You have a great idea. Is patenting the best way to protect it? How much do patents cost? How do you find out if your idea is patentable?
	Robert M. Hunter, Ph.D. Registered Patent Agent WebPatent.com

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if SBIR/STTR competition is right for you:

How will your innovation help a federal agency achieve its mission?

Who at the agency have you talked to to confirm this?

How do you plan to make money with your innovation after the SBIR research and development effort is over?

How do you propose to determine whether your innovation is technically and economically feasible in Phase I?

What experimental result do you hope to produce in Phase I that will show how that your innovation is feasible?

Who will perform the research and why is your team qualified to do this kind of work?

Are you willing to set up a project accounting system that can be used to track how your grant money was spent?

Are you willing to have an experienced person review an outline of your proposal and at least two successive versions of your proposal, starting at least a month before the due date?

If you cannot answer the above questions in a way that a layperson can understand, you are not ready for program participation. You have lots of homework to do!

Aloha!