Glossary / Programs
Small Business Technology TransferSTTR
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is an SBA-coordinated R&D program similar to SBIR, but requiring the small business to partner with a qualifying research institution (university, federal lab, or nonprofit research organization). The small business must conduct at least 40% of the work and the research institution at least 30%. Like SBIR, STTR runs in three phases with similar funding levels and a Phase III sole-source path. Five federal agencies participate: DoW, DoE, HHS, NASA, and NSF.
Why it matters to your pipeline
STTR is a main federal path for moving university research into a small business. For small businesses with strong academic ties, it opens a lane of federal R&D funding that SBIR-only competitors can't access. For universities, STTR is a route to translate research into commercial applications. Effective STTR teams have clear IP agreements between the small business and the research institution, which often becomes a critical issue as commercialization progresses.
When this term shows up in an opening GovSmith finds for you, your vCM explains what it means for that pursuit and does whatever it calls for. You decide; we do the work.
Example
A small biotech partners with a major research university on an STTR Phase II $1.5M award. The university conducts computational modeling; the company handles lab validation and regulatory work. Two years later, the company wins an STTR Phase III $8M contract from DoW, with the university's IP licensed in exclusively.
Find out what applies to you
Some terms will matter to your business right away and some won’t for years. A vCM can tell you which are which.