SBIR In The News

Proposals that Pop: An Interview with Gail and Jim Greenwood
Considering that only one of every seven to ten SBIR proposals is funded, it pays to submit the very best proposal possible. That requires a good idea for an innovative product or technology, of course, but the nuts and bolts of proposal writing can also make or break the competitiveness of your grant application.

Give them what they want—A Compelling Case…

Many proposers don’t present a compelling case that distinguishes them from the crowd. “You have to give the agency a reason to pick your proposal over the others,” says Gail Greenwood, owner with her husband, Jim, of the Greenwood Consulting Group, Sanibel Island, Fla.

One of the common weaknesses the Greenwoods see when reviewing SBIR proposals is no comprehensive workplan. This is a must. A competitive proposal details what work will be performed, how and when it will be done, and by whom.

Another commonly missed element is a credible feasibility question. Typically, a Phase I project seeks to demonstrate that an innovative approach will solve a problem or allow an opportunity to be exploited. Therefore, the proposal needs to reflect an effort to prove the feasibility of that innovation. “Unfortunately, the feasibility question often is missing, under-emphasized, or unjustified,” says Jim Greenwood.

Another way to derail your proposal is to tell the agency reviewers far more than they care to know about the history behind the idea and its development. Include only material that is relevant to the project at hand. “Don’t discuss how your technology can solve a ship-related problem when your proposal is going to the Army,” he says. “The Army couldn’t care less.”

…how they want it.

When writing the proposal, follow the format specified in the solicitation instructions. It seems simple enough, but it proves to be a pitfall for many. Don’t, for example, omit sections that don’t apply to your situation. If a section isn’t relevant, include it with a “nonapplicable” statement.

The Greenwoods also emphasis using the same section names that appear in the guidelines. “If the guidelines refer to a section as ‘Section 3. Significance of the Problem or Opportunity,’ then the writer should use this title too. This makes it easier for the reviewer to find a particular section or to verify that all requested sections are included,” says Gail Greenwood.

Also keep in mind that each agency has different formats and requirements for what is to be included in the various sections. Some also have supplemental instructions that must be followed. “The Department of Defense is famous for this,” she says. “There will be general instructions at the front of the DOD solicitation, but then each component has a supplemental set. The proposer is held to the supplemental instructions whenever there is a difference between the two sets of instructions.”

For more information about Greenwood Consulting, go to http://g-jgreenwood.home.att.net.

Please go to: http://sbir.state.mt.us/BRD_SBIR_News.asp for the rest of the April 2002 SBIR Newsletter