Bottom Line up Front (BLUF): TABA can be up to $50,000 of add on SBIR DOD funding for Cybersecurity, DCAA accounting system support and Business Development.

Details: Discretionary Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) is available with about half of the DOD SBIR agencies.  TABA is an improved version of the past DTA offering and allows awardees to make better technical decisions on projects as well as solving any technical problems and mitigating risks associated with SBIR/STTR projects. 

The TABA award for Phase I cannot exceed a total of $6,500.  The TABA award for Phase II can rise up to $25,000 per awardee, which is included as part of the total award amount.  The TABA award cannot include a fee or profit application and must include all applicable indirect costs.  Therefore, up to $25,000 in additional funding may be awarded to a Phase II project for a total of up to $50,000 per project.  For specific guidance, it is important to review individual SBIR component instructions in order to verify if TABA is available to you and how to apply.

In general, to request direct funding for TABA, a requesting firm must provide the firm name of the TABA provider, the TABA provider’s point of contact as well as contact information (email address and phone number, and a brief explanation of the TABA provider’s unique qualifications to provide the service.  The request must also include a list of the tasks that will be performed by the TABA provider and the total cost and labor rates.

There are also a few factors that TABA must not include.  The request must not be subject to any fee or profit by the SBIR applicant.  The TABA provider proposed may not be an affiliate of the SBIR applicant, an investor of the SBIR applicant, or the SBIR applicant itself.  Finally, the TABA provider cannot be a subcontractor or a consultant of the requesting firm.

TABA can be a great funding tool to get your firm’s cyber security in compliance with new regulations.  It can be used to set up an approved accounting system and/or for business development support. 

Source:  DoD 2020.2 SBIR BAA