NASA SBIR and STTR Request for Information PURPOSE : The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Office is seeking to engage industry and small businesses to better build awareness, gain insights, and obtain feedback to help shape the Program Year (PY) 2018 NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation and identify potential programmatic improvements. NASA's SBIR/STTR program has been actively working to increase engagement with industry over the last year. This RFI reflects that effort to increase communication and receive feedback. This RFI provides an opportunity for small businesses and industry in general to express ideas to benefit the stakeholders of NASA's SBIR/STTR Program. In addition, this is an opportunity to present ideas for new subtopics or modifications to existing subtopics to NASA that may inform the development of the PY 2018 NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation. Submitters of high value ideas or feedback may be invited to present or participate in the upcoming NASA SBIR/STTR Workshop planned for June 2017. NASA is also providing a networking opportunity for businesses participating in this RFI to share contact information with other RFI participants and develop partnerships. The contact list will be shared only with businesses that choose the opt-in option on the RFI submission form. Those who opt-in will be asked to provide their company name, contact information, and a brief summary of their organization's capabilities for inclusion in the distribution by NASA. DESCRIPTION : Information sought will be divided into the following four areas: (1) General feedback on the PY 2017 NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation The PY 2017 NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation closed on January 20, 2017. The Solicitation is produced annually in partnership with NASA's Mission Directorates and Centers to focus on the Agency's priority mission needs. These needs are organized under focus areas and subtopics within the Solicitation. General feedback is sought on Chapters 1-8 of the Solicitation that contain detailed instructions to the small business on how to put together a proposal for either the SBIR or STTR program. Solicitations are available on-line via the NASA SBIR/STTR public website at http://sbir.nasa.gov/solicitations. (2) Feedback on the PY 2017 Technical Focus Areas and Subtopics NASA is seeking feedback on the PY 2017 SBIR/STTR Solicitation subtopics located in Chapter 9 of the Solicitation. NASA is interested to know if it was difficult to select a subtopic due to duplication or overlap with other subtopics. In addition, NASA is particularly interested in feedback on subtopics that are unclear or provided insufficient information, subtopics that were overly broad or not specific enough that made it difficult to write a proposal, or subtopics that were too specific where revisions are suggested to facilitate more innovative solutions. (3) Potential New Subtopics NASA is interested in feedback or comments about any new subtopics, including those not covered by the Solicitation, that could inform the development of the PY 2018 SBIR/STTR Solicitation. The new subtopics should be related to NASA interests and target R&D innovation with NASA applications, commercial space industry applications, and broader commercial potential. (4) NASA SBIR/STTR Programmatic Recommendations for Improvement NASA seeks general feedback on NASA's SBIR and STTR programs. HOW TO PARTICIPATE : The RFI will open Monday, January 23, 2017 at 12:00 PM EST and will close Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 5:00 PM EST. Responses to the RFI must be submitted on-line through the NASA SBIR/STTR Electronic Handbook (EHB) located at: https://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/submissions/rfi/login. In order to access the EHB, you must be a registered user in the system. To register, click on the "Register/Activate" link on the login screen and follow the instructions. Registration takes just a couple of minutes, and upon successful registration you will have immediate access to the EHB. Note: If you have submitted a NASA SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II Proposal to a recent Solicitation, then you only need to re-activate your account. The NASA SBIR/STTR Help Desk can provide technical support and answer questions regarding clarification of RFI submission instructions. Email questions to:
[email protected]. NOTE: Participation in this request is voluntary, and questions should not be considered as a formal announcement to receive proposals, or as negotiations in contemplation of any contractual work for NASA. Participation is not required to propose to any existing or future announcements. NASA will not provide reimbursement for any costs incurred in participation in this RFI.