Innovation Partnership (IPart) SBIR/STTR Proposal Support

Innovation Partnership (IPart) SBIR/STTR Proposal Support

Offers Pennsylvania small businesses free proposal reviews, training seminars, and travel support for federal innovation applications.

Innovation Partnership (IPart) is a statewide Pennsylvania program funded by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (BFTDA) and administered by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania. IPart's mission is to help Pennsylvania-based small businesses compete successfully for federal SBIR and STTR funding, which collectively represents more than $4.5 billion in annual awards across 11 federal agencies. The program delivers three categories of support: free written reviews of SBIR and STTR proposal ideas to sharpen technical and commercial narratives before submission; agency-specific outreach seminars covering the SBIR and STTR process and individual agency requirements; and up to $1,000 in financial assistance for training and travel expenses incurred directly during proposal preparation. This program is not a state-level cash match on top of federal SBIR or STTR awards. Pennsylvania does not operate a Phase I or Phase II state-matching program at the DCED level; the $1,000 is strictly for application-related out-of-pocket costs such as attending workshops or traveling to agency briefings. Eligibility is restricted to for-profit small businesses with primary operations in Pennsylvania that are actively pursuing or planning a federal SBIR or STTR application; nonprofits, universities, and research organizations are not the primary target. No fixed application deadline exists — IPart operates year-round on a rolling basis. To access proposal review, seminar registration, or the travel and training assistance, companies contact IPart through innovationpartnership.net/contact-us or directly at Ben Franklin TechVentures, 116 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015. Pennsylvania companies that win federal SBIR awards may separately explore BFTP convertible debt as bridge or co-investment capital alongside their federal award.