NIH SBIR TABA Eligibility Guide

Introduction

If you’re applying to the NIH SBIR or STTR program, there’s a powerful resource you might be overlooking: TABA, or Technical and Business Assistance. Offered in both Phase I and Phase II, TABA is designed to help small businesses move their innovations closer to market. But unlike typical grant funding, these funds are reserved for things like IP strategy, market research, and commercialization planning. In this post, we’ll break down who’s eligible for TABA through NIH, how much you can request, and how to include it in your SBIR application for maximum impact.

What Is TABA and How Does NIH Implement It?

TABA, or Technical and Business Assistance, is supplemental funding available through SBIR and STTR awards that supports non-R&D activities crucial for commercialization. At NIH, TABA funds are specifically allocated to help small businesses develop strategies for intellectual property, regulatory pathways, market analysis, and manufacturing plans.

Unlike some agencies that provide centralized consulting, NIH allows awardees to choose their own service providers. This flexibility means you can tailor your TABA support to your business needs, but you’ll need to justify the request and show how the services directly support commercialization. TABA is not a substitute for core R&D tasks—it’s a distinct resource to help you prepare your innovation for the market.

TABA funds are in addition to your NIH SBIR budget cap.
You can request $6,500 (Phase I) or up to $50,000 (Phase II) on top of the standard budget limits.

Eligibility Requirements for NIH TABA

To qualify for TABA funding from NIH, your business must already be applying for or receiving an SBIR or STTR award. TABA is available in both Phase I and Phase II, as well as for Fast-Track proposals that combine both phases into a single submission.

You must include your TABA request in your initial SBIR or STTR application—NIH does not allow retroactive TABA requests. Within the proposal, there is a specific section where you should explain the need for TABA services and describe the external assistance you plan to procure.

Importantly, TABA is reserved for activities that are clearly distinct from the core research and development tasks in your proposal. NIH specifies that TABA cannot be used to fund work that would otherwise fall under your R&D budget. This includes product development, prototype fabrication, or internal testing services.

TABA funds cannot be used for R&D work.
Using TABA for core research activities could result in disallowed costs under NIH policy (see 13 CFR 121.702).

TABA Funding Amounts by Phase

NIH sets clear limits for how much TABA funding small businesses can request—and those limits vary depending on the phase of your SBIR or STTR project.

• Phase I: You may request up to $6,500 in TABA funding per year. This amount is in addition to the standard Phase I award cap of $275,000.
• Phase II: You can request up to $50,000 total in TABA funding for the duration of the Phase II project, on top of the $1.83 million cap.
• Fast-Track: If you’re applying for a Fast-Track proposal, which combines Phase I and Phase II in one application, you can request TABA for each phase separately within the same submission.

NIH does not automatically award TABA funds—you must specifically request them and justify the use. The funds are issued as a supplement to your grant if approved.

How to Request TABA in Your NIH Proposal

To receive TABA support from NIH, you must formally request it in your SBIR or STTR application. There is no separate process—your request must be included at the time you submit your proposal.

Start by identifying which commercialization tasks you’ll outsource with TABA funding. Common examples include competitive market research, freedom-to-operate analysis, regulatory strategy development, or help preparing an FDA pre-submission.

Once you’ve defined the scope, prepare a short justification describing the need for each service and the expertise of the third-party provider you plan to use. NIH requires this justification to be included in the application’s budget justification section.

If your project is selected for funding and the TABA request is approved, NIH’s Grants Management office will add the TABA funds as a supplement in your Notice of Award. This means you don’t receive the money upfront—it’s processed separately from your base SBIR award.

Best Practices for NIH TABA Requests

Securing TABA funding from NIH can make a measurable difference in your ability to commercialize new technology—but only if the request is thoughtfully prepared and strategically aligned with your proposal.

First, be specific. Clearly define which commercialization gaps your TABA services will address. NIH reviewers are more likely to approve TABA if the request is tied to measurable needs like FDA guidance, patent filings, or go-to-market planning.

Second, use credible vendors. Whether you’re contracting with a regulatory consultant or market analyst, NIH expects your TABA providers to have demonstrable qualifications. Include this information in your budget justification.

Finally, don’t wait until the last minute. TABA requests must be well-integrated into your proposal narrative and budget. If you rush to add them at the end, you risk providing insufficient detail—which could lead to the request being denied.

Plan your TABA request early.
NIH reviewers expect detailed justifications. Last-minute additions often fail to meet the criteria.