writer Shauna Farr-Jones walks you through your NIH and NSF SBIR/STTR applications to ensure you complete everything properly and submit by the deadline.

Did you know that entrepreneurs applying through the QB3 workshop are 3x more likely than the nationwide average to get funded?

QB3 offers three SBIR workshops a year geared towards the NIH submission deadlines of January 5, April 5, and September 5, plus a number of two-session bootcamps on the specifics of NSF SBIRs.

Apply for the Spring 2025 NIH Workshop

See the full list of dates on the workshop webpage. The deadline to apply is Thursday, January 23.

Course content

Sessions generally follow the same format, with some variations. Here’s what a typical course entails (all sessions on Zoom).

This workshop (held on Zoom) will take you through all the steps necessary to successfully file a well-written SBIR/STTR grant application for the January NIH deadline and Spring NSF window. Taking the workshop, you will learn how to craft an appropriate research plan, obtain persuasive letters of support, develop an efficient budget, and anticipate reviewers’ comments. We will help you speed through the application instructions, saving you hours of time. Results from past attendees indicate that taking this course triples your chances of success. The workshop culminates in a submission clinic that will ensure your application is correctly filed.

One or more team members (up to three) from the company should be prepared to participate in every session. These will be working sessions. The course comprises eight working sessions including a pre-submission review of your Specific Aims page by our course instructors.

Topics include

Understanding the eligibility requirements of an SBIR grant
Preparing to apply for an SBIR (company formation, registration at all required websites, identifying the best PI)
Assembling all the necessary parts of the application (letters of support, sub-contract quotes and letters, facilities description, research plan, etc.)
Strategies for designing your specific aims
Budget strategies and restrictions
Complete and convincing budget justifications
Documentation required to use human samples, human subjects and vertebrate animals
What makes a competitive proposal
Common mistakes that applicants make
Filling in forms and submission process
Re-submission if your grant is not funded
Phase II SBIR applications
Searching for program announcements and finding non-dilutive funding opportunities

Workshop Fee

$600 general admission. Refund available through the day after the first workshop session.

Registration

We offer workshops twice a year, beginning in January and September. Registration closes two weeks beforehand. For current and upcoming workshops, check our workshops page. Note: to take part, your company must already be incorporated, or you must separately complete incorporation within two weeks of the start of the workshop.

Apply for the Spring 2025 Workshop

See the full list of dates on the workshop webpage. The deadline to apply is Thursday, January 23.

More Testimonials

“Shauna’s step-by-step guidance through the eRA Assist submission process made the daunting task of getting an error-free STTR application uploaded to the system manageable. There’s the writing and there’s the logistics. Shauna is an expert at both.“
Corey Miller, CEO, Tendel Therapies, $300K STTR awardee

“The Specific Aims page is absolutely crucial, and I was blown away by the quality of some of the class attendees SA pages in that specific class. I was inspired to do better by this.”
John Black, CEO & Founder, Glannaventa, $399K NCI SBIR awardee

“Shauna’s clear and specific instructions were invaluable throughout this process. Her advice to get an outside funder to add a letter of support to our application was not something we would have thought of, but was specifically noted and appreciated by our reviewers.”
Daniel Russakoff, CTO, Voxeleron, $988K Phase II SBIR awardee