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Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Needs Assessment

The TABA Needs Assessment Report provides a third-party, unbiased assessment of a Phase I project’s progress in technical and business areas that are critical to success in the competitive healthcare marketplace. There is no cost for this report and the time commitment for participation is minimal.

The Needs Assessment Report helps companies strategize for the project’s next steps. It analyzes the current state of your Phase I project and identifies strengths and weaknesses across four categories. The information in each report will be tailored to the participating company’s project, but the structure and scope of the report are fixed. View a sample Needs Assessment Report

intellectual property

Intellectual Property/Barriers to Entry

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Market & Competitive Awareness

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Regulatory, Manufacturing, and/or Clinical Plan

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Business Model Profitability

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Note: Needs Assessment Reports identify gaps in the four above areas, they do not fill those gaps with knowledge or provide needed data. After receiving the Report, companies are advised to work with their Small Business Program Manager and/or Program Official to identify resources or programs to move their project to the next step. 

Why request a TABA Needs Assessment? 

Many companies utilize their Needs Assessments to inform their commercialization plan and/or TABA Funding budget for their SBIR/STTR Phase II application, and/or other funding opportunities. For companies that plan to use the Report for their Phase II application, we recommend submitting a request at least 6 months ahead of the Phase II proposal deadline to allow enough time to fully leverage the Report.

Companies that already submitted Phase II applications have used their report to review and adjust their strategies as necessary.

Eligibility

Your company is eligible to participate if your Phase I NIH SBIR or STTR (grant, contract, or Fast-Track)

  • Is active or was active within the past two years AND
  • Was not awarded TABA funding within the Phase I award budget AND
  • Has not already received a TABA Needs Assessment Report or NICHE Assessment for the same Phase I project
Watch this webinar recording to learn about commercialization support for Phase I SBIR/STTR grantees.
Watch this webinar recording to learn more about the TABA Needs Assessment Program.


Questions? Email seedinfo@nih.gov.

Request a Needs Assessment Report

The TABA Needs Assessment Report is provided by RTI Innovation Advisors through an NIH contract. Recommendations from RTI Innovation Advisors do not represent the views of NIH or NIH staff.