NCI SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award

Jonathan Franca-Koh, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Contact Jonathan Franca-Koh to learn more about this program.

Notice Number: RFA-CA-24-022

The application period is closed. Please check back later.

View a recording of the informational webinar.

The NCI SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award supports the next stage of development for federally funded SBIR Phase II projects in the areas of cancer therapeutics, imaging technologies, interventional devices, diagnostics, and prognostics.

With this award, we aim to address the funding gap, known as the “valley of death,” between the end of the SBIR Phase II award and the subsequent round of financing needed to advance a product or service toward commercialization. To achieve this goal, the Bridge Award funding opportunity is specifically designed to incentivize partnerships between federally funded SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners.

Budget

For any single year of the project period, applicants can request a budget of up to $2.25 million in total costs. The combined budget requested for the entire project period must not exceed $4.5 million in total costs.

Eligibility

The application must represent a continuation of the research and development efforts performed under a previous federally funded SBIR or STTR Phase II award nearing completion or recently ended. Development efforts must address one of the following technical/scientific areas:

Cancer therapeutics and preventive agents
Cancer imaging technologies, interventional devices, and in vivo diagnostics
In vitro and ex vivo cancer diagnostics and prognostics
Technologies for cancer prevention and control, supportive care, and survivorship
Tools and model systems for cancer research

For more information on eligibility, please refer to Section TBD of the solicitation.

Third-Party Funding Requirement

Competitive preference and funding priority is given to applications deemed likely to result in a commercial product, as indicated by the applicant's ability to secure substantial independent third-party investor funds (i.e., third-party funds that equal or exceed the requested NCI funds).

Examples of third-party investors include, but are not limited to, another company, a venture capital firm, an angel investor, a foundation, a university, a research institution, a state or local government, or any combination of the above.

Applicants must provide a commercialization plan that describes the long-term commercialization strategy and details any independent third-party investor funding that has already been secured or will be provided during the Bridge Award project period.