Submitting SBIR tenders

Submitting tenders

During the call-for-tenders period, you prepare a tender for the SBIR you want to participate in. The procedure consists of 2 phases; tenders are submitted for phase 1 and if you continue to the next phase, for phase 2 as well. You will need to attach several documents to your tender.

Only during the period when an SBIR-call is open, you can submit a tender for that call. The online tender form can be found on the page of the open SBIR-call. 

Phase 1: Feasibility study of the innovation

You submit a tender to conduct a feasibility study of the innovation. The tender consists of the following parts:

• an ‘SBIR tender’ form which has been completed online
• a template of the project plan for phase 1 (pdf, in Dutch)
• an executive summary (attached separately for phase 1)
  The executive summary must be included in the project plan. Please submit the executive summary as a separate document (pdf or Word file). This is for assessment purposes. For more information, please consult the SBIR guidelines at the bottom of the page. 

If you are working with an intermediary who is submitting the proposal on your behalf, then please also send the relevant authorisation for the intermediary.

Phase 2: Developing the innovation

You submit a tender for the development of the innovation. The tender consists of the following parts:

• an ‘SBIR tender’ form which has been completed online
• a template of the project plan for Phase 2 (pdf, in Dutch)
• a template of the business plan for Phase 2 (pdf, in Dutch)

If you are working with an intermediary who is submitting the proposal on your behalf, then please also send the relevant authorisation for the intermediary.

After your submission(s)

You will be sent a confirmation of receipt by email within 10 days of submitting your tender. Results on the assessment of phase 1 proposals usually follow within 8 weeks after the SBIR closes.

Each SBIR has its own assessment committee, which assesses the tenders on the basis of the following criteria:

• impact on the social issue
• technical feasibility
• economic prospects

The evaluation committee ranks all the projects. The projects rated best, which are above the quality threshold and within the available budget, will be awarded a contract.

Submitting reports

A report must be submitted for both SBIR phases. You submit several appendices together with this report. Send everything to sbir@rvo.nl.

Phase 1: Final report

You carry out a feasibility study if you are awarded a contract. At the end of that study, you submit a report. In it, you describe the results of the feasibility study and its conclusions for the next stage. You structure the report based on the SBIR format for final reports for phase 1 (pdf, in Dutch).

Phase 2: Reports and demonstration

All entrepreneurs with feasible ideas in phase 1, are invited to submit a tender for phase 2. The assessment committee also advises the client during this phase. The client then decides which projects will be commissioned for phase 2: developing the innovation. At the end of the SBIR phase 2, you submit the following:

• a final report
• a demonstration of the tested product, service or process
• a summary open for the public based on the SBIR format for the open summary of phase 2 final stage (pdf, in Dutch).

For this final report, please use the format for SBIR final report phase 2 (pdf, in Dutch). If so requested, you must make the following (background) documentation available for inspection:

• a technical specification of the product or a description of the service
• a test protocol
• a production plan (or a plan for providing the service)
• technical documentation
• the updated business plan

Phase 3: Marketing the innovation

In phase 3 (the final phase), the entrepreneur works on the commercialisation of his/her innovation. The contracting authority prepares the procurement in this phase, if relevant. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency is not involved in this final phase.

Instructions for submitting tenders

There is more information about submitting a tender in the SBIR manual for entrepreneurs (pdf, in Dutch).