2014 Tibbetts and Hall of Fame Award Nominations

2014 TIBBETTS AWARD NOMINATIONSThe Tibbetts Awards are presented to those small businesses and individuals judged to exemplify the best in the SBIR program. The award is named for Roland Tibbetts, acknowledged as the father of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, and is presented to companies and individuals that promote the mission and goals of the SBIR program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR):

• to stimulate technological innovation;
• to use small business to meet federal research and development needs;
• to encourage diverse participation in technological innovation; and
• to increase commercialization of Federal research

All Tibbetts Award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges. There is no monetary value to the Tibbetts Award. All awardees are invited to Washington DC at their own expense to attend the Tibbetts Awards ceremony. TIBBETTS AWARD ELIGIBILITYThere are two types of Tibbetts awards: awards to any businesses who have participated in the SBIR or STTR Phase I and II award programs and individuals who have not received assistance but supported the SBIR and STTR programs. Tibbetts Awards - SBIR/STTR RecipientAny individual who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a business that has received an SBIR Phase I and II or an STTR award may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. Businesses owned and operated by nominees must comply with federal civil rights laws. Nominees may not have received a Tibbetts Award in the prior year. Tibbetts Awards - IndividualAn individual who has not received SBIR or STTR Award assistance but supports the SBIR and the STTR programs in other ways - as specified in the evaluation criteria, below. Awardees may not be registered lobbyists. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. Nominees may not have received a Tibbetts Award in the prior year. TIBBETTS AWARD EVALUATION/SELECTION CRITERIAAnyone can nominate a company or individual for the Tibbetts Award - self-nominations will be accepted.The criteria for evaluating companies who have received SBIR or STTR awards are:

• Technical Innovation - e.g., how the technical innovation has advanced national priorities in R&D, how the technical innovation has benefited the federal government or private citizens.
• Business Impact  - e.g., job creation and retention, revenue growth, successful acquisition or financial exit.
• Broader Societal and Economic Benefit  - e.g., encouraging women and minority participation in R&D, supporting regional economic development, creating connections to local universities

 The criteria for evaluating individuals are:

• Unique, Long-Term Service - e.g., provided advice & guidance to the SBIR program recipients, served in various capacities to the program and its awardees, provided leadership to the program and participating agencies
• Created and/or Initiated New Programs - e.g., new programs to enhance commercialization prospects for awardees, innovation of services provided to awardees, enhanced program to meet its statutory goals, established programs beyond SBIR funding
• Advocacy of SBIR- e.g., advocated policies supportive of the program, broadened the applicant base of the program, reached out to new audiences to assist in the success of SBIR awardees

 HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATIONNominations will be accepted starting March 31, 2014. The nomination period will close on May 9, 2014 at 11:59 PM ET. Anyone can nominate a business and/or individual for a Tibbetts Award - including self-nominations. Submission of Tibbetts Award nomination packages must be in electronic PDF format, no hard copy will be accepted.  Please give your PDF file a unique name that helps identify you (eg abc company.pdf).  Questions should be sent to help@tibbettsawards.org Please put “help” in the subject line of the email.  Nominations must be emailed to nominations@tibbettsawards.org no later than May 9, 2014.  You will receive a notification of receipt within 2 business days.  Nomination packages must contain all the elements listed below, be in a PDF format and must not exceed the page or word limits identified below. 

1. Cover Page (includes business or individual profile, including (as applicable): (1 page)
   • Select award: SBIR Recipient or Individual
   • Identify a one category for the nominee from the list below:

- Agricultural   Educational Organization   Medical/Life Sciences   Manufacturing   Materials- Energy   National Defense   Communications   Aerospace   Transportation   Security- Environmental   Software   Chemical   Other

• Business Name
• Name of Business Owner/Operator or Individual
• Mailing address
• Email
• Phone number
• SBIR Award Year
• SBIR Award Title
• SBIR Award Phase
• SBIR Awarding Agency
• Name of Nominator (if not self)
• Nominator’s Affiliation
• Nominator’s email
• Nominator’s phone number

