Webinars
for Homeland Security
The DHS SBIR pre-solicitation is typically released in November. It is recommended that you register for all of the webinars to take advantage of the pre-solicitation period. An early start will help you schedule your time to meet the proposal submission date for the DHS Phase I solicitation, which is typically due in January.
For recordings of previous webinars, please click the webinar name below.
How a Small Business should Approach Understanding the Pre-Solicitation
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
This webinar is designed to introduce companies to the benefits of participating in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During the pre-solicitation period small businesses can review the topics and ask clarifying technical questions about the topic requirements. Learn how to take advantage of this option, as well as the requirements for preparing and submitting a DHS SBIR proposal. For those small advanced tech firms that have not prepared an SBIR proposal before, an overview is provided of the Phase 0 program for the Department of Homeland Security
Mandatory Federal Registrations
Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
In order to submit an SBIR proposal to the Department of Homeland Security, there are two key registrations that you will need to complete. The most important is registering with the System for Awards Management, commonly referred to as SAM.gov. Being registered with SAM enables a company to receive payments from the federal government should the applicant win an SBIR award. This is an important registration, but one with a number of hurdles. Potential applicants should start this registration process right away. SAM registration won’t take a lot of your time – but the verification process that SAM implements can take up to six weeks to complete. This webinar will discuss how to go about securing SAM.gov and the SBA Company Registry.
Confirming Eligibility and Using Your Time Wisely
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
If you haven’t prepared an SBIR proposal before, you will find it helpful to plan in advance how to use your time. Most proposers have family, work and/or school obligations – so proposal writing is being added to an already busy schedule. This webinar will review how to sequence the tasks involved with proposal preparation to more efficiently prepare a responsive proposal to submit to the DHS SBIR program.
How to Prepare a Responsive Technical Proposal
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
The heart of the DHS SBIR proposal is referred to as the Technical Proposal. This is the most important part of the application and requires that you take the time to do this well. Learn the type of questions to ask the Topic Authors during the Pre-Solicitation period so that you better understand the intent of the topic. An applicants’ technical proposal must reflect synergy between the agency’s needs as expressed in the topic and the company’s capabilities. Companies will also learn how to scope the “state of the art” which is important in formulating an innovative solution.
Principal Investigators and Other Personnel
Thursday November 30, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Three primary criteria are used in evaluating SBIR proposals – the innovation of the technology, the staffing and the plans for commercialization. Learn about the role and time commitment of the Principal Investigator (PI) and how to find subcontractors, consultants, and/or contingent hires to strengthen your proposal. Also discussed will be required letters from potential consultants and subcontractors verifying their availability. As the end of the calendar year is a busy time, it is important to start securing these letters early.
Preparing Your Budget
Thursday, December 7, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Once a small business has crafted the technical proposal and considered the staffing requirements, it’s time to formulate the budget. Adding financial constraint will often result in rescoping what can be accomplished during Phase I which is dedicated to concept development. In this webinar you will learn about Phase I budget requirements and the basic concepts associated with government accounting. It is important that you do NOT exceed the available budget and time available for Phase I applications to the DHS SBIR program.
Protecting your Intellectual Property
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
It is not uncommon for applicants to be concerned about how to protect their ideas when they submit them as part of a proposal application. In this webinar you will learn about how to mark proprietary content that you submit as part of your proposal. You will also learn about the DHS SBIR review process and how the guidelines provided to reviewers also protects your proprietary information.
Important Forms to Submit with Your DHS Proposal
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
As you approach the time when you will submit your application it is important that you begin to address the other forms that will be required as part of your proposal submission. Although these forms do not take a long time to complete, failure to submit the appropriate forms could result in your application NOT being reviewed. Also discussed in this webinar will be the concept of fraud, waste and abuse.
Looking Ahead: Setting Up a Government Accounting System
Thursday, December 21, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Should you win a DHS Phase I SBIR award, one of the first things you will need to do is set up a government accounting system. This webinar is designed to provide you with insight into basic concepts associated with government accounting.
DHS SBIR Proposal Submission Process
Tuesday, January 9, 2024 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
As potential applicants approach the due date for proposal submission it is important to review how to submit the application that you have prepared. During this webinar a check list of the items to be submitted and the format will also be reviewed.