The National Institute of Health’s SBIR Niche Assessment Program (NAP), is a nationwide program funded by NIH with services provided by Foresight Science and Technology of Cambridge, MA.

Each year, Foresight provides their Technology Niche Analysis™ (TNA™) to seventy-five (75) NIH SBIR Phase I awardees. These analyses assess potential applications for a technology and then for one viable application, it provides an assessment of:

1)    the needs and concerns of end-users which drive the competitive opening;
2)    competing technology and products;
3)    the competitive advantage of your technology;
4)    who the key competitors are likely to be;
5)    the likely price customers will pay;
6)    what will drive the market;
7)    what are key standards, regulations, and certifications influencing buyer acceptance;
8)    what is the market size and what share should you seek;
9)    who is a potential customer, licensee, investor, or other commercialization partner (targets as specified by your preferences); and,
10)  a commercialization strategy is provided, together with tasking and a schedule for implementation of the strategy and design suggestions for the product.

Each participant receives an in-depth report of Foresight’s findings.  Oftentimes the small businesses can use this information in their commercialization plans which are part of their Phase II applications.

For more information, see Notice NOT-OD-08-100 that was placed in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on August 6, 2008.  

Click here to apply - (Closed 2008/09 slots are full.)

Contact:
            Ms. Kay Etzler
            NIH SBIR NAP Program Manager
            Office of Extramural Programs
            Office of Extramural Research
            301-435-2713
            etzlerk@od.nih.gov