2. 500 word (or less) description of the business or profile of individual who supports the SBIR program for public release – in case you win
3. Five (5) pages (or less) narrative answering the question with specific references to the evaluation criteria identified above: “Why does this business/individual deserve to win the Tibbetts Award?”
4. Photograph of nominee(s) for public release
5. Letters of support (no more than 3 letters may be submitted)

 Tibbetts Award Selection ProcessAll Award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges.  The winners will be invited to a White House Awards Program (Washington, DC) in June 2014, the ceremony will be held in concert with the annual SBIR National Conference at the National Harbor. *Note: All award winners wishing to participate in the June 2014 event will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. For additional information on the Tibbetts Awards please contact: Louis Cupp U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation 409 Third Street, SW, 6th Floor Washington, DC 20416 Louis.Cupp@sba.gov   2014 SBIR HALL OF FAME AWARD NOMINATIONSThe SBIR Hall of Fame, started in 2011, recognizes previous SBIR awardees with a long period of extraordinary success in research, innovation, and commercialization within the SBIR program. The SBIR Hall of Fame awards will be made to firms with a long period of extraordinary success of research, innovation, and commercialization within the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. HALL OF FAME ELIGIBILITYFor the SBIR Hall of Fame, nominees must be previous SBIR or STTR awardees that have contributed significantly to the program’s goals over a period of time through their work. Any individual who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a business that received an SBIR Phase I and II award or STTR award may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four. Nominees may have previously received a Tibbetts Award, although receipt of a Tibbetts Award is not required. Nominees must also be residents of the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. A company may not apply for both a Tibbetts and Hall of Fame award in the same year. HALL OF FAME EVALUATION/SELECTION CRITERIAThe criteria for evaluating a business for the Hall of Fame Anyone can nominate a company for the SBIR Hall of Fame Award – however, self-nominations are not allowed. Awards are:

• Technical innovation - e.g., how the technical innovation has advanced national priorities in R&D, how the technical innovation has benefited the federal government or private citizens
• Business impact - e.g., job creation and retention, revenue growth, successful acquisition or financial exit
• Broader social and economic benefit - e.g., encouraging women and minority participation in R&D, supporting regional economic development, creating connections to local universities
• Degree of impact - e.g., a large initial price offering event, creation of a significant number of new jobs, acquisition by larger firm
• Longevity - e.g., the company should be well established and have exited from the SBIR or STTR program several years ago

 HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION:Nominations open March 31, 2014, and close on May 9, 2014 at 11:59 PM EST Nominations packages must be typed and are limited to five (5) pages (single spaced) and include the following sections:1. Cover Page -Company profile, including (as applicable)(1page):    - Company/Name    - Contact address    - E-mail    - Phone number    - SBIR/STTR Award Year    - SBIR/STTR Award Title    - SBIR/STTR Award Phase    - SBIR/STTR Awarding Agency2. 500 word (or less) company description3. Answer the question with specific references to the five evaluation criteria: “Why does this company/individual deserve to be in the SBIR Hall of Fame?”4. Optional:    a) Letters of support    b) Photograph of nominee and/or technology (will not be returned) For consideration of the SBIR Hall of Fame Award, submit nomination packages to: SBIRHallofFame@sba.gov in PDF format no later than May 9, 2014 at 11:59 PM EST Hall of Fame Selection ProcessAll Award winners will be selected by the SBA based on the recommendations of a panel of judges.  The winners will be invited to a White House Awards Program (Washington, DC) in June 2014, the ceremony will be held in concert with the annual SBIR National Conference at the National Harbor. *Note: All award winners wishing to participate in the June 2014 event will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. For additional information on the Tibbetts and SBIR Hall of Fame Awards please contact: Louis Cupp U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation 409 Third Street, SW, 6th Floor Washington, DC 20416 Louis.Cupp@sba.gov To learn more about Tibbetts Awards and Hall of Fame, Click here