Welcome to the

National Institutes of Health
Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP)
For Phase II SBIR Awardees
(Managed by Larta Institute)

Applications no longer accepted! / Program Selection: September 27, 2011

What is CAP?

The NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) is a specialized technical assistance program for SBIR Phase II awardees. CAP is designed to help promising small life science companies develop their commercial businesses and transition their SBIR - developed technologies into the marketplace.

Why CAP?

The NIH CAP offers opportunities to “emerging companies” who are making their first foray into the commercial marketplace. The program is customized to meet the needs of early stage companies. 

• With forty slots available, this program will apply to the majority of NIH SBIR Phase II companies.  It is aimed at assisting participants with evaluating their commercialization options based on their specific technologies (including the need and prospect for investment, strategic partnerships or licensing) and to develop a solid market-entry plan covering an 18-month period. The assistance rendered under CAP is practical, oriented to addressing gaps that exist in your current commercialization status, to fully articulate a compelling case for market channels relevant to your business, establish a practical plan with time-limited milestones and budgets to accomplish commercialization goals and develop a clear understanding of potential customers, partners, investors and competitors, derived from contact with experienced advisors and live feedback from current industry executives and others.
• Company CEO participation is highly encouraged in this program. The commitment of time and resources with management support is vital. Past experience indicates that the best results are achieved when the CEO serves as the company’s CAP Leader and is actively involved.

What should you expect?

• One-on-one business mentoring with a principal advisor focusing on concrete deliverables.
• Advice from industry experts on regulatory and licensing issues, business strategy, investor pitch.
• Great networking opportunities you can leverage well into the future.
• Awardees participate in three separate program outcomes tracking over an 18 month period. Please view the "data" tab for CAP outcomes results.

Who Is Eligible to Participate?

• Companies whose NIH SBIR (not STTR) Phase II award is or was active in the past 5 years, including Phase IIB competing renewals (grant, contract, or cooperative agreement) and those in the Fast-Track program. SBIR projects that ended before August 2006 are not eligible.
• Companies that meet the current SBIR small business eligibility criteria as described in the NIH SBIR/STTR Omnibus solicitation. (The solicitation and its parent funding opportunity announcements are available from the NIH Small Business Funding Opportunities website)
• Previous NIH SBIR CAP participants with a different Phase II award. Please note that first time applicants to the CAP will be given priority due to the limited number of slots.