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Tibbetts and Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline January 31, 2012

Posted on Jan 26, 2012
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The Tibbetts Awards are presented to those small businesses and individuals judged to exemplify the best in the SBIR and the STTR programs. The award is named for Roland Tibbetts, acknowledged as the father of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, and is presented to companies and individuals that promote the mission and goals of the SBIR program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR):

  • to stimulate technological innovation;
  • to use small business to meet federal research and development needs;
  • to encourage diverse participation in technological innovation;
  • to increase commercialization of Federal research.


Tibbetts Award Eligibility

There are two types of Tibbetts Awards: awards to any businesses who have participated in the SBIR or the STTR Phase I and II award programs and individuals who have not received assistance but supported the SBIR and STTR programs.

Tibbetts Awards – SBIR/STTR Recipient

Any individual who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a business that has received an SBIR Phase I and II or an STTR award may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. Businesses owned and operated by nominees must comply with federal civil rights laws. Nominees may not have received a Tibbetts Award in the prior year.

Tibbetts Awards – Individual

An individual who has not received SBIR or STTR Award assistance but supports the SBIR and the STTR programs in other ways – as specified in the evaluation criteria, below. Awardees may not be registered lobbyists. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. Nominees may not have received a Tibbetts Award in the prior year.

Tibbetts Awards Evaluation/Selection Criteria

Anyone can nominate a company or individual for the Tibbetts Award – self-nominations will be accepted.

The criteria for evaluating companies who have received SBIR or STTR awards are:

  • Technical innovation– e.g., how the technical innovation has advanced national priorities in R&D, how the technical innovation has benefited the federal government or private citizens
  • Business impact- e.g., job creation and retention, revenue growth, successful acquisition or financial exit
  • Broader social and economic benefit– e.g., encouraging women and minority participation in R&D, supporting regional economic development, creating connections to local universities


The criteria for evaluating individuals are:

  • Unique, long-term service– e.g., provided advice and guidance to the SBIR and STTR program recipients, served in various capacities to the program and its awardees, provided leadership to the program and participating agencies
  • Created and/or initiated new programs- e.g., new programs to enhance commercialization prospects for awardees, innovation of services provided to awardees, enhanced program to meet its statutory goals, established programs beyond SBIR and STTR funding
  • Advocacy of SBIR and STTR– e.g., advocated policies supportive of the program, broadened the applicant base of the program, reached out to new audiences to assist in the success of SBIR and STTR awardees


Tibbetts Award Nomination Process

Nominations are now open.  The nomination period will close on January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.

Anyone can nominate a company and/or individual for a Tibbetts Award – including self-nominations.

Nominations packages must be typed and are limited to five (5) pages (single spaced) and include the following sections:

  1. Company or individual profile, including (as applicable)(1 page):
     - Company/Name
     - Contact address
     - E-mail
     - Phone number
     - SBIR/STTR Award Year
     - SBIR/STTR Award Title
     - SBIR/STTR Award Phase
     - SBIR/STTR Awarding Agency
  2. 500 word (or less) company description, or profile of individual who supports the SBIR or STTR program
  3. Answer the question with specific references to the three evaluation criteria: "Why does this company/individual deserve to win the Tibbetts Award?"
  4. OPTIONAL:
     a) Letters of support
     b) Photograph of nominee and/or technology (will not be returned)


For consideration of the Tibbetts Awards, submit nomination packages to http://tibbetts.challenge.gov

Tibbetts Award Selection Process

All Tibbetts Award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges. The winners will be announced in early March. A maximum of 60 awards may be given to eligible Tibbetts Awards nominees.

                                                                               

SBIR HALL OF FAME

We are proud to announce the second annual SBIR Hall of Fame Awards. The SBIR Hall of Fame awards will be made to firms with a long period of extraordinary success of research, innovation, and commercialization within the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. 

Hall of Fame Eligibility

For the SBIR Hall of Fame, nominees must be previous SBIR or STTR awardees that have contributed significantly to the program’s goals over a period of time through their work. 

Any individual who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a business that received an SBIR Phase I and II award or STTR award may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four. Nominees may have previously received a Tibbetts Award, although receipt of a Tibbetts Award is not required. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks.  A company may not apply for both a Tibbetts and Hall of Fame award in the same year.

Hall of Fame Evaluation/Selection Criteria

The criteria for evaluating a business for the Hall of Fame Anyone can nominate a company for the SBIR Hall of Fame Award – however, self-nominations are not allowed. Awards are:

 

  • Technical innovation– e.g., how the technical innovation has advanced national priorities in R&D, how the technical innovation has benefited the federal government or private citizens
  • Business impact- e.g., job creation and retention, revenue growth, successful acquisition or financial exit
  • Broader social and economic benefit– e.g., encouraging women and minority participation in R&D, supporting regional economic development, creating connections to local universities
  • Degree of impact– e.g., a large initial price offering event, creation of a significant number of new jobs, acquisition by larger firm
  • Longevity– e.g., the company should be well established and have exited from the SBIR or STTR program several years ago


Hall of Fame Nomination Process

Nominations are now open.  The nomination period will close on January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.

Nominations packages must be typed and are limited to five (5) pages (single spaced) and include the following sections:

 

  1. Company profile, including (as applicable)(1page):
     - Company/Name
     - Contact address
     - E-mail
     - Phone number
     - SBIR/STTR Award Year
     - SBIR/STTR Award Title
     - SBIR/STTR Award Phase
     - SBIR/STTR Awarding Agency
  2. 500 word (or less) company description
  3. Answer the question with specific references to the five evaluation criteria: “Why does this company/individual deserve to be in the SBIR Hall of Fame?”
  4. OPTIONAL:
     a) Letters of support
     b) Photograph of nominee and/or technology (will not be returned)

For consideration of the SBIR Hall of Fame, submit nomination packages to http://sbirhof.challenge.gov

Hall of Fame Selection Process

All Hall of Fame award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges. The winners will be announced in early March. A maximum of 5 Hall of Fame winners will be selected for the SBIR Hall of Fame award. 

Awards Ceremony

The national ceremony to recognize recipients of the 2012 Tibbetts Awards and SBIR Hall of Fame Awards will be held in Washington, DC in April 2012.

*Note:  All award winners wishing to participate in the April 2012 event will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

 

For additional information on the Tibbetts and SBIR Hall of Fame Awards please contact:

Lisa Younger
U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Technology
409 Third Street, SW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC  20416
Lisa.Younger@sba.gov